January 7, 2024On a hilly landscape in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco, a group of pitched-roofed, wood-clad buildings — the components of a weekend getaway — exudes a sense of warmth among the many trees that fill the site. But the clients who bought the home — which was designed by Neil Peoples Architecture with landscaping by the Sonoma-based Roche + Roche — did not want a storybook aesthetic. They preferred clean, contemporary interiors that allowed them to savor the impressive views of the surrounding countryside.
For a Sonoma County estate, The Wiseman Group, founded by Paul Vincent Wiseman (right), was tapped to create elegant but comfortable interiors. The team included, from left, James Hunter and Shannon Jue (portraits of Hunter and Wiseman by S72 Business Portraits; portrait of Jue by Matthew Millman). Top: The great room, which encompasses living, dining and kitchen areas, contains custom leather ottomans by The Wiseman Group, Formations sofas and sculptures by Morgane Tschiember on the coffee table. All photos by Roger Davies unless otherwise noted.
For this, they turned to The Wiseman Group, founded by Paul Vincent Wiseman in 1980, which is known for the subtle elegance of its interiors. “We’re not dogmatic about a particular style,” says Wiseman, whose San Francisco firm now includes 50 people, noting that these clients, whom he describes as “homebodies” who “love nature and gardening,” wanted “simplicity — not flashy, but good.”
For this project — which includes the main house, a guest house, a pool house and a barn — James Hunter and Shannon Jue, longtime members of Wiseman’s team, designed interiors that are welcoming from the start. The main house’s front door, set under a pitched-roof structure, opens into an entry adorned with an artwork by Mark Hagen. This, in turn, leads to an oversize beam-ceilinged great room filled with custom sofas from Formations, covered in blue indoor-outdoor fabric and set under large, white-resin dome lights from March, in San Francisco.
A dome light by March hangs over the living area, which contains custom sofas by Formations and a Compass floor lamp by Holly Hunt.
An iron-grate coffee table holds glass-and-wood sculptures by Morgane Tschiember, while behind one of the sofas, a custom charred-wood cabinet by John Liston creates an intriguing texture alongside framed art by James Turrell. The kitchen boasts wood cabinets along with its own expansive view of the landscape.
A blackened-steel and charred-reclaimed-wood cabinet by John Liston is situated next to one of the sofas. On the wall are framed sketches by James Turrell.
A glass and wood passageway leads from the main house to the primary bedroom, furnished with a rare teak and leather chair by Pierre Jeanneret from P! Galerie and wing chairs by Gregorius Pineo. In the main house’s bunk room, the bunk beds and ottoman were designed by The Wiseman Group, while in its wine room, the custom oak-and-steel work table is from March. In addition, there is a small, whimsical tree house that is furnished with poufs and an ottoman by Gan. In the barn, a long table can accommodate a dinner party, and a casual seating group facilitates longer conversations.
The kitchen features open shelving and a generously sized island with bar stools by Holly Hunt.
“James and I worked on the clients’ San Francisco house, so this is our second project with them,” says Jue. “One of our mandates was to make the house sophisticated but practical and comfortable. We wanted it to be chic but understated and calm, as a backdrop for their family activity.”
In the main bedroom, a pair of Gregorius Pineo Chiffchaff wing chairs and a leather ottoman by The Wiseman Group are arranged in front of the balcony.
Hunter notes that in the San Francisco house, designed by the eminent architect Willis Polk, “we honored the architecture. But in Sonoma, you can get away with more-contemporary design. We started to tell that story with the light fixtures and ended with the art, to bring it home and to counterbalance the boldness of the architecture,” as in the large expanses of glass that open to the views.
A firepit in the pool area enables the homeowners to savor the views of the countryside in the cool of the evening.
The Wiseman Group is a seasoned and cohesive team. Hunter, a design director, has been a member for more than 27 years, while Jue, an associate design director, is a 16-year veteran. Such longevity and autonomy was always part of Wiseman’s plan to set up the firm for success even after he’s no longer involved. “I found early on that I had a very clear sense of design that was compatible with Paul’s,” Hunter says. “My goal is now to bring up the people who work with me. We are very collaborative, with each other and with our clients. We have the benefit of everyone’s experience. The clients get both Shannon’s and my point of view. It’s great working with someone who doesn’t think exactly like you. We’re better together.”
“I love the floral pattern and saturated colors of the Josef Frank–designed fabric that covers this pendant light. Originally, I saw and saved this to use in a little girl’s bedroom for the whimsy of it. Alternatively, think it would be really fun to use in a powder room with green-lacquered walls, to match the leaves in the fabric, and brass bath fittings.” -Shannon Jue
German Set of 4 steel and ebonized-wood cube dining chairs, 1990s
I love this set of four steel and ebonized-wood cube dining chairs. They immediately call to mind the work of Donald Judd and Maya Lin. The simplicity of these chairs, with their straightforward aesthetic, unapolgetic deconstructivist sensibility and utterly chic presence, would make them perfect game chairs in a modernist home. The fact that there is no attribution makes them a fun purchase for later investigative work. I already looked at the Okazaki chair by Shigeru Uchida as a close cousin. I would love the chairs for myself. -James Hunter
Cees Braakman for Pastoe Japanese Series Cu07 Highboard, 1950s
The Pastoe Japanese series pieces always appeal to my mid-century modern aesthetic core. I would love to place this highboard in someone’s home office, if not my own, for its storage capacity as well as its potential to double as a desk. -Shannon Jue
Ceren Gürkan’s Asea 8 porcelain wall lamp is both moody and earthy. I love the contrast between the smooth half-dome shield and the rough-textured organic backplate. The constellation quality of the piece suggests the moon and a moonscape, even though it is intended to borrow from the sea and where the sun meets the shore. I would place this wall lamp in an entry. I would love more of them. They are priced well and a testament to the range offered by 1st Dibs. There is a price appropriate for all project budgets. I would also place several of these unique fixtures in a dining room in a desert home. -James Hunter
I love the handsome quality of this desk and the warmth of the oak stain contrasting with the black melamine drawer fronts. Thinking to use the desk in a gentleman’s office/library setting for both the form and function that this sculptural piece provides. -Shannon Jue
I am wild about this Boomerang desk from the nineteen sixties. The cantilevered asymmetrical arrangement and unobstructed single-stem base make for a comfortable work station. Even with the generous size, the desk floats effortlessly in space. I would love to place it in the homeowner’s office in a current project with classical French architectural details. The modern shape from the nineteen sixties would make the room. -James Hunter
