Credit: Brent Winebrenner

The four-acre hilltop enjoys a broad view across the greater Hope Ranch neighborhood yet blends into the surrounding land and sky. Avocado, apple, stone fruit, and citrus greenery fill the property’s gently rolling contours. An expanse of drought-tolerant California grasses thrives along an unirrigated western slope. And the property’s centerpiece — a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath single-story home — draws the eye without stealing the spotlight.

Conceived in the 1960s by an architect with Northern California sensibilities, the home was described as a “mid-century sea ranch” by former owners Barbara and Greg Siemon, who headed up a renovation about five years ago. Barbara also called it a marvel of single-grain old-growth redwood lumber fastened with copper nails. But after more than 50 years of seaside existence, it needed a comprehensive remodel. That didn’t mean its distinctive character would be put out to pasture. Far from it.


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Maintaining the original footprint at approximately 3,000 square feet, the Siemons opened up parts of the interior, brought in more natural light through five new skylights, replaced about half of the redwood walls with a smooth coat of plaster, and finished it to match the grayed patina of weathered driftwood. Most of the removed redwood planking was repurposed as baseboard and cabinetry. Underfoot, composite concrete floors complement the new walls, windows, and doors.

The open, relaxing mood of the interior extends outside, as well. Certain walls carry original redwood siding and others have been renewed with highly finished stucco, all of it in concert with the warm grays of a summer fog. The Siemons also extended the front-yard deck to form an exterior wrap-around connection between shared living spaces and adjacent bedrooms. 

“Here’s where I really had fun with it,” said Barbara about the master bath, which sports his-and-hers sinks, a large walk-in closet, separate shower and tub, private toilet, and a sliding glass door to a deck and outdoor shower surrounded by a hedge of physocarpus. “[General contractor] Giffin & Crane understood that we wanted to go modern, but not too modern,” she remembered. 


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