When architect Richard Clements Jr. designed Timber Cove Lodge on the coast of Sonoma County, California, in 1963, he took inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright: His hotel would be a tall A-frame, whose height would optimize ocean views, and whose materials—dark wood, stone, and glass—would make the building look at home in its surroundings.
Timber Cove was a hit for Clements, but like all things manmade, it fell out of style. When developers Michael Barry and Jens von Gierke bought it in 2015, they saw the potential (it’s sited on 25 acres of oceanfront property), but the hotel hadn’t been updated in more than 40 years. They hired global design firm Gensler and LA duo The Novogratz to lead an overhaul, with direction to lighten up the lodge while retaining the feel of a California log-cabin escape. The team removed the dated carpeting, pressure-washed the original redwood, and added expansive landscaping, including several fire pits and outdoor games like a pool table and ping pong. In only eight months, Timber Cove reopened in late 2016 with 46 rooms (including eight new suites) and the Coast Kitchen restaurant, serving California cuisine with ingredients from the local Sonoma bounty.
Photography courtesy of Timber Cove.
Above: A view of the A-frame exterior.
Above: An outdoor “living room” has concrete floors and built-in seating.
Above: The lobby of the Coast Kitchen, the hotel’s 54-seat restaurant, has a copper gas stove and a full-height natural stone wall.
Above: The dramatic living room of an ocean view suite retains the structure’s original log framing with expanded windows to let in more light and views. Every hotel room has a Rais or Wittus gas fireplace, controlled via Nest.
The hotel has a rental space called the Ansel Adams room; the famous photographer was a friend of the original owner and had photographed the Timber Cove property before Clements broke ground there.
Above: The 310-square-foot bunk room has two custom, oak wood bunk beds and sleeps four guests. Some rooms have wood-log nightstands like the one shown here, which were fabricated locally.
The designers retained the muted color palette of the hotel’s original interiors, but added blue as an ocean-inspired accent color and plaid fabrics for a traditional feel.
Above: Some rooms have full-wall redwood paneling in place of a headboard, and white-painted king beds with maritime-referencing rope accents. Plaid wool blankets are from Pendleton.,
The resort’s original owner, Richard Clements Jr., was a San Francisco architect who designed some of the city’s still-existing public monuments.
Above: Ocean view suites have their own living rooms. Here, oak wood chairs upholstered in wool (one gray, one plaid) frame a midcentury-inspired coffee table.
Above: All rooms have Crosley record players and a small collection of vinyl records.
Rooms have views of either the forest, the protected cove, or the broader expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
Above: Most rooms have kitchenettes, which sport stone slab countertops, black Smeg refrigerators, and equipment to make pour-over coffee.
Above: The designers used a neutral palette with durable, sealed stone in the bathrooms. Most rooms have large soaking tubs; here, the large ensuite bath can be hidden from the room via blue-painted sliding doors.
Above: Organic bath products are from Lather.
Above: The resort is located at 21780 Highway 1 in Jenner, California. Rooms start at $299 per night. To book, visit Timber Cove.
For more coastal inspiration from across our sites, see:
- Hawaiian Summer: A Charm-Filled Stone Carriage House on the Maui Coast, Restored
- Seaside Gardening: 10 Ideas for Serene Coastal Landscapes
- Required Reading: Coastal Style by Sally Hayden & Alice Whately
