Architecture Wednesday: Amaya in St. Helena

I’ll start off like this: I am not getting Japanese-inspired, I’m getting modern farmhouse in this giant, seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom St. Helena, California home that sits on 41 acres and recently sold for $26 million. That’s a lotta Yen for a house that doesn’t scream Japanese.

Still, those views of vineyards, valleys, mountains, and Lake Hennessey make the house that the architect says was inspired by the skillfully renovated Meiji-era homes in Japan. In 2020, the architect reimagined the existing house using cedar, steel, and glass—and improved the flow of air and light throughout the enormous property, which includes a main house, a studio, a large guest house, and a guest studio.

The interiors were designed using European porcelain, maple flooring, and custom millwork, with large glass sliders that flood the interiors with light and connect almost all of the home to exterior decking and the pool.

The main floor features living and dining rooms, an open concept chef’s kitchen, dining nook, and sunroom surrounded by glass. The upper level has three en suite bedrooms with those amazing views of the rugged hills, valley vineyards and the lake. There is also a home theater, with Sony 4K projector and Sonance surround sound.

On the lower level are two additional guest bedrooms with a shared bathroom, a kitchenette, a bar, a wine cellar, and a generous living/dining area that opens to the pool terrace.

Next to the main house, there is the three-car garage, an expansive study that opens out onto a patio and lawn, with a large gym and massage and meditation room on the second floor.

A short walk away is guest house tucked between tall madrone trees. It offers two-bedroom suites, an airy living/dining room, and a kitchen; an adjacent guest studio includes an ample storage closet and a two-car garage.

The home, er, homes, also feature a smart technology suite that includes energy-efficient Nest thermostats, electronic shades, Lutron lighting, and Sonos sound systems—all of which can be conveniently controlled by a smart phone—custom lighting and radiant floor heating.

This is an entertaining house, with upper- and lower-level living areas, an outdoor kitchen, and decks with views, an expansive pool deck, as well as walking trails, a fruit orchard, olive trees, a rock garden, and raised vegetable beds. A tennis court and a heated saltwater pool round out the package.

Nice, blank slate I am still not getting Japanese-inspired anywhere. I’m getting gorgeous $26 million blank slate where there are beautiful views through gorgeous windows, and then some not so nice small windows. I’m getting a lot of white, and I don’t mind white in the public area so the art and views are the show, but in bathrooms and bedrooms and TV rooms and such, I need some color.

If it hadn’t sold, I’d have offered $24 million and then spent some money on paint.

Dwell