This Land is Our Land
Author:Abigail StoneHawkins Interiors creates a tasting experience for Carmel Valley’s Pelio Estate Vineyards grounded in an appreciation of the beauty of the landscape
The Carmel Valley property had long been pivotal in the memories of sisters Lindsey Pelio-Stone and Shelby Pelio. “This piece of land was the catalyst for many firsts for us as sisters,” they share. “It was where we first learned to ride a bike and first learned to drive a car. We have memories of family picnics and playing hide-and-go seek.” So, naturally, when they thought about what they wanted to do, their first thoughts turned towards how to combine this place with wine, their other great love. Eventually, they purchased the land. “We are the proud owners of this beautiful land and this fabulous vineyard,” they beam, “As in the blending of fine wines, we took our sustainably-farmed and organically-grown grapes, added family, friends, winemakers, and here we are today with Pelio Estate Vineyards.” The cool weather and shale soil offers the ideal climate in which to nurture Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, creating a portfolio of wines that are fresh, compelling and uncompromising.
“John Taft from Backen & Backen, the architecture firm Lindsey and Shelby had hired, introduced us. He told us that they were interested in bringing an upscale tasting experience into the Carmel Valley and thought we’d be the one to do it,” remembers Julie Hawkins, the principal designer and founder of Hawkins Interiors, a Napa Valley-based interior design firm. For Hawkins, it felt like a full-circle moment; she’d led the interior design depart of Backen & Backen’s previous iteration, Backen & Gilliam, for a decade before striking out on her own and still considers its founding name partners as touchstones for her work.
“Our goal was to remodel an existing run-down barn, with its maze-like layout, removing the decorations and tchotchkes from its former life and transform it into a space that would offer a luxe tasting experience,” says Hawkins, who managed to conjure up a 1,900-square-foot space that surpassed their clients’ vision while adhering to a controlled budget and a tight timeline.
“We decided to alter the floor plan to create a more open-concept space, merging the internal facing barn with the new garden space and creating a connection between the interior and the exterior,” Hawkins explains. “This allows for a significantly expanded guest experience despite local restrictions that prevented us from making any changes or expansion of the original building’s square footage.” The combination of clean and simple shapes with compelling textures—plaster walls, polished concrete floors, custom stained wood ceilings, Shou Sugi ban charred wood cabinetry—infuses the space with warmth and drama. A central fireplace and seating area invites visitors to sit, sip and linger. To one side of the fireplace there’s a tasting bar composed of a live-edge reclaimed wood bar top that balances on substantial concrete pillars. It’s backdropped by a bronzed custom etched mirror. On the other side, bone-colored pendants by Pinch dangle above a live-edge wood dining table that seats up to a dozen, offering expansive views of the garden.
The exterior walls are clad in hewn wood siding and a custom trellis with canvas awning that provides shade. Custom metal and hewn wood trellises were designed for group tastings, with willow branch tops and pendants to provide ambiance during the evening. A custom rock fire pit, constructed from locally sourced stone, is shaded by antique olive trees.
The result is a space that meets and surpasses the sisters’ expectations, sharing their expansive love of this land and the Carmel Valley’s unique Mediterranean climate. “We achieved their vision by keeping the architectural finishes earthy and neutral while judiciously incorporating luxurious touches with custom details like built-in cabinetry and decorative lighting.”