The Life Aesthetic

Introducing Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley

Artisan wines, acclaimed art, an eclectic design gallery, Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley artfully brings together founder Michael Polenske’s vision of the life aesthetic.

Blackbird Vineyards Chooses An Idyllic Setting For A Winemaker Dinner

Fall 2014 – Nestled in the uber-chic village of Yountville, surrounded by some of Napa Valley’s most revered wineries and restaurants is an oasis of art, design and wine called Ma(i)sonry.

A Natural and Modern Sonoma House

Rugged materials and earthy tones echo the landscape.

The seating area in the living room of this Sonoma, California, house is focused on a massive fireplace made of local stone. Christina sofas, slipcovered chair, and nesting coffee tables from the Rela Gleason Collection. Pair of floor lamps by Formations. Rowan floor lamp by Restoration Hardware. Sisal rug from Design Materials.

Master of the House

May 2009 – In the wine-country outpost of Yountville, California, oenophiles are lingering for longer than usual at Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley, the newest enterprise of banker turned vintner Michael Polenske, of Blackbird Vineyards fame.

Design Destination: Kitchens In The Vineyards Home And Garden Tour

Imagine the Wine Country lifestyle with five architecturally distinctive Napa Valley homes and gardens during Kitchens In The Vineyards starting April 25th. The focus is on lifestyle with the self-guided tours ($70/per person) on Saturday, April 25 from 9:30am–4:30pm featuring stylishly designed entertaining areas in the home and in the garden, stunning views, and Wine Country flavors. Each home will be decorated with inspiring spring floral arrangements and table settings with local chefs sharing tasty bites and recipes.

Idyll Away

For the Hanson family, St. Helena designer Daniel Hale created a classic wine country residence high above Napa Valley.

One spring weekend in search of land, Patricia Adrian-Hanson and Nicolas Hanson happened upon a hidden knoll to the east of Napa. With olive groves and two sunny acres of volcanic soil that cabernet grapes love, the five-acre Coombsville plot was near perfect…

Kitchens in the Vineyard 2014

A tour of five stunning Napa Valley homes and gardens that exemplify Wine Country living during Kitchens in the Vineyards 2014.

Houzz Tour: A Noir Farmhouse in Napa

David Devan moved with partner Brad Nichinson to St. Helena in Napa Valley, California, to semiretire in 2008, but he’s hardly slowed down to smell the grape leaves. Though he never formally trained as an architect or a designer, Devan spent 32 years working in the hospitality industry, nearly half of that time working for Ritz-Carlton developing properties all over the world, and during that period acquired a profound appreciation for the work.

Starmont Winery Review

Starmont Winery (owned by the Schlatter Family – the same family that owns Merryvale Winery in St. Helena) is located in the southern part of the Napa Valley in the Carneros region. Visually it is an impressive modern winery that is most commonly seen from Highway 29 as you drive by either direction.

Designed for Family, Balancing Practical & Beautiful

How to keep a beautiful home with two young boys

After walking in awe through a series of gorgeous rooms, my first question for Patricia Adrian-Hanson is, “How do you keep it looking so nice?”

Blackbird's New Nest

October 2008 – Ma(i)sonry, Yountville’s new art-gallery-cum-wine-tasting-salon, defines itself as “a life aesthetic.” It’s also a historic, 1904 stone manor with lovely landscaped gardens that serve as one of the only places in Napa Valley where you can sample Blackbird Vineyard’s Pomerol-inspired Merlot blends…

Ranch Style

In the rolling countryside of Napa Valley in California, fieldstone walls mark the boundaries of former working farms that have evolved into private estates, their weathered bards often preserved alongside pastures where cows once grazed.  New houses, set back among oaks, manzanitas, and native meadow grasses, are rustic and barnlike too, fitting in rather than standing out from their surroundings.  Such coexistence between human and natural worlds feels meant to be, says Bernard Trainor, who designed this casual comfortable landscape to be part of the woods and fields around it.