On the Boards: Reimagining the Main House at Gardener Ranch

We’re thrilled to share a peek into one of our current design challenges!

Located on the grounds of Gardener Ranch in Carmel Valley, the Main House Remodel is a thoughtful reinvention of a once-hospitality-driven structure into a warm, livable, and lasting primary residence.

The Backstory

The Main House has lived many lives—as a communal retreat, a temporary accommodation, and a place for gathering. Now, it’s time to give this house a singular purpose: home.

While much of the remodel focuses on the interior transformation—turning multi-bed guest rooms into personal sanctuaries and refreshing bathrooms for everyday luxury—the true challenge has been what lies above.

A Puzzle of Rooflines

Over the decades, the house has evolved through a series of additions—each one functional in the moment, but collectively resulting in a roofscape that feels disjointed and visually chaotic.

Our architectural focus is on simplifying and unifying the building’s exterior massing. The rooflines in particular are a complex tangle of varying pitches, junctions, and volumes that we’re carefully studying and resolving.

The elevation sketches we’re sharing offer a first look at how we’re reworking these forms—softening transitions, streamlining geometry, and restoring balance to the façade.

The Sun Porch Strategy

One area receiving special attention is the sun porch facing the pool—a space with enormous potential that currently feels like an afterthought. Architecturally, it’s our opportunity to anchor the home, define a consistent language of materials and form, and reestablish a strong connection between indoor and outdoor living.

By clarifying the scale and rhythm of this element, we’re not just enhancing curb appeal—we’re reshaping how the house is experienced from within and throughout the surrounding landscape.

What We’re Sharing Now

In this first behind-the-boards post, we’re showcasing a series of early elevation studies that explore how we’re taming the rooflines and stitching the home back together into a coherent whole.

These sketches represent the foundation of the design thinking—where form, proportion, and legacy intersect.

What’s Coming Next

Once the architecture is in place, we’ll begin layering in the vibe—interior finishes, materials, and moments that reflect the relaxed elegance of Carmel Valley and the personal lifestyle of the homeowner.

Stay tuned for part as we dive into the interior mood, the material palette, and how we’re translating the owner’s vision into texture, color, and light.

Follow @hayne_architects for more behind-the-boards moments
We’re excited to share more from this transformation in real time—from elevation to emotion.