A Design Lover’s Guide to Healdsburg

Where there’s food and wine, design is never far behind. Hundreds of recommended lists for the best places to eat and drink in Healdsburg are only a Google search away, but where should design lovers go for a taste of style to pair with that glass of chardonnay? Turn to this design lover’s guide to Healdsburg, where food and drink is plentiful, allowing you to sate your eyes and your palate at the same time.

The Armoire Bar at Jordan Winery

The Jordan Winery Chateau’s three guest suites are filled with intriguing French antiques, from restored armchairs to carved cartouches. Interior designer Maria Khouri solved the challenge of adding a wet bar in the Chêne suite (“oak” in French) with the novel idea: hide it inside an armoire. The Jordan design team went on a hunt and found a petite, neoclassical XVI armoire that fit the dimensions of the nook next to the fireplace, and Jordan’s facilities team built a complete wet bar with a wine fridge inside. Each Jordan suite is fitted with an armoire, and all offer an “Easter egg” moment for guests. A 19th-century armoire from the Napoleon III period, found in the newly renovated Jordan Lobby, features decorative marquetry and gilded accents; it is also a stunning example of craftsmanship. (Jordan Chateau suites are reserved for Gold and Platinum members of Jordan Estate Rewards. Learn more about the loyalty program here.)

Jordan Vineyard & Winery, 1474 Alexander Valley Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448

The Living Room Sofa at The Madrona

Interior designer Jay Jeffers and his partner purchased this 1880s Victorian mansion on a lark in 2021. They quickly embarked on a massive renovation, inspired by Britian’s Aesthetic Movement—art for the sake of art—which was popular when the estate was built. Every inch of this building exudes a beautiful balance of elegance and extravagance, from the dog portrait art collage to the rabbit-eared chair. It’s hard to pick a favorite piece in this designer lover’s dream hotel, but my vote goes to the main living room’s vintage Milo Baughman sofa, reborn with Morris & Co.’s Forest tapestry fabric. The scene depicts scrolling acanthus leaves, peacocks, hares and foxes amidst wildflowers. Sipping a cocktail or glass of wine on this couch is a travel essential; The Madrona’s stunning bar is just across the hall from the antique-filled living room.

The Madrona, 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448

The Art Wall at Little Saint

A collaboration between philanthropists with a passion for art, climate justice and animal welfare, Little Saint opened in 2022. Interior designer Ken Fulk is amongst the owners, whose nonprofit Saint Joseph’s Arts Foundation inspired the name of the former SHED modern grange. Fulk is known for layered interiors that combine eclectic details with theatrical flare. There are so many designer touches to admire in the downstairs café-meets-larder-meets-wine-shop-meets-market, but the wall of art that anchors the café stands out. An ever-changing art collection by local artists, such as Andrew Catanese’s series of human-animals-foliage blends, serves as the colorful backdrop for both lounges, suspended against soaring drapes by Ken Folk Interiors—a California take on the classic toile featuring a geometric pattern of grizzly bears, California poppies and snakes. Order a low-alcohol cocktail from the bar, admire the curation of every object in the room and grab a seat—there are around 20 different styles of chairs and couches to choose from in the café alone. Most seating is vintage, including selvage denim patchwork poufs, made of old jeans collected from the design team’s friends, family and staff.

Little Saint, 25 North Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448

The Bathroom Wallpaper at Molti Amici

Former professional wrestler leaves his post at a Michelin three-star restaurant to open a trattoria. That headline might read like fake news fodder, but it’s true. Jonny Barr, who enjoyed a fruitful career in Empire Wrestling Federation before becoming a sommelier and general manager at SingleThread, opened Molti Amici Italian eatery in 2023. The hip space is a collaboration amongst three SingleThread alumni and aims to be a gathering place for locals and tourists alike—hence the name, which means “many friends” in Italian. The friends tapped hospitality designer Hannah Collins of Roy in San Francisco to transform the brick-walled entry and charming courtyard. Her wallpaper choices for the restrooms deserve main event attention. A nod to Barr’s past life, one bathroom features the Wrestlers on Grey by Susiprint, a fun pattern with luchadores (Mexican wrestlers) performing different wrestling moves, and the second room vaunts the Flavor Paper’s Bay Area toile wallpaper in a moody, ink-pen blue.

Molti Amici, 330 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA 95448

The Wave Chairs at Hotel Healdsburg

The Sher family, founders of Hotel Healdsburg, have deep connections in the California arts community and built their first boutique hotel in Wine Country as an homage to Golden State artists and the region’s natural beauty. Circe Sher, who has overseen the property (and led its art curation) since its opening in 2001, learned of architect Gregg Fleishman’s fascinating chairs through her aunt, Abby Sher, who developed Frank Gehry’s Edgemar museum-restaurant complex in Santa Monica in the 1980s. Fleishman’s work was featured at Edgemar’s Gallery, and Abby commissioned him to make several pieces, including a series of striking, geometric chairs for a restaurant. Circe loved how quirky they were, so she purchased a few for Hotel Healdsburg. Each chair is a single piece that can be folded and assembled to form a chair, or it can be hung on the wall. Visitors can admire three of his Wave chairs on property—one near the front desk in the lobby and two in the elevator waiting areas on upper floors.

Hotel Healdsburg, 25 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448

The Fishing Basket Lanterns at Marine Layer

Visionary vintner Baron Ziegler opened downtown Healdsburg’s hippest tasting room in 2021, after a massive transformation by the Hommeboys Interiors of Sonoma. Ziegler wanted his new winery, Marine Layer, to be welcoming, light, bright and modern in a town filled with traditional, cellar-like tasting bars. Creating a lounge vibe that honored the Sonoma Coast influence of the wines was essential, so the Hommeboys designed the space with two central living room areas—one in front and one in the back—both anchored by oversized lanterns. Rather than follow the trend with suspending rushed lanterns, the duo turned to Restoration Hardware’s white-washed Indonesian Fishing Basket Collection. Five to seven woven pendants of varying sizes bring drama to the spaces, grounding each lounge area with a subtle nod to the ocean breezes that define Marine Layer’s elegant style of wines.

Marine Layer Wines, 308 B Center Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448