The Best Western Dry Creek Inn, a two-building, Mediterranean-style villa located in Healdsburg, California, in Sonoma‘s wine country, has unveiled a new, country-inspired look after completing a $4 million renovation to the Villa Toscana, an Italianate building overlooking a piazza, fountains, and lush landscaping. To help elevate the brand and better position it as a travel destination, Los Angles-based Atwater Inc. Studio, reimagined the 60-room building as an ode to Tuscany, creating a boutique, at-home feel.
“The owners wanted their guests to feel comfortable while also feeling pampered,” said Stina Funch, creative director and founder of Atwater Inc. Studio. “They wanted a timeless design that would be in dialogue with the Italian flavored architecture and fit into Sonoma’s vernacular and landscape.”
Drawing inspiration from both the Italian and Californian countryside, the property’s rooms have exposed, faux-wood beams, fireplaces, and private balconies. The design mixed luxe and laid-back elements like rustic woods, decorative metal, natural stone, and neutral textures. To make a welcoming statement, decorative credenzas and cerused wood nightstands are juxtaposed with soft blue hues and creamy whites.
The majority of guest bathrooms were upgraded and expanded—jetted tubs were replaced with showers and accentuated with double sink vanities, Spanish tiled floors, and shower surrounds. The bathroom artwork depicts colorful farm flowers. Twelve of the rooms have a freestanding tub.
The property includes one suite that has a sliding barn door, a four-poster bed, a casual sitting area, and a kitchen with a farm sink and table.
Built in the early 1980s as a roadside motel, The Dry Creek Inn catered to foodies and wine lovers from across the globe. In 2008, the owners added Villa Toscana, the luxury counterpart to the original 103-room Casa Siena building, and in 2014, made major cosmetic upgrades to Casa Siena. Atwater is currently working on the new lobby design, slated to debut around Thanksgiving.
