Inside Sonoma’s Villa Verde 

Combining architectural originality with a reverence for the natural surroundings, this carefully crafted contemporary compound on Sonoma’s sought-after east side is the latest accomplishment by the local heroes at Ridge Design + Build. 

For builder Aaron Tudisco, the term “homecoming” may mean more than Merriam-Webster’s basic definition suggests. After growing up in wine country, Tudisco spent many years working in film and marketing, only to eventually return to his roots. In 2018, he joined his architect-builder father—as well as his wife, Sena, and his sister Allegra Diggins—in the business of creating superior custom homes, co-founding Ridge Design + Build. That now-esteemed company has established a reputation for balancing innovative design, modern luxury, and environmental harmony through timely decision making, cultivated discernment, and consummate finesse.  

Sonoma, California| Caroline Sebastiani, Charlie Luna, Sotheby’s International Realty – Sonoma Brokerage

One of the firm’s most recent accomplishments is this carefully crafted contemporary compound on Sonoma’s sought-after east side—a five-bedroom main residence; a guest casita with two bedrooms, one of which can easily serve as an office or media lounge; a three-car garage with a loft and a gym; and pastoral gated two-acre grounds featuring terraces, a fire pit, an outdoor kitchen, gloriously lush lawn, a shady picnic grove, and a refreshing swimming pool and spa. The architecture is resolutely clean and modern, featuring expansive panels of glass and both flat and pitched metal rooflines with soffits; the façades and interior surfaces, however—river valley stone, cedar ceilings, limewashed plaster walls, and blonde wood floors—are soothing echoes of the home’s natural surroundings. The overall effect is one of originality and harmony with the serene wine country milieu. 

The heart of the home is a great room—a chef’s kitchen with white oak cabinetry, Breccia Capraia marble walls and counters, a lengthy island, and a scullery; the de rigueur climate-controlled wine room; and a welcoming living area with a fireplace. An inspiring 41-foot disappearing glass wall here gives way to a generous covered terrace, creating a vast amount of protected indoor-outdoor living and entertaining space that practically exemplifies the California lifestyle. Chief among the peaceful bedrooms is an owner’s suite with an enviable closet and a lavish bath. 

The lighted grounds afford space for the addition of a barn or a sports court for tennis, basketball, or pickleball, resulting in a truly inimitable compound. The estate is replete with contemporary comforts and conveniences, among them solar power, Lutron lighting, and a fire-suppression system—all indicative of Ridge Design + Build’s rigorous attention to every detail. “We walk the jobs constantly, looking at details, finished and in-process,” says Tudisco. “That way, when the job is complete we can…say we did our absolute best in trying to achieve the design vision and highest-quality execution.”