Designing Pym-Rae: A Tasting Room That Feels Like Home
Photograph by Stephen Lam/ S.F. Chronicle
How Robin Williams’ Legacy Became Part of Our Latest Design
Photograph by Stephen Lam/ S.F. Chronicle
For the new Pym-Rae tasting room in St. Helena, our design team was brought in to create the interior and furnishings for a space that would introduce the winery to a new audience while remaining connected to the character and history behind the name. What makes the Pym-Rae tasting room particularly distinctive is its decision to step away from the traditional Napa Valley tasting room. Rather than competing with the grand, highly polished spaces that have become synonymous with wine country, the room was designed around a more intimate idea of hospitality: making guests feel at home.
As quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle, the tasting room is “furnished like a classic French dining room” - a fitting description for the direction we wanted to take. The small scale, residential furnishings, personal photographs, and collected objects all contribute to a space that feels welcoming rather than formal. In a region known for spectacle, Ulrika challenged the norm by creating something more personal, giving the tasting experience its own distinct character. The result is intimate by design. “I wanted to create the feeling of walking into a home, not just a tasting room,” says Ulrika Edin.
The starting point was already established. Pym-Rae's signature green was an important part of the brand and would remain throughout the space. For our team, the intent was to embrace it. The deep green gives the room an enveloping quality, creating a backdrop for the furnishings and collected objects. The same color appears throughout the Pym-Rae identity, including its distinctive wine bottles, creating a natural connection between the brand and the interior. Against that strong foundation, we introduced furnishings with a more collected, residential character. Some pieces previously in the room had potential, even if they did not initially work as a complete collection. The finished space combines vintage and antique pieces with carefully selected new furnishings. Books, frames, unique objects, and collected accessories give the room the feeling of having evolved over time. Even the smallest details were considered. A mirror was finished by hand with gold leaf, adding another layer of age and character to the room; rather than feel newly decorated, the goal was to make it feel lived in.
Pym-Rae carries a remarkable history. The winery's Mount Veeder estate was formerly Villa Sorriso, Robin Williams' home. After acquiring the property, the Tesseron family chose to preserve the Pym-Rae name, which Robin Williams had given to the vineyard using the middle names of his children, Pym and Rae. The family has also retained meaningful pieces of the property's history, such as his desk lamp, which holds a place in the rooms entrance. That history contributed to the genuineness of the design. Ulrika intentionally styled photographs of Robin Williams and his family alongside personal objects throughout the room. A small photograph of Pym and Rae rests atop the bookshelf, much as it might have in a family home. These personal details bring a sense of memory to the space and connect the tasting room to the story of the property. The design also reflects the character of Pym-Rae itself. The winery's biodynamic practices include cows grazing on the property, so cast-iron cow bookends became a small but meaningful reference to the land and the way it is cared for. Houseplants bring another layer of life into the room, while books and collected objects soften the architecture and reinforce the residential feeling. Every detail intentional.
The finished room is intentionally small. For us, the most successful spaces are often the ones that make you want to stay. At Pym-Rae, the design was created around that idea. A guest can sit at the table, settle into a chair, notice a photograph or discover one of the smaller objects throughout the room. It is a tasting room, but it does not feel like one in the traditional sense. Pym-Rae's approach to its wine and land is rooted in patience, balance, and a deep respect for the character of the property. Its tasting room carries that philosophy into the guest experience. For our design team, it was an opportunity to work within an established visual identity while bringing a distinctly residential sensibility to the space.
Ultimately, the project speaks to the transformative nature of good design. The room already had its own identity; its history and a strong sense of where Pym-Rae wanted to go. Our role was to bring those ideas together and give them a physical expression. Through the right knowledge, the character of the space became something you could not only see, but feel. The final result is intimate and deeply connected to its surroundings.
We are incredibly proud to have been part of this new chapter for Pym-Rae.