This Couple’s ‘Golden Years’ Dream House Embraces Their Shared Love for Wine and Wellness—Plus It Has Room for Their Friends

Gayle Olson and John Boich had a very clear vision of what they wanted, and needed, their “golden years” dream house to be. Boich of Boich Family Cellar is a winemaker, chef, and musician who is happiest when every seat at the dinner table is occupied. Olson, a yoga instructor and yoga holiday and retreat coordinator, has a gift for setting a mood and creating welcoming spaces where guests feel cared for and comfortable. They met in San Francisco when Olson was looking for a new wine partner for her business. They fell in love quickly. And they knew immediately that they wanted to merge their worlds of wine and wellness and age together with grace, surrounded by natural beauty, staying flexible in mind, body, and spirit.

Ken Gutmaker

Most importantly, they didn’t want to do it alone.

“Since I was college-age, I had a vision of living a joyous life and sharing it with people,” says Olson. “Later in life, you have to be more and more intentional to live a quality life. Sitting down and having a meal with friends and a nice glass of wine is as much a part of wellness as going to the gym at dawn. I want to live a thoughtful, intentional life with others who have similar values.”

Ken Gutmaker

With loneliness and depression on the rise among America’s oldest citizens, people have grown wary of the traditional retirement model most older adults follow. People who stay in their homes alone often suffer in isolation and struggle to afford home health aides. Others who move to assisted living or communities for people of retirement age are not always pleased with the lack of privacy or the level of care they receive. A third choice has emerged for people who want to take an active role in choosing their roommates and elevating the experience of living well into old age.

So instead of building a home with extra bedrooms that sit empty awaiting visitors, Olson and Boich created an inviting place for their closest friends to live with them when they could no longer live alone.

Melanie Arndt

Melanie Arndt

“It’s actually a common experience, and we’ve discussed this idea multiple times with friends and clients,” says Bill Willers, who designed the home with his partner Carol Marcus. “There’s a trend that’s very anti-retirement community, and the more conventional retirement choices, which involve intentionally isolating yourself.”

The couple had already zeroed in on a location. They had previously renovated and sold a small farmhouse near the square in Sonoma and knew the wine country town had the right mix of rusticity and sophistication they craved. So when a parcel of land on a hill just 10 minutes from town became available, they brought in their friends at Marcus & Willers Architects to help them create their 6,800-square-foot private paradise.

Melanie Arndt

Ken Gutmaker

“The first thing we did when our offer was accepted was to put flowers in every neighbor’s mailbox,” Olson says. “Then we started hosting picnics on the land so we could get to know it better and figure out where the best views are and how to site the house.”

Part Moroccan riad, part Southwestern hacienda, the home and garden represent a thoroughly modern interpretation of what it means to “age in place.” Hand-plastered walls and a soothing color palette of earthy neutrals are sleek and modern, while vintage Persian rugs and hard-carved wooden doors from the Swat Valley in Pakistan, sourced from an antiques gallery in Santa Fe, add layers of texture and intrigue.

They assigned a wing of the home for the primary suite and living space, and then three spacious en-suite bedrooms with sitting areas and small terraces are across the courtyard.

“In the guest suite wing of the house, there are some private spaces so people can have a smaller gathering space. Then there is a shared courtyard,” Marcus says. “Everyone has their own terrace. You can socialize or retreat in your room or your own back terrace.”

Ken Gutmaker

Instead of stairs, there are subtle limestone ramps that connect different elevations of the single-story house. The hallways are wide, and the bathrooms are chic and accessible. Three-foot-tall Corten Steel garden beds were designed for ease and accessibility. A curving bee pollinator path, lined with drought-tolerant blooms and known as the “Peaceful Path,” winds through the landscape to a tranquil 1,200-square-foot yoga studio and gym.

“We have 40 solar panels. We grow food here. And we planted 130 olive trees to feel connected to the agriculture the area is known for,” Olson says. “That’s why we call it ‘Olive Hill.’”

While no one has taken up the offer to move in yet—and Olson and Boich are far from ready to slow down—it’s a relief to know a plan is in place, and the community-building is well underway.

“Tonight, we’re having our closest neighbors for dinner,” says Olson. “I do a weekly yoga class for the neighbors, for all ages up to people in their 80s. It’s designed for strength and balance. We have poetry gatherings and concerts.”

It’s in the quieter moments, however, when Olson can pause to reflect on her good fortune and revel in the world she and Boich continue to build together.

“Right now, I’m sitting on an antique rug looking out through the doors of the yoga studio, across the pool at the olive trees and the blue sky,” she says. “Beauty is everywhere here. To me, that’s absolutely critical to feeling natural joy and gratitude at any age.”