The Napa Valley market just got even prettier with the addition of this incredible, designer-curated listing: Durham Ranch. The 76-acre estate hasn’t been on the market in over 20 years, and certainly hasn’t ever been available in this condition.
Interior designer Ken Fulk and his husband, Kurt Wootton, purchased it in 2005 and put immense care, love, and thought into making it the blissful refuge it is today. After completely transforming it, they long cherished the estate as their retreat from San Francisco, especially coming here in the fall and winter as they summer at their Provincetown, MA home. After many years of relishing it, they recently decided to sell as they plan to pour themself into restoring an old, circa-1850 home in the area and won’t have use for both residences.
“I do have a softness for these buildings that need saving and someone needed to save it,” Fulk shares of the antique gem they just bought, which will replace the ranch as their Napa getaway. “It is something that I somehow feel is one of my life’s callings. We live in old houses. Everyone would walk by some places and gasp, and I would walk by and think ‘Oh, it could be a wonderful house.'”
That’s also exactly to how Durham Ranch, named after one of their beloved dogs, came into their lives. When Fulk came across the former cattle ranch on a relaxing Sunday drive, all that stood was a 1940s cottage in disrepair. But, he saw the property’s natural purity and fell in love with it.
Ancient oaks, flowing streams, natural springs, and gentle golden sunshine harken to California 100 years ago while still being 15 minutes from downtown St. Helena and luxe vineyards. It reminded Fulk of his upbringing in Virginia, and the pastoral paradise just felt like home. An energetic voicemail to Kurt got the ball rolling, and soon the ranch was theirs.
When it came to reinventing the abandoned property, the couple decided to rebuild the cottage from the ground up. Throughout, they were devoted to embracing the estate’s enchanting, California ranch spirit that wooed them from the start. That meant keeping the home’s color palette more subdued and classic-Americana with white, black, and pops of red. They also used reclaimed materials in tune with the land’s history.
“It’s my form of rustic,” Fulk muses. “It’s not rustic maybe in the traditional way, but it’s simple. The ranch maintains all of the things I loved about it the first day I saw it.”
The designer, who is known for his layered, playful panache and has worked with clients like Gigi Hadid and Pharrell Williams, brought in bold touches with texture, form, and fun furnishings instead of statement-making color. The hand-picked decor feels solely meant for Durham Ranch now, and almost everything will be offered to the new owner as part of the sale.
Besides this two-bedroom, 1,250-square-foot cottage, the couple built an impressive 4,500-square-foot barn for fanciful entertaining. It can fit 200 people for occasions of all kinds, and the sellers have certainly thrown some epic soirées. On a secluded hilltop, two safari-style tent cabins provide additional accommodations for guests. Fulk says these remote hideaways have become even more popular with their friends than staying in the house. The final structure is the “Cowboy Shack,” which can serve as a restful spot or an unassuming bar for a casual night cap.
Though the decision to sell is bittersweet and is still sinking in, Fulk reflects, “We don’t want the ranch to sit empty and not be filled with adventure and joy. Now, I just want to make sure we find the right stewards for it. It’s a deeply special place.”
Hillary Ryan of Sotheby’s International Realty holds the gorgeous listing priced at $4.5 million.
