A Ralph Lauren Alum Brings an Industrial Patina to a Napa Tasting Room

Napa Valley’s Brown Estate winery has a sleek new tasting room in which to pour their acclaimed Zinfandels in downtown Napa. Siblings Deneen, David, and Coral Brown tapped San Francisco–based designer Catherine Kwong—who launched her own firm in 2011 after working for Studio Sofield and Ralph Lauren—to give new life to the space on the second floor of the historic Napa Valley Register building. “When we first walked through the building with the clients, we were drawn to its raw vibe,” says Kwong, referencing the exposed brick and high ceilings. “We tried to maintain that feeling even as we added all the luxe layers, keeping things dark and moody and incorporating more industrial materials such as cold-rolled steel and thick fluted glass.” Kwong sourced the bar seating from local shop Fyrn, lounge chairs from Design Within Reach, and commissioned a custom sofa and coffee tables. Flavor Paper’s cheeky Bay Area toile wallpaper—juxtaposing rapper Mac Dre with Alice Waters and San Francisco landmarks—adds a playful touch to the bathroom, as does the main room’s large-scale sketch by the Browns’ uncle, which nods to the family’s Jamaican roots.  

(Photos: Aubrie Pick)