WALLA WALLA TASTING ROOM

This winery and tasting room in Walla Walla, WA is an adaptive reuse project that converts a 2,300-square-foot agricultural structure north of downtown into a refined space for an emerging winemaker. The design honors the building's modest utilitarian origins, introducing a warm material palette and careful detailing that balance contemporary brand expression with an understated, welcoming character.

Set on a rolling hillside north of downtown Walla Walla, this tasting room was designed for a winemaker specializing in Italian varietals - a distinctive focus in a region better known for Bordeaux and Rhône-style wines. The site's remote position and sweeping vineyard views shape a guest experience that feels both grounded and quietly elevated.

The project reimagines the existing agricultural structure, transforming its modest framework into a refined hospitality environment that reflects the client's winemaking philosophy. Drawing from traditional Italian brutalist design, the interior combines plaster walls, warm woods, blackened steel, and soft light to create a palette that feels tactile and unhurried. Richly upholstered seating, intimate tasting nooks, and a 16-foot oak tasting counter give the open plan both anchor and intimacy.

Large steel-and-glass doors fold back to an outdoor terrace shaded by a heavy timber trellis, extending the space into the Eastern Washington landscape during warmer months. The result is a quiet but expressive transformation — one that honors the simplicity of the original structure while establishing a distinctly modern identity for the new winery.