The Madrones: Anderson Valley’s Slice of Italy
words by Shelley Pittman • photos by Nikolas Zvolensky
published in Alluring Travel Magazine
For many years locals patronized the TV Repair store in Philo. It was a successful business but one that the changing tides played a direct hand to its fate. The little house sat deserted for years. Quietly serving as a home for spider webs, weeds and a dusty dirt road, patiently waiting a new life.
Meanwhile, designer and lifestyle entrepreneur Jim Roberts was fulfilling a dream by relocating to coastal Mendocino. He found his excursions to the nearby Anderson Valley inspired another dream. It led him to acquire the corner property with a vision in mind.
It was time to build The Madrones; a design center and creative think tank, a cloister of Mediterranean architecture buildings, terra-cotta tile rooftops and lush courtyards.
But fate played a challenging hand and the U.S. economy started failing. Jim and his partner Brian’s response was to exceed the challenge by masterfully creating, over the next 20 years, three authentic Italian experiences, in the heart of Anderson Valley.
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The Bohemian Chemist offers sun-grown herbal cannabis, skincare and spa menu.
The family property “Sugar Hill Farm” is home to the gardens of organic naturally cultivated cannabis for their product line.
