Every New Yorker had those friends. The ones who, in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, traded cramped city apartments for capacious houses in the quiet isolation of the NewsNew Canaan, New Rochelle, New Jersey. Many residents of San Francisco who looked to escape the urbs for the burbs in 2020 found their refuge in Marin County. The writer Alice Gregory, a native of the famously laid-back rural area on the northern side of the Golden Gate Bridge, described it as a place where billionaires dress like off-duty park rangers. It was there, in the farming community of Nicasio, where George Lucass Skywalker Ranch is located, that interior decorator Eche Martinez created a cozy retreat for a family who had decamped from San Franciscos Pacific Heights neighborhood. Drew KellyIn the dining room, the sawhorse table and Paul McCobb chairs are vintage, the pendant is by Urban Electric, and the ceiling covering is by Michael Smith.Originally, the 3,600-square-foot home built in 2002 on a former golf course was purchased to be a weekend getaway. The clients felt they needed more space and nature, Martinez says. They were living in a very urban environment, and they wanted a pool and a garden. Things, he says, that cannot easily be had in San Francisco. Built in 2002 on a two-acre lot, the two-floor, five-bedroom house provided Martinez with a big blank canvas to work with. The look he achieved is a warm and inviting mix of the glossy brown hues of vintage and antique furniture, traditional patterns, and neutral wall colors. It was a let-your-hair down project, he says. Beyond the calm, there are a few statement flourishes, like the wild Piet Hein Eekdesigned mural wallpaper in the guest bathroom.Inside This Cozy Country House in Marin County, CaliforniaThe project was not without its challenges, which is to be expected given the time in which it began. For one, the family had moved in before it was completed, so Martinez and his team had to decorate around them, he says. We did it little by little and didnt have some big reality-show reveal. The fact that the original floors throughout were made of concrete also presented an aesthetic challenge. To bring in hardwood floors while they were living there would have been impossible, he says. To solve it without the need for demolition, he deployed many sundry floor coveringsin some areas, Martinez put down what he describes as inoffensive wall-to-wall jutes topped with vintage rugsaround the house, which worked well in softening each space. Drew KellyIn the primary bedroom, the French dresser is antique, the inlaid bench is custom, the lamp is by Blackman Cruz, the window coverings are by the Shade Store, the Decorators White paint is by Benjamin Moore.And then, there was the outdoor pool, which can be something of an albatross for any designer, including Martinez. The contractor took forever, he says, pointing out that the family couldnt swim at all during their first summer there. Putting the pool in was a pain in the butt, he says, but imagine how much business a pool contractor in Marin County had during the pandemic. The pool is there now, so alls well that ends well. And what started as a weekend home and has evolved into being the familys permanent residence. Once you go remote, Martinez says, you can live anywhere. Charles CurkinArticles Editor, ELLE DecorCharles Curkin is ELLE Decor's Articles Editor, covering everything related to luxury watches, design, and travel, and has previously written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Paris Review.