NO|MA House is an innovative and beautiful design-forward shop, café, and immersive lifestyle concept located in St. Helena, Napa Valley, CA. We celebrate the exploration of the intersections between design, community, and cuisine. Our atmosphere evokes a sensorial experience—a stunning yet welcoming space to eat, gather, work, learn, and promote well-being. Embracing community while celebrating wellness and design, we seek to inspire and bring people together.
Ann Backen is a multifaceted entrepreneur whose passion and commitment to living a beautiful, healthy life in mind, body, and home has become the signature of all her endeavors. As the Owner and Lead Designer of NO|MA House Café & Collective, a recent addition to downtown St. Helena, she continues to alchemize this ethos into a beautifully designed space that exemplifies her vision. Her approach to design, lifestyle, and wellbeing is encapsulated in her holistic lens, where ARCHITECTURE LIFESTYLE AND WELLBEING are the pillars on which all her work stands. Embracing juxtapositions, Ann’s work creates intriguing pairings, melding new and vintage elements seamlessly.
For the last decade Ann has worked side-by-side with her husband Howard at renowned architectural firm Backen & Backen.
She brings a unique perspective to her role as co-founder, she added a lifestyle department to their range of services, which includes regenerative practices for land, building, and body. Ann is also the founder of Door by AEB, a patented pre-design service dedicated to instilling health consciousness in projects ranging from custom homes and restaurants to equestrian properties.
Door by AEB is meant to be a complementary branch of the architecture firm, birthing a lifestyle brand that celebrates the exploration of the intersections of design, community, and cuisine. NO|MA House is the tip of the spear for all of Ann’s brands, showcasing both regenerative and biophilic design. NO|MA House is a visionary space focusing on holistic approach to design.