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 have become the hallmark of all her endeavors. As the owner and designer of NO|MA House Café & Collective, a recent addition to downtown St. Helena, she continues to infuse this ethos into a beautifully designed space that exemplifies her vision. Her approach is characterized by viewing all projects through a holistic lens, where architecture, lifestyle, and well-being are the pillars on which all her work stands. Embracing juxtapositions, Ann creates intriguing pairings, seamlessly melding new and vintage elements.
For over a decade, Ann worked side by side with her husband, Howard, at the renowned architectural firm Backen & Backen. Now, as CEO and Creative Director, she brings a unique perspective, adding a lifestyle department to the firm’s services, which includes an RPD (Regenerative Practices Department). This department collaborates with the design team to incorporate regenerative principles and select products with intrinsically preferable attributes throughout their life cycles. It equips the design and project teams with health and environmental knowledge, resources, and facilitates collaboration with forward-thinking contractors, consultants, vendors, and manufacturers, setting the highest bar for project success. Following Howard’s passing, Ann continues to lead the firm with creative vision and direction, ensuring the enduring legacy of its legendary projects and buildings. She remains committed to discovering new systems, materials, and innovations that respect the land, human health, and the planet. NO|MA House is the flagship of Ann’s brands, showcasing both regenerative and biophilic design and emphasizing a holistic approach to architecture and lifestyle.