Given a dazzling new look by

This bedroom is divided from an adjacent sitting room by an extension of the arched colonnade, and is at the rear of the house where it overlooks a small private terrace. “It was once used as an outdoor dance oor,” laughs Martyn.

It took two years to nish the house, as every element was upgraded and every surface reworked with marble, tiles and wallpaper. Martyn accentuated the glamour by wallpapering the ceilings in re ective silver Mylar, giving the side rooms the illusion of high ceilings to match the centre pavilion. It helped that Villa Grigio had been featured in a 1963 edition of Architectural Digest. “It was good to see the vibe of what it once was, however I decorated it in a different way.” Martyn used a lot of book-matched marble in the bathrooms and new spa. “I love exotic marbles – they work well in mid-century modern houses, adding drama to the streamlined interiors.”

Apart from his own fabrics and furnishings, Martyn brought in furniture from the 60s and 70s to complement the bold architecture. “I knew I wanted it to feel very 1960s and a little 1970s, especially as during that time it was used as a Playboy mansion.” The rst purchase, even before they got the keys to the house, was a spectacular 60s Venini chandelier they shipped from France to hang over the conversation pit. “It ended up grounding the space and was the perfect scale,” says Martyn.

At a certain point Martyn realised that “the house was the perfect place to house my furniture collection”, and brought in pieces from his favourite designers, such as Karl Springer, Willy Rizzo, Milo Baughman, Paul Evans, and lucite maestro Charles Hollis Jones. They sit well with his extensive photo collection, which includes modern photographers such as Terry O’neill, Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts, as well as artworks by Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Damien Hirst.

Now the couple are in Palm Springs most weekends. “I nd Palm Springs to be extremely relaxing and rejuvenating,” says Martyn. “There is something special in the air here.” #

For more go to martynlawrencebullard.com.