CALIFORNIA DREAM
This Palm Springs home captures the spirit of the American good life and, thanks to its owner’s careful renovation, is a lasting tribute to pioneering 1950s architecture
Architect Donald Wexler built homes for many Hollywood
greats, such as Kirk Douglas and Dinah Shore (whose house was recently purchased by Leonardo Dicaprio). Wexler became known for creating spaces that were perfectly adapted to desert living, with a rigorous purity of line. Consequently, he was an important figure in the movement eventually known as Mid-century Desert Modernism. This, the architect’s family home, built in 1955, perfectly displays his signature style. Step inside, however, and you spot more modern touches. ‘My objective was to strip the house back to its original design, but to give the interior a contemporary feel,’ says current owner Daniel Giles, a creative director.
‘As a child, my mother would ask me to draw my dream home, and I would sketch a flat roof building with glass,’ says Daniel. ‘I walked into the living room here, which was very run down, and visualised the place minus everything but the structure. I could see the potential. I knew it was the house.’
Daniel worked on the property for two months, removing anything that had been added to Wexler’s vision. It was during one of these attacks, the air filled with dust, that he struck gold. At the very back of an old cupboard, forgotten but intact, were Wexler’s blueprints. The lucky find prompted Daniel to contact the architect directly and enquire whether he would be interested in helping him with the building’s renovation.
Daniel worked with Wexler and architectural practice O2 Architecture to restore the building’s original materials, from the glass to the wood panelling. ‘The place had to feel modern, but not cold,’ says Daniel. ‘I used three shades of my favourite colour, grey, plus white. The continuity of the floors was also important to me. I had terrazzo installed throughout. That was the turning point for me. All of a sudden, the house came to life.’
This being sunny Palm Springs, the garden was also a key consideration. Landscape architect William Kopelk of Inside Outside designed a ‘ hardscape’ that replicates the surrounding desert. Concrete slabs create paths and pebbles, with boulders and hardy plants growing among them. ‘The idea was to create texture: from fine pea-sized gravel to huge boulders that subtly draw the eye towards the house,’ explains Daniel.
In total, the project took seven years, but still remains a work in progress. ‘I personally think houses in Palm Springs are either too retro or super-slick,’ says Daniel. ‘I wanted a house that was timeless… and that takes time.’ janisbelldesign.com; darrenbrown.com; insideoutsideinc.com; 02arch.com
‘My objective was to strip the house back to its original design, but to give the interior a contemporary feel’