Having stripped back to the original bones of this 1940s ranch house between Palm Springs and Palm Desert, Studio AR&D and Anthony Cochran Design created a desert oasis that celebrates its mid-century heritage without straying into cliches. After decades of additions to the home, the building was a collection of parts that didn’t do justice to its heritage and location, which allowed the architects to unsentimentally strip away the bad bits and return to a relatively blank canvas of the original bones. A new wing was added to the home, doubling the size of the bungalow’s living space with the rectangular volume hosting new guest suites.
The garden was freshly landscaped, with native desert plants surrounding a kidney-shaped pool, white the overlooking façade was finished in a monochrome neutrality that allowed the blues and greens of the pool, sky, and plantings to introduce the color to the outdoor scene. The California bungalow features wood cladding, anthracite steel windows, and fine stone masonry, each element a nod to the building’s history, with the new additions complementing the old original features. The interior design is a muted take on mid-century modern, with Danish furniture providing subtle hints to the home’s original era.
Once a beacon for the Hollywood elite, the location of Rancho Mirage has a history of its own to pair with this redefined classic California bungalow.
Photography © Lance Gerber