Inside an iconic mid-century home designed by Steven Harris Architects, Palm Springs Residence is a study in restraint, honouring both the existing structure and the work of those who came before. This sensitive renovation reimagines the original house, known as Charney House, designed by Donald Wexler in 1956. “Wexler was brilliant, with an extraordinary sense of syntax and grammar; everything lines up with everything,” says Steven Harris, partner at Steven Harris Architects.

Interestingly, Harris and his partner bought the house accidentally. “We were helping another friend with their house and fell in love with the place,” recalls Harris. After spending time inside an iconic mid-century home designed by Wexler, Harris’s vision was rooted in preserving as much of the original as possible. “Almost everything here is original to the house,” he notes. “For me, the greatest liability would be for someone to drive by on the street and immediately say, ‘oh! that's a Steven Harris house.’”

Alterations inside the iconic mid-century home designed by Wexler were largely stylistic and inspired by a Wassily Kandinsky painting. “If you look at it from the air, you will see flashes and curves and various shapes, which on one hand is quite graphic, and on the other, almost every view is perspectival because the things you’re looking at are only oblique. Things shift off of each other in a very curious and interesting way.”

Stepping inside an iconic mid-century home designed by Wexler, the front door is indicated by a covered passage, flanked by an oblique terrazzo sidewalk extending from the driveway. “When you come into the house, your first view is straight out to the golf course. I will never get over looking across a swimming pool to a golf course, to palm trees, to mountains,” reflects Harris. The house itself has a minimalist layout, featuring a bedroom, a living room and a dining room located diagonally to the living space. The kitchen is tucked behind a wooden wall, which separates it from the dining area.

Steven Harris Architects positions the home in relation to its site and how people live. “These houses were all generated by an idea of lifestyle. They were intended that people have dinner parties outside by the pool … and the public rooms all very much engage the landscape,” explains Harris. With expansive spaces for gatherings and cocktail parties, he adds, “this is a California house; I can't image it being in many other places. There is a kind of spareness about all of it. There is a sense of openness and lightness about it.”

After spending time inside an iconic mid-century home designed by Wexler, it’s clear how powerful preservation can be. “I’m very proud that I didn't feel any need to author it. I think too often we find ourselves wanting to create something that is profoundly individual,” says Harris. “Hopefully, architecture can, to some degree, resist commodification … it is something that for a very long time will resonate and have the ability to represent and convey ideas.”

00:00 - Introduction to the Iconic Mid-century Home
00:52 - The Original Plan and Inspiration
02:18 - A Minimal Layout
02:48 - The Afternoon Light and Vibes
03:46 - A Very California House
04:05 - Proud Moments

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Photography by Scott Frances.
Architecture by Steven Harris Architects.
Interior and landscape design by Rees Roberts + Partners.
Filmed and edited by Cheer Squad.
Production by The Local Production.

Location: Palm Springs, CA, United States

The Local Project acknowledges the traditional territories and homelands of the Indigenous peoples in the United States. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.

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