When a Tantalus Studio client inherited a Palm Springs home by the celebrated midcentury architect Albert Frey, lead designer Ginger Lunt Walters was excited to be a part of renovating the iconic home. Set in a charmingly rustic neighborhood that was once a part of a working ranch, the home was surrounded by desert plants — sagebrush, smoke tree, cacti, and palms — and had dramatic views of the San Jacinto mountains. Ginger fell in love with the home’s original design, with its simple lines and low, V-shaped design, allowing for thoughtful engagement with the desert light, air flow, and many vistas.
THE MID CENTURY ICON
Contractor - Rawlings Custom Contracting
Architect - Peter Blackburn
Photography - Mariko Reed
Floral Styling - Paiko Hawai’i
The clients engaged Tantalus Studio alongside Palm Springs based architect Peter Blackburn to rethink the choppy layout, which featured an awkward addition, add a guest bedroom and bath, and refresh the interiors throughout in a way that celebrated the house’s midcentury roots while feeling modern, warm, and inviting. Honed terrazzo tiles and vein-cut travertine flooring were installed throughout the home, unifying the warm, neutral palette. Rich walnut and light oak were used for the custom millwork and furnishings, and interior finishes were kept soft and bright to reflect the incredible natural light in each of the spaces. Ginger landed on a subtle horizontal dash pattern as a motif that ran through many of the upholstery and textiles, adding depth to the neutral, desert-inspired palette. Finally, touches of Hollywood glamour — vintage gold lamps, oversized pool lounges — were layered in throughout, creating a feeling of luxury that speaks to the home’s 1950’s heritage. With reverence to the original spirit of the design, the renovation brought the iconic home into the present day — the perfect retreat for the clients and their family.
Vintage furnishings are used throughout the house to create a layered aesthetic. The vintage iron and rattan lounge chairs were found at Orange Furniture in Los Angeles; a vintage gold lamp was sourced at Hedge, in Palm Springs; the 1970s marble console in the entryway was sourced at a local vintage store.
To retain interesting elements from the original Frey design, Ginger kept the built-in bar cabinet in the dining room, as well as the chain-screened fireplace in the den, intact as design elements.
In the kitchen, a beautiful soft gray quartzite with blue veining was chosen to reflect the hues of the surrounding landscape and tie in the subtle blue tones that show up throughout the house. The open-plan living area features pale blue and sand tones to echo the colors of the pool patio and landscape.
Gauzy ripplefold drapes were added to the bedrooms to soften natural light in the daytime; a separate blackout layer creates privacy and darkness for night.
To solve the problem of an unused courtyard outside the bedroom, Ginger came up with the idea of creating an indoor-outdoor shower space, using robin’s egg blue ceramic tiles in both spaces to connect the spaces, which are separated by a Fleetwood sliding glass door system.
