My past two weekends were spent in pure real estate voyeur fashion, touring available properties all across the desert. The endeavor included one of the best open houses I’ve ever been to, which culminated in the music room of an Old Las Palmas estate known as Villa Del Leone, where the owner regaled a handful of house hunters by playing vintage records on his premier sound system (two M275 Vacuum Tube Amplifiers hooked up to a set of Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Signature flagship loudspeakers, for those curious). You can read more about that gorgeous dwelling, as well as four other extraordinary Coachella Valley listings, in my real estate round-up below.
xo, Lindsay
466 CAMINO SUR PALM SPRINGS
Villa Del Leone is about as Old Hollywood Regency glam as it gets! Built in 1962 for Robert Marx (son of Gummo), the property was extensively overhauled by its current owners into a stylized designer’s showcase, complete with a British-inspired den, a fuchsia Shangri-La of an office and a deluxe music room/acoustical sanctum lined with the owner’s extensive guitar collection. A true work of art, the dwelling is also, not surprisingly, a print, media and Modernism Week favorite. (Open Sat. from 10 – 3)
$4,995,000, Daniella Parker, Coldwell Banker Realty
625 E. AVENIDA GRANADA PALM SPRINGS
Overlooking Indian Canyons’ fifth fairway, this midcentury classic, built in 1963, is a stunner! Tastefully updated while retaining a slew of classic details, its showstopping elements include an 11-foot canary yellow double entry with brass fixtures and a glass-backed fireplace offering views of the backyard, greenbelt and mountains beyond. Fun fact – “The Fugitive’s” David Janssen called this place home for several months in 1972.
$1,795,000, Scott Ehrens, Compass
2231 S. CALIENTE DR. PALM SPRINGS
In the abyss of midcentury modernism that is Palm Springs, this Spanish Colonial-style hacienda is a standout. Completed in 1974, early real estate listings deemed it “one of the most unique homes in the desert,” and that still holds true today. Nestled against Indian Canyons’ 13th fairway, the residence is octangular in shape, with living spaces spanning out from a glorious atrium-like family room, offering a markedly open and inviting floor plan. You won’t find another like this in the entire Valley! (Open Fri. from 6 – 8)
$1,995,000, Frankie Alvarado & Brian Johnson, Brady Sandahl Real Estate Group
71254 MIRAGE ROAD
RANCHO MIRAGE
This 1975 MCM masterpiece formerly belonged to renowned landscape architect John Krabbe, who exquisitely designed the expansive one-acre double lot. Teeming with grassy expanses, mature palms and bucolic courtyards, the property is a tranquil, verdant oasis. The interior has been beautifully updated, though countless original elements, including a double-sided fireplace, beamed roof and sunken bathtub, remain, with striking views to be had from nearly every inch of its spacious 2,300 square feet! (Open Fri. & Sat. 10 – 12)
$2,199,000, Brandi Pratt, The Pratt Group
41511 BOB HOPE DR. RANCHO MIRAGE
A 10,000-square-foot Grecian estate in the desert? That is exactly what you’ll find on an intensely private 1.55-acre plot in the heart of Rancho Mirage. Over the top in all the right ways with every luxe amenity known to man, including two pools, a private lake with a dock, 6 fireplaces, a screening room, a rooftop deck, an indoor water feature, and dazzling columned walkways, this palatial pad has to be seen to be believed!
$3,850,000, Brady Sandahl, Brady Sandahl Real Estate Group