PALM SPRINGS HOUSE

This Movie Colony East residence in Palm Springs is Jill Lewis's own family home, and it carries the particular clarity of intention that comes from designing without compromise for oneself. Tucked at the end of a long private driveway in one of the city's most storied neighborhoods, the house announces itself quietly, a walled entry courtyard managing the transition from street to home, a bubbling fountain setting the tone for the calm interior beyond.

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Water defines the exterior. A play pool and 25-yard lap pool wrap the house on two sides, drawing shifting reflections of light into the living spaces throughout the day. Concrete planters frame the perimeter in green. The architecture is built around the desert condition: smooth white stucco walls and soffits taper back to reveal deeply recessed glass, opening nearly every room to a terrace or garden while shielding the interior from the intensity of the Palm Springs sun. Charred wood siding provides a counterpoint to the white stucco, emphasizing the sculptural quality of the form and the depth of the window recesses. Inside, the rooms are layered with bold pattern and texture: cement tiles, plaster panels, energetic wallpapers, and a collection of textiles and objects gathered over a decade of living abroad. The house is precise in its architecture and alive in its detail, a home that is both rigorously considered and unmistakably personal.

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Location: Palm Springs, California

Size: 3,000 SF

Status: Completed 2016

Architecture: Jill Lewis Architecture

Photographer: Lara Swimmer