A Line in the Sand

With its woodsy interiors and darker palette, a Palm Springs home offers a thoughtful new take on desert modernism.

- By Lydia Lee

The foundation had already been poured when Marc Walters and Rick Cassar realized exactly how big their new house in Palm Springs would be. "We never talked about the square footage. We just said, 'Oh, those are cool-looking drawings. Yeah, that looks great let's go for it!" says Walters, a retired community college instructor. "During the build, one of my biggest fears was that it wouldn't be inviting."

Fortunately, both their designer and architect had a strategy for reconciling their priorities: a three-bedroom house that was large enough to entertain all their friends and family yet was also exceptionally warm and welcoming. "Cozy was the term that kept coming up," says designer Sam Cardella, who has been based in Palm Springs since 1996. "That was the prerequisite for everything."

A cozy 7,200-square-foot house may sound like an oxymoron, but Palm Springs architecture has long been a standard-bearer for relaxed entertaining. Starting in the 1930s, architects such as Richard Neutra, Donald Wexler, and Albert Frey came to the desert and built soigné pavilions for chilling out in the rocky landscape. With its low-slung form, deep overhangs, and emphasis on outdoor space, this house is a clear descendant of desert modernism. But it also leans into dark colors and rugged finishes to help "give the house a soul," as Walters puts it.