LOS ANGELES-BASED ARTIST AND DESIGNER ELICIA CASTALDI AT HOME WITH HUSBAND DAVID KOKAKIS AT THEIR STUNNING VILLA IN PALM SPRINGS

Elicia and husband David, a senior executive at Universal Music, pose on the giant chessboard in their garden (above left) and with their 1967 Corvette Stingray convertible in Sunfire Yellow (right) a wedding gift from Elicia's father.

- VICTORIA DE ALCAHUD

Their house in Palm Springs was built in 1958 during Hollywood's Golden Age and although the couple instantly fell in love with the property, it needed an 18-month renovation to transform the villa into their dream home. Its airy facade (above) boasts a number of windows looking out on to a tranquil swimming pool

Elicia Castaldi and her husband David Kokakis are a dynamic, successful couple in control of every detail in their impressive careers. But when it came to acquiring their perfect weekend home, the Los Angeles-based duo turned the choice over to chance.

During a trip to the exclusive desert resort of Palm Springs, Elicia, founder of artistic stationery brand Girl w/ Knife, and David, a top music executive, went to view an elegant but rundown 1950s villa.

Built in the Golden Age of Hollywood, it could well have been their dream come true, but could also have been beyond repair. They paused at the gate, gripped by the fear of disappointment, then took a bold decision. "If we see a hummingbird on the way in, we'll buy it," they agreed.

And right there, on the branch of a small tree, welcoming them, was not one, but two hummingbirds. That was six years ago and the couple haven't looked back.

"When we started our house search, we had two very clear requirements; we wanted a view of the mountains and we did not want to see power lines. It’s hard to get that combination, but we did,” Elicia says.'

As light floods into the pristine white villa, its interior a homage to classic Hollywood Regency style, it’s hard to imagine how it was back then. “It was in a deplorable state. The refurbishment was a joint effort and took us a year and a half,” she says.