An Oasis For Healing

Creative consultant Tracy Phillips' home is a perfect representation of her dynamic and multifaceted personality.

- AZHAR RAHIM

After many years of renting, Tracy Phillips was ready to plant her roots. Her checklist for a place to call her own seemed straightforward: privacy, abundant natural light, and a view enriched with greenery. “I thought it would be easy,” muses the creative consultant and director of her own agency, PPURPOSE. “I just wanted a space where I would not be peering into someone else’s home and where ample light could flow through because I do not like dark spaces.”

Yet, the path to fulfilling this criteria was fraught with unexpected challenges. Over two years, Phillips sifted through countless listings and attended numerous viewings, but each fell short. The process, she thought, was starting to feel like a wild goose chase for an elusive ideal.

Then, everything shifted with a single call from a trusted friend—an architect who was, at that time, working on a condominium project in the vicinity. He suggested she explore a lesser-known enclave he believed aligned with her aspirations. Walking into the unit for the first time, Phillips recalled feeling hopeful yet cautious. “While I did like the place, my then-partner and the architect friend who accompanied me on the viewing were more excited about it than I was,” she adds while scrolling through her phone to show prerenovation photos.

Nonetheless, she saw the potential, and after sleeping on it, made an offer for it. That was in 2017. Today, the space looks nothing like before—bright, airy, and with an unblocked view, thanks to the unit being on a high floor. When designing her home, Phillips explains that she leaned towards a mid-century modern feel. “I also like the deserts, like Joshua Tree National Park and Palm Springs, and wanted to have those tones in my home as well”.