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Breezy Palm Springs home with desert views asks $1.8M

The home was designed by the “desert maverick” architect William Cody

By Megan Barber
A gray ranch house with an overhanging roof and columns that create a patio. Cactus and palm trees surround the house, and there’s a mountain and blue sky in the background. Photography courtesy of TKK Represents/Compass

Architect William Cody was a brilliant modernist who never achieved the same notoriety as his Palm Springs peers. Sometimes called a “desert maverick,” Cody’s body of work—which ranged from boxy midcentury residences to curving churches—was sometimes hard to classify as a particular style.

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But the desert landscape was Cody’s muse, a fact that can be seen in this three-bedroom, four-bath home designed by Cody and constructed in 1957. Featured in the book Unseen Midcentury Desert Modern and included in several of the Palm Springs Modernism Week home tours, the 2,690-square-foot ranch uses large walls of glass to create an airy, transparent feel.

Original features abound, including leather-covered front doors and elegant poured terrazzo floors that flow from the interior living spaces out to the patio. Warm walnut walls contrast with the bright light streaming in from the windows, and in the dining rom an original avocado green bar is an eye-popping centerpiece.

The home’s kitchen and bathrooms have been thoughtfully updated, but the home’s focus remains as Cody envisioned it: on the beautiful mountain views seen from the property’s .5-acre lot. If you’re ready to own a piece of Palm Springs architectural history, 572 West Santa Elena Road is on the market now for $1,795,000.

A living room with a marble fireplace, terrazzo floors, brown velvet couch, and white arm chair.
The living room features a central fireplace, walls of glass, and terrazzo floors.
A dining room features a wooden table set for eight people, a chandelier, and a built-in bar area with avocado colored cabinets.
An original avocado green cabinet in the dining room is contrasted with warm walnut walls.
An eat-in kitchen has a white table with four white chairs, large walls of glass with mountain views, and a kitchen cabinet with walnut cabinets.
An updated kitchen takes advantage of big mountain views.
A bedroom with a gray couch, bench at the foot, and large windows that look out onto the pool area.
A bedroom features large windows that look out onto an overhanging roof and patio.
A bathroom features a long horizontal mirror, two sinks, and a white soaking tub.
An updated bath with a large soaking tub and landscaped views.
A patio features a pergola overhead with a four-person dining set with orange cushions.
The home’s terrazzo floors extend out to the patio for entertaining.
A pool area features a cross-shaped spa and larger pool across from it. The home’s large patio offers space for lounging and entertaining.
A pool and spa area features mountain views and palm trees.

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