San Simian

A 21st-Century Palm Springs Bungalow

Occupying an oasis-like garden in its famous Movie Colony neighborhood—once home of Hollywood stars Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and Tony Curtis—this thoughtfully remodeled desert destination offers a cool, contemporary take on Palm Springs’ timeless luxury.

This downtown Palm Springs garden villa features a new look that tones down the shiny glam of yesteryear in favor of a restrained, “modern primitive” décor aesthetic by Lolo Interiors. The home offers spacious rooms and natural comforts in a calm, organic style favoring straw, stone, wood, and lightweight textural linens and rugs. Accent tiles gleam like the pale lacquered insides of seashells in baths and common areas. Contemporary prints pop boldly off smooth white walls. The home’s outdoor space presents as a meditative Zen garden where yucca and palms rise from the rocks, and a bocce ball court, outdoor dining table, and classic swimming pool are enclosed for privacy.

AROUND

Set in Palm Springs’ notable Movie Colony, the home’s location is part of the iconic desert city’s glamorous Hollywood history. Developed in the 1930s and 1940s, after the opening of the storied El Mirador Hotel, the neighborhood became a hot spot for stars (Sinatra’s Twin Palms estate is here), business moguls, movie industry creatives, and other movers and shakers. The neighborhood is an exclusive enclave of approximately 170 residences—most gracefully landscaped and gleaming in an architectural style that’s either typically mid-century modern or Spanish Colonial topped by red-tile roofs. Ideally located walking distance from downtown Palm Springs and its multitude of restaurants, vintage hotels, boutiques, golf courses and tennis courts, the Movie Colony is also only a few blocks from Ruth Hardy Park, several leafy square miles offering an outdoor gym and wellness facilities, a meditation garden, tennis courts, jogging trails and picnic areas.

LOCATION

Palm Springs, California, USA. Nearest airport: Palm Springs (10 minutes)

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year round