The Desert Wave, a vacation home rental in Palm Desert, California

A California Desert Gem

The Desert Wave was built in 1955 as a getaway and sculptor’s studio for Miles C. Bates, who turned it into an artistic and social hub for the Coachella Valley. Over time, a series of additions by other owners and years of lying empty threatened its structural integrity.

In 2018, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and purchased by Stayner Architects, who set to work restoring the innovative roof system and mid-century structure. The result, a publicly available home of historical importance, was unveiled at Modernism Week in 2020.

The home has now been made available for vacation rental and makes a wonderful desert getaway for up to three guests. It’s small (with only one bedroom), but it’s an exceptional space, with vintage modernist furnishings, luxury Tibor fabrics, Frette Italian linens, and two private bathrooms with rain showers.

The house has a full kitchen, and next to the whiskey and amaro bar is a turntable with curated vintage records, plus a Sonos and vintage Bose sound system.

Outdoors, there’s a new pool, a two-person chilled/heated cedar Ofuro soaking tub, a dining terrace, private gardens with mountain views, and native desert landscaping by the Cactus Store of Echo Park and NYC.

This holiday home in Palm Desert offers a private mid-century escape just a two-hour drive from Los Angeles.

Read an interview with model and co-founder of Canyon Coffee, Ally Walsh, following her visit to the Desert Wave, in our magazine here.

Read an interview with the Desert Wave's owner, architect Christian Stayner here.

Read about our recent collaboration with Design Within Reach at the Desert Wave here.

Award-winning design

In addition to being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Desert Wave is on the Register of the State of California, and is a City of Palm Desert Historical Landmark.

It has won numerous awards including a Preservation Design Award from the California Preservation Foundation, and a Design Citation from Docomomo, US (as part of its prestigious Modernism in America Awards). It received a Design Award from the Los Angeles AIA, a Best of Design Award for Preservation from the Architects Newspaper.

In 2021, it received a Best Residential Preservation Award from the Southern California Development Forum, and the Restoration Award from the Palm Springs Modern Committee.

It has also appeared in prestigious publications including The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Architectural Digest, Dwell and Wallpaper.

Features

The house has a full kitchen, and next to the whiskey and amaro bar is a turntable with curated vintage records, plus a Sonos and vintage Bose sound system. Outdoors, there’s a pool, a two-person chilled/heated cedar Ofuro soaking tub, a dining terrace, and private gardens with mountain views. Native desert landscaping in the front yard is by the Cactus Store of Echo Park and NYC, and Stayner Architects designed the newly-added pool and all other landscaping.

Good to know

This space is available for events, but these must be booked independently of residential rentals. Please inquire for details.

Around

The property is located in Palm Desert in southern California’s Coachella Valley, about 20 minutes from downtown Palm Springs, 20 minutes from the Empire Polo Club, 10 minutes from Indian Wells Tennis Garden, five minutes from shopping districts, and five minutes from Whole Foods and restaurants.

Recommended activities in the region include hiking and mountain biking, exploring the nearby Living Desert and, farther afield, Joshua Tree National Park. The owners provide a guide to the house on arrival, as well as suggestions for local activities, stores and eateries.