A 1940s Rancho Mirage home has been transformed for modern living – Rob Report

Lance Gerber

This new $3.96 million home in Rancho Mirage, California, harmoniously blends historic preservation with modern design.

Located in the Coachella Valley between Palm Springs and Palm Desert, this classic desert ranch-style home was built in the 1940s with a red barn-style exterior. When architects Sean Lockyer of Studio AR&D and Anthony Cochran of Anthony Cochran Design stumbled upon this rare home, they embarked on a comprehensive four-year redesign to redefine the home and transform it into a modern marvel.

To do this, they wanted to respect the home’s footprint and architecture but also create more living space with the addition of a new wing. The original house has been converted into a guest suite, while the additional 1,700 square feet of space houses the kitchen, master bedroom and media room. Completed this year and doubling in size compared to the original residence, Desert Oasis now includes four bedrooms and three bathrooms spread over 3,350 square feet.

Together, Lockyer and Cochran focused on volumes, ceiling heights, color and texture to create a modern, airy residence. “Our approach to interior design includes a nod to mid-century without being reductive or predictable,” says Cochran. “This meant few recognizable vintage pieces or no strong or overtly vintage colors. Nods to Americana, Danish Modern, French 1940s, Italian Deco, and other influences informed the design. No one was allowed to take over or take control on her”.

The bold home features a wood-clad exterior with blackened steel windows and accents, as well as Lockyer’s signature handcrafted stone construction. The front door, housed in a black angular steel box, immediately sets the tone for the highly designed residence. Inside there is a large living area with a stone fireplace and sliding Fleetwood doors that open to the backyard for easy indoor-outdoor living. There is also a sunny kitchen with integrated Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances and an attached dining room. There is also a hidden wet bar, quartz countertops, and custom terrazzo flooring.

Meanwhile, the spacious master suite has glass walls and is connected to the exterior architectural shade pavilion. There is a mosaic-tiled bathroom and a freestanding black bathtub in the master bedroom. The home features many soft blue-gray walls, along with black accents and moody gray tones, and the moody aesthetic continues in the nearby media room.

“The walls extend from the inside to the outside, reinforcing the strong relationship between the two,” he says. “Combined with strategic glazing and openings, this design enhances the relationship between the interior spaces and the outdoor garden and landscape. The kitchen, master bedroom and living areas are very open to the outdoors.

Outside there is an organically shaped pool with mid-century tongue-and-groove details, an outdoor stone fireplace, a fountain, fruit trees, vegetable gardens and five 100-year-old olive trees. Green landscaping can be found in both the front yard and backyard, making you feel relaxed in a green oasis.

“This property is not just a luxury home, it is a work of art, where great creative minds have come together to merge upscale sophistication with functional living, all while honoring the rich architectural history of the desert,” says listing agent Keith Markowitz of TTK Represents the Compass. “I couldn’t be more excited to bring this one-of-a-kind property to the market and showcase the years of input that went into crafting this masterpiece.”

The house can also be purchased with furniture and some artwork for $4.5 million.

Click here to see more photos of 72453 Rancho Rd.