High above the desert landscape in Palm Springs, the La Mirada project led by interior designer Christopher Kennedy, embodies a timeless sense of elegance infused with a refreshingly contemporary soul. With crisp lines and expansive glass, the home’s architecture makes a bold impression. At the same time, the interiors are thoughtfully layered with natural textures, local art, subtle nods to mid-century style, and soft, sculptural furnishings that bring warmth and comfort.
The designer describes the house as expansive and stark in its original state. “Everything we brought in, we just wanted to add texture. So all the chairs—whether it’s the fabrics or the bodies of them—have great texture.”
Kennedy, who has practiced design in Palm Springs for two decades, was brought into the project early on. The homeowners, based in Seattle, wanted a fresh, neutral look that avoided traditional Palm Springs style. “They weren’t really interested in any kind of Palm Springs clichés,” Kennedy remarks.
Their personal story added another layer of intention. “It’s a second marriage for both of them, and they were high school sweethearts who then sort of went their separate ways and reconnected later in life,” Kennedy says. “It’s their first home together, which was really fun to do for them.”
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The directive of the home was nuanced: contemporary, textural and fashion-forward. “The wife is very interested in fashion,” the designer says. “Some of the fabrics in the home were very fashionable—almost Chanel-like, with different tweeds and weaves.”
The project presented a challenge in scale, particularly in the expansive primary suite. “There’s a 10-foot sofa,” Kennedy says. “We added the fluted wall to incorporate one more layer of texture. And then we added a wrap-around bed—to make it cozy.” Together, these thoughtful layers—grand in proportion and rich in texture—helped humanize the space, transforming its vastness into an intimate and intentional sanctuary.
The designer’s attention to balance between grand scale and human warmth is a consistent theme throughout the 5,000-square-foot property.
“It’s one of those large contemporary open floor plans where you have the living room, the dining room and the kitchen all within one big space,” Kennedy explains. “Even though it’s a large house, it sort of lives intimately just for the two of them.”
Though the public areas are kept deliberately neutral, the guest bedrooms embrace more specific identities. “She wanted one guest room to be blue,” Kennedy says of the client. “Like the dusty blue of an old denim jacket or old linen book covers. She wanted the other guest room to be green, like the Johnny Carson green room.”
Kennedy took that brief literally. “If you ask me for a blue room, I’m going to make it blue. We’re going to have a blue bed, blue drapes and blue wallpaper. It comes across as restful because it is faded out and not too vibrant. It’s more enveloping.”
Art is an integral element of the home’s design. One of the home’s most distinctive elements is a custom mural by Palm Springs artist Lynda Keeler, painted in the casita that now serves as a cabana. “[The cabana] is open to the pool, so we treated it more like an indoor-outdoor space, so that when you walk in the front gate and look across the pool—even at night—you get to see that mural,” Kennedy points out.
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Rendered in soft, natural tones that echo the desert palette, the mural balances organic movement with graphic boldness. Abstract yet evocative, the piece employs sweeping brushstrokes and earthy hues—think sand, stone and sun-faded clay—introducing a tactile softness that complements the home’s minimalist architecture.
“They really wanted to invest in pieces from local artists, which is wonderful,” Kennedy shares. A favorite piece—a woven sculpture found in a vintage shop—was purchased by the husband for his wife. “He called me and said, ‘Can we purchase and install that as a surprise?’”
The striking black woven textile sculpture hanging above the window serves as both artwork and an architectural element. The piece by Jim Olarte is sculptural in form and dramatic in hue against the mainly white backdrop. It is made from thick, textured rope intricately looped and knotted to create an elegant, almost kinetic silhouette.
Like its owners’, the home’s spirit is deeply rooted in love and optimism. “I just wanted them to walk in and feel this great exhale, like it’s their favorite resort hotel that they have the good pleasure and good fortune to call their own,” Kennedy says.
La Mirada is more than just a house; it’s a harmonious blend of refinement and richness, where every texture, tone and form is carefully chosen. This creates a home that feels deeply personal and timelessly modern in a landscape of palm-lined skies.
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