Architect Charles Du Bois designed houses in many Southern California neighborhoods. But, he had a definite fondness for Vista Las Palmas. Working with the Alexander Construction Company, he designed 15 homes in various parts of the neighborhood, each with a distinctive A-frame entrance. These houses were erroneously dubbed “chalet-style” or “Swiss Miss” homes because the style was vaguely reminiscent of homes in the Swiss Alps.
In fact, the A-frame entrances were a nod and a wink to the popularity of Polynesian motifs during the 1950s. That influence showed up in the work of other Desert Modernists like Donald Wexler.
In addition to houses in Vista Las Palmas, Du Bois also designed a condominium community called Sunrise Lanai, a residential tract of tropical-themed homes called Las Palmas Summit, and Purple Hills Estates – a tract of 47 modernist homes with Polynesian details in Palm Desert. Far from being attributed to the land of Heidi and the cuckoo clock, such homes were known as “Alohauses.”
Du Bois had more in common with fellow modernists in the Valley than simply capitalizing on Polynesiana. His work is characterized by glass walls placed at the rear of homes. These walls maximize light and views and promote an inside/outside lifestyle. Du Bois’ houses featured post-and-beam framing plus significant stone details like towering stone fireplaces in vaulted interior communal spaces.
However, by the 1980s, the Du Bois houses in Vista Las Palmas did not attract much interest; they were often derided as passé and a bit cutesy. By the ‘90s, many of the homes had fallen into serious disrepair. If the reappraisal of Desert Modernism happened a decade later, the Du Bois properties might have been scraped to make way for more “modern” residences.
A case in point is the house at 797 W. Via Vadera. The previous owners purchased the property in 1997 for $232,000, according to realtor Scott Histed, who represents the current owners. The house was sold twice before that, in 1987 (for $212,500) and 1988, according to the listing. Thus, the house increased in value by less than $20,000 in a 10-year period.
Happily, the 1997 owners undertook a major renovation and restoration of the property in 2006. (They also own Ace Hardware in Smoke Tree Village, Histed says.) They extended the living room and turned a sun porch into a dining room. They completely updated the kitchen, replaced the floor with large tiles, tore out the old swimming pool and replaced it with a more modern pool and spa, and designed and installed water-wise landscaping. They also modernized the bathrooms, repainted inside and out, and, most importantly, saved the property from 40 years of decline.
The property’s size is a bit deceiving. From the street, it looks like a large property that stretches wide across the block. The bedroom wing is on one end and a two-vehicle carport is on the other end. In fact, the three-bedroom, three-bath home sits on a lot that covers only 0.3 acres. The answer to the riddle is apparent as you step across the threshold into the entryway, which leads to a vaulted living room that is dominated by a massive granite fireplace. While it’s not narrow, the 2,143-square-foot house doesn’t extend deeply into the rear yard. The actual living space is smaller than it appears from the outside.
Histed says the current owners had a vision about the house’s space limitations when they bought it eight months ago. Their plans included building an ADU behind the carport. Now, a large (but mostly redundant) outdoor seating and dining area occupies that space. The owners also planned to extend the bedrooms further into the spacious side yard, to gain both more space and more light for the rooms. They also planned to update the cabinetry in the kitchen and repaint the home’s taupe interiors. (While the cabinets are modern and immaculate, they don’t quite match the home’s original aesthetic.)
The house’s previous owners did an extraordinary job bringing it back from the brink in 2006. However, nearly 20 years later, it’s time for a bit of restoration and renovation. This can be successfully accomplished because Du Bois designed houses with great bones. The post-and-beam construction, the use of stone, and the basic layout of the house lend themselves to expanding the footprint without compromising the original vision.
The carport is a good example. It’s been suggested that some of the better houses in the neighborhood had carports so neighbors could enviously view your brand-new Avanti. But, there was a more practical reason for not having a closed garage in the desert. “In those days, cars ran hot,” Histed says. “If you put a hot car in an enclosed, hot garage, pretty soon it’s going to be 150 degrees in there.” That was a valid point in 1958. However, the current carport could be made into an enclosed garage with a stylish door that matches the exterior front of the house plus air conditioning to keep your vintage Avanti cool.
The house’s price is one of its more remarkable aspects. While $2,750,000 seems pricey for most Palm Springs neighborhoods, Vista Las Palmas became so desirable in the last few years that it would not be surprising if a similar property approached the $4 million mark. If the current owners of the house at 797 W. Via Vadera follow through with the renovations they are considering, that home could take the same upward leap. It’s all in those Du Bois bones.
