Zane Grey was many things. He was a star baseball player in college, a dentist, and a world-record holder in sport fishing. He was also one of the first best-selling authors of Western fiction, with works like “Riders of the Purple Sage.” And he was instrumental in providing the creative fodder that made cowboy movies a staple of the early film industry. But, he was not a resident of Palm Springs. Or was he?
The estate on W. Crestview Drive in The Mesa neighborhood has long been known (and marketed) as the Zane Grey house. The home, an eclectic – and maybe eccentric – interpretation of a Spanish/Pueblo structure more commonly found in Northern New Mexico, was built in 1940. At a time that pre-dated the Hollywood Regency-style and mid-century modern homes of the 1950s and ’60s, the pre-war homes of Palm Springs could be fanciful. The Spanish Revival style was among the most common and conservative choices for architecture in Palm Springs. But, there was a little bit of everything, from Moorish-influenced homes to simple ranch houses.
The Pueblo influences of the home on W. Crestview Drive might have been dictated by the man whose fame came from such Western settings – if not for the fact that Zane Grey died at his home in Altadena a year before his namesake home was built. Why, then, the dubious connection? Grey did have a son named Romer Zane Grey, who was also a writer and had a principal residence in Pasadena. Was this the son’s winter home?
It’s more likely that the house is connected to the countless number of Western-themed films that were made in the Coachella Valley during the industry’s first couple of decades. Perhaps a producer or director of films made from Grey’s stories built the home as a tribute. Or, perhaps a love of Grey’s work inspired the original owner or builder. Whatever the connection is, the mystery likely will never be solved.
Luca Volpe, the real estate agent who represents the house, says, “There is … a rumor that [the] house was used for illegal gambling. There were two small windows looking into the great room, and it was believed these were used for keeping an eye on the tables.” So, it’s a mystery upon mystery.
Whatever the home’s provenance is, there is no mystery about its singularity. The gated estate on a little less than half an acre perches at the top of The Mesa neighborhood with extraordinary 180-degree views of the Valley and the mountains to the north.
From the outside, the house looks like a modern interpretation of Pueblo-inspired design, with its exposed brick façade and terraced spaces. It is simple, and the color of the brick helps the home blend into the surrounding hillside.
Inside, the exposed-brick theme continues, but in a much more dramatic fashion. The massive great room – large enough for a dining room, a living room, and a family area – features massive, exposed, chiseled, dark wood beams. The tiled floor uncannily mimics the outside landscape. The massive fireplace is topped by a beautifully carved wood mantel that reaches to the ceiling. The large windows capitalize on the stunning views. Volpe says the current owners commissioned custom steel frames for the windows during renovation. The result complements the elegant rusticity of the rooms.
The house is offered fully furnished, with selected works of art, and every room is both spare and sophisticated. The wood cabinetry in the kitchen complements the modern design and appliances. This light, artistic touch is evident in every bedroom, which affords both space and unparalleled views of the Valley.
The crown of this 2,453-square-foot home is the primary-suite penthouse. With terraces at both front and back, the penthouse and adjacent bathroom both offer exquisite views. Like the other bedrooms in the three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom estate, the color palette is muted and restful.
Every detail in this house was meticulously thought out, from the wood cabinetry and accents to the state-of-the-art, voice-controlled, smart-home tech to the custom lighting to the whole-house water filtration system to the smart plumbing features to the security system and Wi-Fi controls. These features add up to create one of the most unique, design-forward houses currently on the market.
$2,998,000
Luca Volpe/Luca Realty Trust
#02037333
760-808-3756
