Nestled among the palm trees, Twin Palms by E. Stewart Williams boasts not only a desirable position but a rich history that makes the iconic house stand out. First built when there was nothing but mountains and desert, Twin Palms helped establish the architectural shape of Palm Springs. As Twin Palms was the first home designed by E. Stewart Williams, the iconic house offers a softness and comfortability that its original owner, Frank Sinatra, desired. Throughout this iconic house, E. Stewart Williams has provided fun, pleasure, privacy and respite, for the home’s first owner to its current occupants.

Though the midcentury home was built in 1947 for Frank Sinatra, E. Stewart Williams’s complex yet soft design has remained mostly intact, with the only change to the floor plan being the entrance, which was moved to the opposite side of the street to provide a dramatic arrival. Additionally, the original furniture and kitchen appliances remain, adding to the home’s interesting history. For the rest of the exterior and interior design, the softness and expression of pleasure and place are articulated with the interior columns that are rounded instead of straight – an idea that helps to soften the environment and avoid the harshness of geometric design. With the architecture of homes in Palm Springs being designed with respect to the mountains, there is a sense of unity between nature and structure that exists in the iconic house. Further deepening this, E. Stewart Williams provides an overarching sense of indoor and outdoor living through the colour choices, materials and form of the iconic house.

Referred to as having good separation, the interior design of Twin Palms has been divided to allow for a sense of privacy whilst also holding spaces for socialising. This is experienced through the bedrooms, where the main bedroom has been positioned on one side of the home and the guest rooms on the opposite side. Additionally experienced within the bedrooms is the deliberate proportion of shape and size, where each room has been designed as a square. This has been done to evoke the feeling of relaxation, as opposed to an elongated, rectangular shape, which tends to bring tension to a space. Designed to envelope its occupants, Twin Palms uses various materials, including natural wood, stone and a neutral colour palette.

With a large part of the year offering opportune weather, there is an importance placed upon the quality of indoor and outdoor living, which E. Stewart Williams has accentuated with the piano-shaped pool. Acting as a secondary living area, the pool is designed to celebrate connection and entertainment. It also encourages a deeper appreciation for the landscape. With natural light playing a vital part of the home’s offering, Twin Palms has been completed with sliding glass doors and windows that allow for an inpour of sunlight. Finished with multiple entry points, Twin Palms offers a balance of light that encourages the human gaze to move around the room instead of remaining on one specific point. With the primary motivation to make his clients feel comfortable, E. Stewart Williams brings warmth and a transient, soothing element to the home.

00:00 - Intro to Frank Sinatra's Iconic House
00:39 - A Completely Blank Canvas
01:14 - E. Stewart William's First Architecture Project
01:53 - The Original Floor Plan
02:19 - A Typical Palm Springs Type Home
03:02 - Indoor and Outdoor Fusion
03:23 - The Many Moods of Modernism
03:40 - Enveloping and Warm
03:59 - The Unity of Nature and Architecture
04:38 - Balanced Light
05:15 - Frank Sinatra's Love of the Desert

For more from The Local Project:

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/thelocalproject/
Website – https://thelocalproject.com.au/
Print Publication – https://thelocalproject.com.au/publication/
Hardcover Book – https://thelocalproject.com.au/book/
The Local Project Marketplace – https://thelocalproject.com.au/marketplace/

To subscribe to The Local Project's Tri-Annual Print Publication see here – https://thelocalproject.com.au/subscribe/

Photography by Jeff Mindell.
Architecture by E. Stewart Williams.
Filmed and Edited by Cheer Squad Film Co.
Production by The Local Project.

The Local Project acknowledges the traditional territories and homelands of the Indigenous peoples in the United States. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.

#IconicHouse #HouseTour #FrankSinatra

SyncID: MB01RWUQD50WVXN