2.25.2022 | DIGS.NET 59
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R E S T O R E D | H A R V E Y H O U S E
of a sunny Palm Springs day. Poised on 1.5 acres, the property
also features an outdoor bar area, massage room, sauna and
tennis court. In the ensuing years, the home had seen numerous
renovations and revisions to its layout and finishes. Laccone
hoped to both refresh and elevate the property while retaining
the soul of its midcentury modern design.
"The most interesting thing about the design is that when you
come to the front door of the house and enter, you are still
outside when you walk through the door," explains design
partner Ron Radziner. "So you think you're going inside the
house — but you're not. You're under cover but you can see
the long outdoor walkway and outdoor living room ahead. This
is the indoor-outdoor living experience pushed to the limit."
Compounding this unusual occurrence is a vision of Mount San
Jacinto, looming in the distance. "Our firm's goal was to express
Buff & Hensman's original design while incorporating modern
conveniences," says Radziner.
To do that, the firm concentrated on eliminating formal and visual
barriers to the link between the home and its surroundings. They
darkened the home's skeleton, which acts as a frame around
the vision of the exterior. They added windows and skylights
to maximize natural light. A wall between the dining room and
the den was removed in order to merge the two spaces. The
kitchen's upper cabinetry was removed, opening up the home's
sight lines. Terrazzo floors were poured. A new metal screen,
fabricated in the firm's in-house metal shop, was added. It takes
