How a Faded Golf-Course Classic Became the Desert’s Coolest Comeback House
With a midcentury pedigree, an unmatched view, and polished interiors by Dunbar Road, this William Cody-designed home is golf course living at its finest.
Every room in the house, aside from the bath and powder rooms, has direct access to the outdoors.
Photo by Thomas J. Story.
The view of the 18th hole at the Eldorado Golf Course in Indian Wells, California, is as iconic as any you’ll ever see. Slender palm trees reach into an endless blue sky. Dusty desert hills loom in the background. And the surrounding streets, many of them quiet cul-de-sacs, are dotted with neat, flat-roof houses, some designed by William Cody, the renowned midcentury architect who also built the nearby clubhouse—a 1957 masterpiece. Cody studied architecture at the University of Southern California and worked for Sunset favorite Cliff May in the 1940s. After graduating, he set up shop in Palm Springs, where he left an indelible mark on the community, and his legacy lives on.
Thomas J. Story
Anyone lucky enough to snag one of these coveted homes has a rare opportunity to shepherd a piece of California history into a new era and embrace a bygone glamour that’s worthy of the locale. The current owners of this 1964 desert retreat, Elizabeth and Jeff Fronterhouse of Dallas, Texas, understood the assignment when they hired Carla Fonts of Dunbar Road Design to help them turn it into a winter and spring golf getaway for family and friends. Starting with a fresh canvas of new terrazzo flooring and painted walls, maintaining the original floor-to-ceiling glass windows, Fonts channeled the cheerful but sleek aesthetic of famous area residences like Sunnylands and the Guggenheim house. And since Tom Ford has a house just two doors over, she was in excellent company.
Thomas J. Story
“With the walls being white and the marble and floor being more earth tones, the fabrics, tile, and wallpapers were fun places to add color,” Fonts says. “I love the bold colors of midcentury design that remind me of the desert: orange, yellow, and green. I was also inspired by the vibrant aesthetic of that William Cody era.”
Thomas J. Story
Fonts created a clubby yet elegant retreat with plenty of cozy conversation areas, one organized around the original fireplace. Her team installed doors that open completely to the pool deck and the view. At the heart of the home is a sunken bar with elaborate green mosaic tile, brass and glass shelving, and custom swivel chairs.
Thomas J. Story
“We have most of our furniture back in Dallas, where we have relationships with artisans and workshops,” Fonts says, noting it’s easier for her team to keep an eye on quality control and furnish a house like this when they’re working remotely.
Thomas J. Story
The kitchen is all-white and minimal, with a handful of custom counter stools. Each of the home’s four bedrooms has an upholstered bedframe with a headboard in sorbet-colored performance velvet. Custom-built cabinets in the ensuite bathrooms and wardrobes have doors with caned details. Brass sconces from Visual Comfort and The Urban Electric Co. create a glowy interior light that’s also beautiful when viewed from the outside looking in, an important consideration for a majority glass structure. And the brass light fixture above the dining table from Rosie Li, a Chinese-American Rhode Island School of Design graduate who works out of her studio in New York, is like a perfect sculptural statement necklace to finish the look.
Thomas J. Story
In the carport, in another stroke of scene-setting genius, two golf carts inspired by vintage luxury cars are parked and ready to hit the links. “I can’t take credit for those,” says Fonts. “The owners found them, and they’re brand-new.”
Thomas J. Story
Because Fonts is from Texas, and one of her earliest design influences was her Cuban grandmother’s regal Palm Beach, Florida, home, she is hardwired to design for gracious hosting. As a result, there are thoughtful, bespoke touches inside every drawer. Custom embroidered napkins, hand towels, and printed cocktail napkins, as well as barware with a classic palm tree logo, are just a few of the finishing touches.
Thomas J. Story
Fonts has recently expanded her business by opening an office in London, and now that she’s mastered the often-complicated building codes and standards California requires, she’s eager for future Western visits.
Thomas J. Story
“This house was our first in the area, and we just completed our second project in Palm Springs,” she says. We hope it’s not the last.
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