A Line in the Sand

With its woodsy interiors and darker palette, a Palm Springs home offers a thoughtful new take on desert modernism.

- By Lydia Lee

The foundation had already been poured when Marc Walters and Rick Cassar realized exactly how big their new house in Palm Springs would be. "We never talked about the square footage. We just said, 'Oh, those are cool-looking drawings. Yeah, that looks great let's go for it!" says Walters, a retired community college instructor. "During the build, one of my biggest fears was that it wouldn't be inviting."

Fortunately, both their designer and architect had a strategy for reconciling their priorities: a three-bedroom house that was large enough to entertain all their friends and family yet was also exceptionally warm and welcoming. "Cozy was the term that kept coming up," says designer Sam Cardella, who has been based in Palm Springs since 1996. "That was the prerequisite for everything."