Client Brief:
The clients wanted a family home with clear views of Camelback Mountain, designed to respect the midcentury modern legacy of its neighbor, Al Beadle’s White Gates, while adding a contemporary voice of its own.
Location:
The site is in a Phoenix neighborhood defined by mature palms and midcentury architecture. One tall date palm near the entry became a key marker in the design. The challenge was to honor the architectural context while creating a new home that could stand on its own.
Design Solution:
The house is organized to capture Camelback views from the great room and primary suite. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors pocket on both sides of the living space, opening it to breezes and patios front and back.
The front patio is screened from the road with breezeblocks, connecting to midcentury precedent while focusing the eye on the mountain. The entry is defined by a date palm rising through a triangular opening in the roof, a detail that recalls Albert Frey’s Palm Springs City Hall. Palm leaf motifs also inform interior details, including woodwork behind the bar and a patterned screen in the sitting room.
Materials are restrained and textural: flagstone, plaster, concrete flooring, and cabinetry in walnut, oak, and matte black. The palette stays quiet so that mountain views and crafted details carry the focus.
Result:
White Dates engages the history of its setting without replicating it. The design frames the mountain, responds to the palms, and adds a new chapter to a midcentury neighborhood.
