Stanley Anderson Tests the Limits in Las Palmas

Lisa Marie Hart May 31, 2023 Home & Design

At the west end of the pool, adjacent to the sunken sitting area, a feature wall of Jerusalem limestone inlaid with strips of Corten metal creates a polished backdrop. Sun loungers line up on the low Accoya wood platform. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAN CHAVKIN

Those who eschew the daunting task of house hunting in favor of the far more daunting task of house building will inevitably enjoy rewards in abundance. Those rewards lie in the details, both grand in scale and almost imperceptible, and deliver a gamut of functional performance and aesthetic pleasure.

By the time architect Stanley Anderson met his clients, through an introduction by general contractor Bruce Clark of Canam Development, the city of Palm Springs was already reviewing the project. Gabriel Rios of Rios Designs in Coachella had completed the CAD drawings based on the owners’ preliminary concepts, and the vision was now in the process of becoming a reality.

"This is a second home that will become a permanent home for Canadian clients, Daniel Friedman, Rob Dalgliesh, and their teenage son, Jonathan," Anderson says. "It was very important for them, coming from Winnipeg, to have a true indoor-outdoor living experience. They have family and friends near and far, and the new house in Las Palmas is a great magnet and place to gather for weeks at a time."

When the glass doors slide open into the great room and primary bedrooms, the L-shaped home appears devoid of exterior walls, elegantly exposed to the pool. A pair of outdoor living areas framed in Accoya wood echo the paper-thin deck for sun lounging, crafted of the same sustainably sourced and acetylated wood.

Anderson, who has worked in architecture and interior design for almost 40 years, fine-tuned some of the layouts and developed the home's interior finishes and furnishings, as well as its exterior design and landscaping. His clients’ distinct ideas for their home and its potential for hosting and entertaining guests manifested in substantial customization, affirming their long-held passion for design and style.

Anderson tours us through a sampling of the home's most exciting moments, noting that minimalism and drama can co-exist when the core materials and decorative lighting plan create a consistent backstory.

"Extensive millwork was critical to making the project a success," Anderson says. "From the minimalist kitchen to the full-height walnut panels that hide doors and storage in the entry, Burl & Flitch in Palm Desert created beautiful yet technical details and clever, unseen hardware solutions as we tested the limits of design and custom work."

"The screening room is the most dramatic in terms of color, texture, and furnishings. We utilized a modular arts panel as a textural accent piece at the back of the room," Anderson says. "On the facing wall, millwork surrounds the TV in a larger-scale version of that texture to hide the speakers. The clients selected a Roche Bobois Mah Jong sofa with Jean Paul Gaultier fabrics as reconfigurable seating for movie nights."

"The wall treatment is actually plywood that has been routed out to reveal the layers within. It's a simple, quiet material that, when paired with walnut behind, becomes special. Between the three panels is a custom channeled headboard in leather."

"The clients are really interested in design, so there was quite a bit of discussion and design behind almost everything in the house. I love it when clients are not only informed, but also want to learn even more. That made it an enjoyable process and a fulfilling project."

"Rob and Daniel wanted some strong colors, but they wanted them to be richer and sophisticated — not so fanciful or playful," Anderson says. "We took some of the hues from Daniel's love of wine. Another guest bedroom is a dark cabernet or merlot; this one might be considered a bold red."

"We did multiple layouts of the pool that related to the architecture and the client's wish list. One concept they desired was a sunken seating area with stair access on both ends," Anderson says. "Adding a plexiglass panel allowed a visual from this seating area into the pool. An acrylic bar — both walk-up and swim-up — can be accessed on either side of the panel."