Palm Springs boasts a longstanding tradition of old Hollywood
glamour in its architecture and design, so when Alan and Bonnie Cashman chose to
purchase a new construction in Old Las Palmas they faced a conundrum: how to
make a new house fit into the neighborhood’s venerable history. They turned to
interior designer Ted Tuttle, whom they had met at parties in their mutual
hometown of Seattle, to serve as their guide and imbue the vacation home with a
timeless Mediterranean flavor—a total departure from their contemporary Seattle
condominium.
Alan and Bonnie Cashman’s Palm Springs home, located
in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood, is a sharp contrast to their main residence
in Seattle, a contemporary high-rise. "We wanted a new home that looked like an
old home," says Bonnie, who visits the house with her husband every other week
from November to May. The couple called upon designer
Ted Tuttle to bring glamour to the interiors, exemplified in the great room,
which serves as the home’s center. The designer used an espresso-hued chaise
longue in place of a sofa, which is more conducive to casual lounging after
dinner. The piano is the only piece not purchased specifically for the
house—most of the furniture came from local antiques shops. (Click images to enlarge)
"New construction appealed to us, but we wanted the house to look old," says
Bonnie Cashman of the 3,400-square-foot three-bedroom home she and her husband
purchased in late 2003. Back in 1976, the couple fell in love
with Palm Springs and spent the next quarter-century vacationing
there. A few years after purchasing a home in the Movie Colony neighborhood in
2000, they sought to expand and came across the house in Old Las Palmas, still
under construction. Concerned about some potential layout flaws, they sought
Tuttle’s advice. "Ted, with his magic, was able to figure out the flow, and as a
result we bought the house," says Alan of the place they now spend every other
week visiting between November and May.
With alfresco entertaining areas a must in Palm Springs, the
first order of business was sprucing up the exterior. "Ted did all the design
work for the landscaping," explains Alan, pointing to a brick-paved patio off
the dining room with a table for 10, a fireplace and a conversation area that
Bonnie says "has great access to the kitchen." When guests arrive, they are
treated to olive trees, magnolia shrubs and cascades of climbing white
roses.
The contemporary artwork throughout the home was
either commissioned or found on buying trips to San Francisco, Seattle and Palm
Springs. "A signature for me is that I put as much importance on the artwork as
I do on the furniture," says Tuttle. Top: V8 by Tom Bolles
brings color to the family room. Bottom: A piece by Deborah Bell and a jaguar
painting purchased in Palm Springs frame the view through the family room arch
to a work in oil and wax by Alfonse Borysewicz. George Smith sofa; Crate &
Barrel herringbone chairs. (Click images to enlarge)
Inside, Tuttle made some key changes, reworking the footprint
and forgoing the predestined tile flooring for an antiqued walnut hardwood. To
fill out the rooms, Tuttle and the Cashmans frequented local antiques shops for
furnishings and visited galleries in San Francisco, Seattle and Palm Springs to
cull a collection of contemporary artwork, a process that took more than a year.
"They came with a piano—that was it—so every piece for this house we bought
together," says Tuttle.
In order to accomplish the couple’s desire for a fresh mix of
new and old, the designer incorporated contemporary work by artists such as
John Belingheri and Deborah Bell with turn-of-the-century antiques, and
chose to upholster furnishings in simple, textured fabrics such as mohair
instead of damask. "We wanted the house to look casual yet elegant," says
Tuttle. Agrees Alan: "So many houses look like museums—we didn’t want
that."
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