Who’s to argue with a homeowner who wants to convert a 25-year-old home at the top of La Quinta Cove into a Moroccan villa? Not Steve Nieto, principal at South West Concepts, a family-owned architectural firm in La Quinta. “I was inspired by that,” he says.
Following several months of research, design, and planning, the firm began demolition on the plain and already outdated home. Moorish arches rose up to frame views of the mountains and canyons and then repeated inside to define spaces in the newly opened layout. Hanging lanterns, French doors, and earth-toned tile work accentuate the “extreme indoor-outdoor renovation” that took shape over the course of a year.
Those who book the transformed La Quinta Cove residence for a getaway or a fashion shoot are none the wiser that the roof deck for sunset cocktails is a new addition or that the living room sits on the site of the original garage. “It had the best views,” Nieto explains.
As a practical alternative to a traditional Moroccan riad’s center courtyard, the firm enclosed the south-facing front yard. Its secluded nature, coupled with an eight-sided fountain and views of the Cove’s alluvial fan, impart a tranquility Nieto never could have imagined when he first saw the home.
“Even though we completed it seven years ago, and we have done custom homes all over the Coachella Valley, this is one of the projects people always want to talk about.”
