Most Wanted – Into Africa

The District Commissioner’s House at The Living Desert — and its views into the leopard habitat — inspire wild and exotic touches for spring

Lisa Rovito Home & Design, Interior Design, Real Estate


Photo by David Blank

From left: Tall Kuba gourds from Kenya, $59.99 each; Kuba cloth raffia rug, $59. Both from Kumbu Kumbu Marketplace, The Living Desert, 47-900 Portola Ave. Palm Desert, 346-5694, www.livingdesert.org. A black lacquered Ming-style stool can double as an accent table; $545. Dwight Polen, 756 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 318-7227. Primitive mask with circles, $450; Showtime chair, $2,340. Both from House 849, 849 N. Palm Canyon Dr., 325-7854. A be-kind to-animals carved deer head is hand-carved from solid bass wood with finely rendered fur detail and eight-point antlers; $399. (800) 536-7551, www.ballarddesigns.com. All-weather 12 x 20-inch zebra pillow with velvety stripes resists mildew and won’t fade; $49. Grandin Road, (800) 491-5194, www.grandinroad.com. Zulu baskets handmade in South Africa, $303 for the small and $778 for the large. Both from Kumbu Kumbu Marketplace at The Living Desert.

Shot on location at The Living Desert District Commissioner’s House, a 1920s replica of a British official’s residence during the colonization era of Kenya. It features flagstone flooring, thatched and ebony-stained beamed ceilings, white stucco and glass walls, and terrific views of leopards Kishka and Kahn. The house is available for private functions of up to 45 people.

Information: 346-5694, ext. 2681, www.livingdesert.org.