Intimate vignettes in the homes of five Palm Springs designers act as a portrait of each one’s personal style.
STANLEY ANDERSON
Anderson architecture + interiors
Palm Springs
“Decidedly modernist” are guiding words for Anderson, who completes residential architecture and interior design renovations throughout California and the West Coast. His portfolio includes a number of midcentury home renovations in Palm Springs. “As an architect, I always look at the entire design problem as a whole and analyze what can improve a space functionally, aesthetically, and within the client’s budget,” he says. “I approach the design process as a collaboration between owner, architect, and contractor while striving to make the process enjoyable and meaningful to my client.”
“I created a quiet, minimalist environment that was respectful of the original architect’s intent yet updated to serve my needs and provide a space where my eyes and soul can relax. I kept the material palette simple and unadorned then mixed in vintage and collectible furniture and accessories.”
Stanley Anderson opened up the main volume of his A. Quincy Jones home to create a loftlike feeling. Cassina Le Corbusier LC2 lounge chairs border a FLOR area rug.
A 1950s lounge chair and ottoman by George Mulhauser for Plycraft faces interesting pieces that include a California Pine Cactus floor lamp circa 1970, a Fred Kemp etched brass coffee table, and elephant side table from the Gerald and Betty Ford estate sale.
SEAN GASTON
Sean Gaston Design
Palm Springs and San Francisco
Content to be called a “serial home renovator,” Gaston specializes in high-end residential and commercial design through his firm and is also a founder and director of design for residential builder Bee Renovated Inc. “My philosophy is approachable design that tells a story,” Gaston says. “My work has been described as ‘curated and collected, not decorated.’ ”
Accents from the 1970s complement this home’s build date. A Marbro lamp mixes with a vintage Metlox Poppytrail Sun Jar, studio pottery circa 1970, and a vintage limestone lamb sculpture from Colin Fisher Studios. Sculpture painting by Andy Nelson circa 1970.
“Of all the spaces in our 1974 custom home by architect John Walling, the den is our main hangout room. Soaring above are the original rough-sawn pine ceilings; below are the original glazed brick floors. A favorite piece is the white elephant side table acquired though the Ford estate auction.”
A coffee table makes a natural place for evolving vignettes, enlivened by fresh flowers. Continuing his “room of firsts” theme, Cochran notes the bronze figure on a marble stand was his first classical bronze piece, purchased from Casa Moderno in Palm Springs.
ANTHONY COCHRAN
Anthony Cochran Design
Palm Springs
As the designer behind the recent transformation of San Simeonita (the 1962 Palm Springs estate once owned by George and Rosalie Hearst), Cochran is known, in part, for merging midcentury lines with softer hues and a range of period pieces. His eclectic space inside The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five in the Uptown Design District invites admirers to browse Cochran’s handpicked temptations, from vintage art and accessories to furniture and lighting. “I blend cultures, periods, and styles to achieve interiors that are both personal and memorable,” he says. “Grand rooms feel approach-able. Small rooms feel special. Every detail of décor and lifestyle are considered in creating spaces that are at once sophisticated and indulgent
yet unintimidating.”
“This is a room full of firsts. The painted driftwood lamp was one of the first vintage pieces I bought when I moved to Brooklyn, New York, from North Carolina in 1989. The antique French sideboard was the first real antique I ever owned. The painting is from Ventura of Palm Springs and was the first piece I purchased when I moved here.”
BRANDON HOSKINS AND STEPHEN WILSON
Wilson Hoskins Design
Palm Springs
Hoskins and Wilson’s design shop, Towne Palm Springs, occupies the anchor space at The Shops at Thirteen Forty Five in the Uptown Design District. “Our design credo is to tell a client’s story through their collected pieces, in a timeless and comfortable style,” Hoskins says. “Of course, we always include a touch of whimsy and stay away from design trends.”
Vintage portraits flank the wood canopy bed. “The man has an abnormally long neck and the woman seems to have bizarre eyes,” Hoskins notes of the two on the left. “Possibly just bad painters.” On the right, a canvas depicting Wilson’s father when he was a British Army soldier during World War II hangs above African carved wooden slingshots purchased in St. Barts.
“Our diverse design backgrounds in architectural restoration, interior design, graphic design, hairstyling, and photography have led to working in the fields of fashion, music, art, and design. Our experiences have distilled our tastes into a thoughtful and carefully crafted style.”
MICHAEL OSTROW AND ROGER STOKER
Grace Home Furnishings
Palm Springs and Los Angeles
Ostrow and Stoker are the creative forces behind the Grace Home Furnishings showrooms in Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District and L.A.’s Brentwood Village. The brand offers a built-to-order collection of custom upholstery and case goods manufactured in Southern California in addition to a fabric line printed locally on Belgian linen in bold geometric and graphic floral prints. Stoker explains, “Our goal is to create livable, comfortable spaces that reflect the style, taste, and unique character of each client.”
Colorful glass jars from the 1960s tie together tones from the vintage Milo Baughman chairs and the Liz Sofa from the Grace Home Collection, inspired by a 1970s sofa. Prints are part of Soicher Marin’s “Eye to Eye” series.
Vintage acrylic grapes mimic the shape of the lamp in this vignette. Art deco porcelain male and female busts by Lenox were painted yellow.