Right Angles – Just Shoot Me

Photographers, stars, and architectural buffs can’t get enough of these camera-friendly good looks

Lisa Rovito Modernism


Photo by David Blank

See something missing? If you said Pitt and Jolie, you’re right. It’s not their new desert address, but it is the Kenaston House — the 1957 E. Stewart Williams-designed home that hosted the photo shoot for a 60-page spread of the two stars in a 2005 issue of W magazine. The real significance behind this U-shaped house that’s designed on a half acre around the pool, however, lies in the fact that it is the last remaining Williams house in Rancho Mirage that retains its integrity of design and materials. Originally done in quintessential Desert Modern style, the home has been carefully restored to a level close to its original condition in consultation with the architect himself. According to the State of California, it appears eligible for a listing in the National Register of Historic Places. What attracts the stars are the fluid, open floor plan; walnut walls; cantilevered rooflines; and all that glass, glass, glass. Clever details include a rock veneer that forms an exterior wall of the living room then plunges into the pool for more than a foot below the surface. Photogs for Madonna, Italian Elle, Rolls Royce, James Blunt, Coldplay, and GQ have also captured its timeless essence on film. Information: www.desertarealiving.com.