Mid-Century Front Landscape - Palm Springs, CA

This Palm Springs landscape redesign restores a mid‑century modern home to its architectural roots after years of Spanish‑influenced alterations. A simplified desert plant palette, clean concrete geometry, and carefully placed sculptural elements create a landscape that feels authentic to the neighborhood while honoring the client’s request for minimal cactus. Installation is scheduled for Fall 2023.

When our client purchased this mid‑century modern home, he envisioned returning it to its original architectural character. A previous owner had attempted to transform the home into a Spanish Colonial, covering original windows with stucco and adding a garden wall that blocked views from the street. Knowing our specialization in mid‑century landscape design, the client reached out early in the restoration process. With our guidance, he installed a new concrete driveway and a staggered concrete walk before we began the full landscape design.

To ensure accuracy and a strong connection to the site, we traveled to Palm Springs to measure and photograph the entire property. The goal was to create a landscape that felt true to the neighborhood’s iconic mid‑century aesthetic while honoring the client’s preference for little to no cactus.

The resulting plant palette is intentionally simplified, blending woody desert shrubs, agave, select perennials, and a single ornamental grass. Orange penstemon was chosen to echo the home’s vibrant orange front door, adding a subtle but intentional pop of color. The only cactus in the design—a sculptural Mexican fencepost—was placed as an architectural focal point against a large, blank wall of the home, where its vertical form reinforces the clean lines of the architecture.

Scheduled for installation in Fall 2023, this project will complete the home’s transformation back to its mid‑century roots. Check back for photos as the landscape comes to life.