Palm Springs holiday villa

Located on a cul-de-sac in the exclusive enclave of Vista Las Palmas, The Fair is an original Alexander 2-Bedroom, 2-Full Bath home, built in 1960 with stunning west-facing views of the San Jacinto Mountains. It is wonderfully central—an easy 10-minute walk to the heart of downtown Palm Springs with its restaurants, shops, and entertainment—and as an historic community was called home by numerous Hollywood stars, motion picture executives, and other celebrities (the house just next door was the home of Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee).

Its interior design was inspired during a painstaking year-long restoration, respectful of the classic mid-century post-and-beam architectural value, in 2004. The designer noticed original glass shoji screens and with the owners, native Angelenos, drew inspiration from them in creating for the home a purified Zen-like, Asian decor. The 2,300 square-foot home features sliding doors revealing a Zen garden and cool, clear waters, a quiet elegance with an eclectic mixture of mid-century modern and Asian furnishings, antique Japanese screens, silks, artifacts, and original works of art. Glass doors surround the living areas, inviting in space and light as if in a luxurious desert resort. Colors are subtle, floors are covered with natural sisal conveying the look and texture of Japanese tatami mats, and exotic palms rest beneath exposed sand-blasted ceilings.

The Fair is fully-equipped with the latest appliances, from a kitchen with sophisticated cabinetry and black granite counters to the media room''s large flat-screen television and DVD player (both bedrooms have flat-panel TVs as well). Lights are dimmer set, digital stereo music is wired throughout the house and pool, and the home, fully alarmed, offers an attached 2-car garage and an enclosed washer/dryer laundry room.

One lives as much outside at The Fair as inside. Lush oleander and palms surround the rear yard, a space of complete privacy divided into two distinct environments. On the south side is a completely refurbished swimming pool fed from a fountain''s three streams of sparkling water. The pool lies beside an outdoor kitchen with stainless steel barbeque, refrigerator, sink, and a wonderfully spacious granite counter. The north side is a park with a large lawn and a soothing waterfall, and the home''s landscape is bordered by channels of tumbled river rock that reflect the colors of the home and the desert surroundings. And at night, while inside the rooms bathe in a warm glow, the grounds comes alive, lighting framing the huge palms and cactus and desert plants beneath the star-filled deep-blue sky.