This desert dream house—perfect for the fashionable Bond villain—flew under the radar for way too long. It finally got some recognition in 2014 when it was put up for sale by artist Beverly Doolittle and her husband Jay, who spent more than five years building it, then refining it.
It was designed by super-organic architect Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, who immediately fell in love with the site—10 beautiful, naked acres in Joshua Tree. Beverly tells the Desert Sun: “He was jumping all over the rocks like a mountain goat. He had been looking for rocks to build on.”
The couple gave him free rein, and in 1988 work began on this concrete, steel, glass, and copper house, placed perfectly naturally on the rocky site and looking from the top kind of like a ribcage.
The house was finished in 1993 but interior designer John Vugrin spent several years making "tweaks." The Doolittles didn't move in until the early aughts, and by 2014, they were ready to downsize. They left for Utah and listed the property for $3 million, describing it as “the most important architectural house you may have never seen.”
The proud new owners are Manhattan Beach residents Kristopher Dukes, an interior designer, and Matthew Jacobson, a Facebook executive, who intend “to preserve it as a work of art,” according to the New York Times.
- Organic Modern Estate [Official Site]
Comments
I snuck into this place when it was under construction. It blew my mind then, and it wasn’t even finished!
By Misterbee6 on 09.08.17 12:02pm
This is a masterpiece.
By Cleavon Little on 09.08.17 12:59pm
Looks like a giant robot cow took a dump in the middle of the desert.
By disqusted on 09.08.17 2:19pm
Oh, the resident troll with a typical comment.
By Necco on 09.09.17 7:33am
I think you have crappy taste based on the comments I have read, but I allow you your opinion without calling you a troll. Of course, it’s typical of fusty know-it-alls to malign the motivations of others when there is a disagreement of opinion.
By disqusted on 09.11.17 11:17am
Your "opinion" reflects Necco’s rational comment. You are a troll whether you want to admit it or not. If you don’t want the criticism, don’t make useless asinine comments.
By mrxman on 09.14.17 6:30pm
I gave my opinion on what the exterior looks like. Necco then turned around and called me a troll rather than, say, offering his/her own opinion on the house. Simply calling someone a troll is neither criticism nor a rational comment, it’s just name-calling, which it appears is also your MO. Neither of you have offered anything productive here.
By disqusted on 09.15.17 10:23am
And a most magnificent and brilliant dump it was – this house is staggering, inside and out … a premier example of the incredible work of the architect.
By nycLovr on 09.08.17 3:43pm
Reminds me of John Lautner. I like the ‘idea’ of it more than I like what I’m looking at..!
By iluvnyc on 09.08.17 5:07pm
Amazing house, probably the most unique in California if not the nation. A work of art indeed.
By modern-maniac on 09.09.17 7:56am
It is a beautiful house, but I’m not sure if it makes a great home. Those are two very different things. Many of FLW’s homes where great looking, but not very hospitable. I get that this house might suffer from that. Great to look at, but not practical to live in.
Interestingly, even though it’s in the desert, the design reminds me of the inside of a nautilus shell. And $3 million seems like a good price for this.
By mrxman on 09.14.17 6:34pm
That’s the thing – it might be "successful" as an art or design piece, but I would hardly call this "successful" as a home. There is nothing homey about it. It’s a vanity piece for someone with enough money that they only actually live there part of the year, and a vanity piece on the part of the architect. Homes should be livable before all else.
By disqusted on 09.18.17 10:32am
Theres absolutely no way I could ever live in this dwelling, too SciFi, I would be extremely uncomfortable in it. Its a great exhibit though.
By MCM'er on 09.16.17 10:33pm