For Sale: Invisible Joshua Tree House
I have to start by saying I have always loved Palm Springs and have vacationed in the area numerous times. Their perfectly preserved collection of period Mid Century Architecture (homes, businesses, and public buildings) ideally suit the desert environment and that unassuming laid-back California lifestyle. The clean lines, pastel-coloured sensual curves, expansive view framing windows and lack of unnecessary non-functional ornamentation, not to mention the open interaction between indoor and outdoor living spaces make this style one of the most human friendly of Architectural styles.
Having said that, in my opinion, the particular style of the home that has become known as “the Invisible House”, located just outside of Palm Springs, CA, goes against everything architecturally that Palm Springs is known for. At the same time though, the home could not be better suited to the natural desert environment. While this style is not something I would generally have ever been attracted to –the concept and design of this house is just so damn sexy! This impressive three-bedroom, four-bathroom property, known as “The Invisible House”, creates the optical illusion of disappearing seamlessly into the desert surroundings, thanks to its sleek, reflective façade.
The elongated, mirrored design behind this home was the inspiration of homeowners Chris and Roberta Hanley (Hollywood film producers of The Virgin Suicides (1999) and American Psycho (2000)), along with architect Tomas Osinski in collaboration with Frank Gehry (a fellow Canadian, known for the design of numerous iconic buildings, including Spain’s Bilbao Guggenheim, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the Biomuseo Museum in Panama City, Panama). Not a bad architect to retain for your weekend house!
The details of the minimalist design include concrete floors, 11-foot ceilings, an open floorplan, and a designer kitchen. The centerpiece of the home is the 100-foot-long, solar-heated swimming pool which runs the length of the living room. From an environmentalist perspective, the home is designed to rest on a cantilever system which elevates the structure over the desert floor ensuring minimal disruption to the ground below and operates on solar and thermal systems.
OK now, this may be an expensive artistic detail that surpasses people of my education level, but the centerpiece of the primary suite is a custom-designed, glass bed frame designed to give the mattress a floating appearance. I’m not so sure about this one, and I’m not a clumsy person by nature, but I look at this reportedly 2,500 lb glass bed frame and can only think about the number of times I would trip over it, slam into the side of it or fall off it when I get up during the night to pee. Not to mention my perfectionist nature that would be continuously antagonizing over dust (you are in the middle of the desert for f*k’s sake), fingerprints (footprints?) ensuring the need for a handy bottle of Windex and roll of towels to be conveniently stored in a custom designed nook beside the bed. But I’m sure there are staff for that.
Additional shin splitting experiences can be found in a second bedroom which boasts a comparable mattress which sits prominently atop a similar bruise-inspiring platform. This one constructed of marble. The bedrooms all have sliding doors that open to sweeping views of the desert.
There is also a one-bedroom guesthouse on the property that offers its own kitchen and living space.
The question does come to light however – why flip such a custom house which took a reported six years to design and construct, after only three years of enjoyment? Apparently, the answer is simply – out of the goodness of Chris and Roberta’s hearts. They apparently view the house as an art piece, one that should be enjoyed by the rest of the world and not selfishly kept to themselves. That sounds like BS to me, but perhaps I’m just selfish and not so good at sharing.
I first saw this house featured on a Netflix show called “The Worlds Most Amazing Vacation Rentals” which follows 3 pretty “twenty something” globe trotters (Megan Batoon, Jo Franco and Luis D. Ortiz) as they explore international rental properties under the topics of “Luxury”, “Budget” and “Experience”. The show is quite entertaining, and their promotion of unique properties is something that I eagerly (and obviously) gravitate to. The Invisible House is available for short term rentals ($6,000/ night or $150,000/ month (if you do the math, the monthly rate is actually an amazing deal!). The 5,470-square-foot home, guesthouse and surrounding 67.5-acre lot is now also available for purchase for $18 mill!
For more information, check out the property’s website or drone aerial footage taken by Petr Masek https://youtu.be/gtuaQDwT_og
