Real Estate News & Market Insights:
- Listed for $3.8 million, the iconic Donald Wexler house in Palm Springs was bought twice by owner Daniel Patrick Giles.
- Restored with Donald Wexler's consultation, extensive renovations earned the Palm Springs Modern Committee Residential Restoration of the Year.
- Preserved midcentury features: original vertical fir siding, spun-metal canned lights, floor-to-ceiling glass, wood post and double-beam system, San Jacinto Mountains views.
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places with Palm Springs Class 1 designation and substantial Mills Act tax savings.
Architect Donald Wexler was one of the pioneers of midcentury modern design—however, the finest example of his work was not a high-profile commission. Rather, it’s the extraordinary Palm Springs, CA, home he built for his own family and lived in for close to 40 years.
The three-bedroom, two-bathroom desert dwelling, which is now on the market for $3.8 million, is so special that its current owner, fashion and beauty industry veteran Daniel Patrick Giles, has bought it on two separate occasions.
Now, after a number of renovations, one of them done with Wexler’s consultation, it is in what may be its best condition ever—and even comes complete with its own signature color and scent.
The property spans a third of an acre in Palm Springs’ fashionable Movie Colony East, just around the corner from Bob Hope‘s famous desert retreat.
The lot is enclosed by a tall hedgerow, which opens inward to ancient boulders and native plantings. Mature olive trees and Japanese pines shade the yard, which also features a black-bottom pool and spa.
The original vertical fir siding and spun metal canned lights are still intact, as is the open floor plan. But it has been updated with new terrazzo flooring, stainless-steel appliances, marble surfaces, and European fixtures. The views of the San Jacinto Mountains are still majestic.
When Wexler completed the home in 1955, he was a young architect in the early stages of building his family, as well as his reputation. He created an all-wood structure, using elements he’d learned as an apprentice in the offices of Richard Neutra and William F. Cody.
The wood post and double-beam system, which would become Wexler’s signature, provided a flexible, open floor plan that could expand and contract with the needs of the family. It started out measuring only 1,450 square feet and seamlessly grew into the 2,4240-square-foot classic it is today.
Wexler designed the home with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and sliders, which blur the indoor-outdoor boundaries. The tongue-and-groove ceilings allow for deep overhangs, which shield the interior from heavy sun and which give his homes their characteristic look.
Wexler’s reputation evolved along with his house. Today, he is widely considered to be the father of desert architecture in the Coachella Valley, and is responsible for prominent structures that include the famous Palm Springs International Airport, the Dinah Shore estate (currently owned by Leonardo DiCaprio and featured in the TV series “Midcentury Modern”), and the innovative Steel Development Houses located on the the northern edge Palm Springs.
Giles, the current owner, first purchased the home in 2007 for $915,000. He was living in San Francisco at the time, but visited the desert frequently and became enamored of the midcentury modern style.
He noted that the place wasn’t in great shape, but it still had Wexler’s classic style, and he based his extensive renovation and restoration on conversations he had with the architect himself.
The home won the Palm Springs Modern Committee’s Residential Restoration of the Year Award.
Giles decided to sell the house in 2015 for $1.68 million, but he just couldn’t quit it. When it popped back on the market in 2023, he bought it again, this time for $2.28 million.
This time, he worked on the functional aspects of the home, replacing the roof and HVAC, and adding a new solar system and EV charger.
He also focused on the interior—working with designer Darren Brown. The two created a new paint color, which they named Wexler White, for all the solid surfaces. Previously, the posts and beams were done in light and dark contrasting colors.
They agreed the home would be best accentuated with minimal “stuff” and simple furniture with elegant lines, so the focus could be the home’s shape, lines, and views.
But there is one elaborate addition. Giles had recently founded the luxury brand Perfumehead, which creates fragrances inspired by “film, music, books, lovers, places and poetry.” So it was natural for him to come up with a scent inspired by his weekend home.
He calls it “1272,” which is the address of the iconic home.
1272 is inspired by The Wexler House in Palm Springs, the weekend home of Perfumehead founder Daniel Patrick Giles,” reads the fragrance description.
“A crisp citrus opening of petitgrain derived from the leaves and twigs of the Peru lime tree marry with transparent orange blossom and verbena. Textural cut hedges and sun-softened wood are evoked with Haitian vetiver, sandalwood, cistus absolute and moss. To wear it is to inhabit a version of yourself that is faceted and enduring.”
The property’s other virtues include its spot on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s designated as a Palm Springs Class 1 Historic Resource, with substantial Mills Act tax savings.
Currently, the property taxes run about $6,000 per year. Without that Mills Act designation, the taxes would be much higher.
The Wexler House celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2025. The historic property is represented by Brian Linder, AIA Architecture broker with Compass.
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