Extreme Restoration :: Peeling Back Layers to Reveal a Hidden Architectural Treasure

deasy/penner clients Kevin Lane and Shev Rush are business executives with a love of architecture and a weakness for restoring historic homes that have been remodeled beyond recognition. They’ve done it with homes by architects Palmer & Krisel in Palm Springs, Gregory Ain in Silver Lake, and one of the Donald Wexler Steel Homes in Palm Springs - but they almost met their match with their latest project in the Old Las Palmas neighborhood of Palm Springs.  It’s one thing to see an old home in need of heavy restoration; it’s quite another to have little semblance of the original structure left. Like an archeologist, one must peel back layers of material to discover sometimes infinitesimal clues.  It’s the kind of painstaking work that few have the time or patience to undertake, but Lane and Rush temper the stress by reveling in every small victory along the way.  

“Strangely, we were both told by guidance counselors growing up that we weren’t strong enough in math to be architects, and we both listened, for some reason. That didn’t curb either of our passion for architecture and design, and we’ve made it our avocation. In an age where many architectural homes have been remodeled beyond recognition, we have found it incredibly fulfilling to bring these homes back to their original states,” says Lane.

375 West Via Lola, Palm Springs

for sale $2,595,000
contact us to request a showing :: 310.275.1000

Rear of Residence facing Mountains (before and after)

When they first walked into the house in 2007, they knew only that Sidney Sheldon had extensively remodeled and altered the original residence. The exterior was cosmetically finished to resemble a Spanish Revival house, the grounds were styled in a French village aesthetic, and the large original swimming pool was enclosed in a glass and steel pool house structure which covered more than half of the rear yard, blocking the mountain views.

Entryway (before and after)

“We went to see the house originally because of the roofline in the listing photos – even though it had been modified, it looked like it belonged to a mid-century ranch house. Once we got there, though, it was incredibly hard to see past the remodel. Kevin and I met in the middle after about 15 minutes and said ‘let’s go,’ but then Kevin turned around, walked into a corner, knelt down at a piece of loose carpeting, and pulled it back. That’s when we saw the terrazzo floor and started to piece together what the house actually was,” says Rush.

Living Room (before and after)