Quirky Architectural Mansion Asking $7.69 Million in Palm Springs Puts a Spin on Old Hollywood Glamour
The house channels mid-century modern style with numerous quirks, including a glass window backsplash in the kitchen and a floating office
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An architecturally impressive abode in Palm Springs, California, that combines mid-century style with Old Hollywood glamour has hit the market for $7.69 million.
Despite appearances, the desert getaway was actually built in 2012, by Sean Lockyer of Studio AR&D. This marks the first time the home has been on the market since its creation.
“The goal with this project was to blend modern elegance and iconic mid-century architectural techniques,” Lockyer said.
By implementing “classic mid-century nods like floor-to-ceiling expanses of glass, aggregate block construction and a cantilevered steel roofline, the residence is unable to be dated and could easily be misjudged in age,” he added.
The heart of the 7,000-square-foot home is its glass-encased great room, complete with a recessed living area and a double-sided fireplace that extends through the glass walls and to the adjacent covered outdoor living space, according to the listing with Todd Monaghan and Keith Markovitz of TTK Represents of Compass, who brought the home to the market earlier this month.
The owners, who couldn’t be reached for comment, paid $700,000 for the underlying property in 2009, records with PropertyShark show.
The single-storey house also boasts an office that appears to hover over the ground, a media room, a wine room and an open kitchen that swaps the traditional backsplash with glass.
There are four bedrooms, including a primary suite that occupies an entire wing of the house, and the pool sits in the centre of the home, visible from nearly all angels.
The interior design, meanwhile, takes inspiration from Hollywood Regency decor.
The property is “among the best homes I have experienced in Palm Springs,” said Markovitz.
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More than 10,000 homes, an expansive central park and a mix of hospitality, retail and wellness facilities will form Azizi Developments’ first master-planned community in the emirate.
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Sharjah is set to receive one of its largest new residential communities, with Azizi Developments unveiling plans for a US$8.1 billion master-planned precinct containing more than 10,000 homes.
Named Azizi Florence, the freehold development will comprise 1,130 villas, more than 6,000 townhouses and 3,500 apartments. Three-bedroom townhouses will start from US$515,000, with an indicative rate of US$231 per square foot of saleable space.
The project marks the Dubai-based developer’s first move into Sharjah, expanding a portfolio that includes the planned Burj Azizi skyscraper and the Azizi Venice community in Dubai.
A park at the heart of the community
Rather than treating landscaping as an afterthought, Azizi Florence will be organised around a 1.7 million sq ft central park.
The wider precinct is planned as a self-contained neighbourhood combining homes with retail, hospitality, education, leisure and wellness facilities.
Six residential clusters will sit within the development, each with its own park, clubhouse, community centre and landscaped gardens. The approach reflects a broader shift across large Middle Eastern developments, where greenery, recreation and everyday convenience are increasingly central to the residential proposition.
The scale of Azizi Florence suggests it is intended to function as a neighbourhood rather than a collection of housing estates. Its mix of housing types should also give the project broader appeal, accommodating apartment buyers alongside families seeking townhouses or standalone villas.
Azizi expands beyond Dubai
Azizi Developments has delivered more than 45,000 homes to buyers from over 100 countries and says it has approximately 150,000 units under construction.
Much of its growth has been concentrated in Dubai, where its portfolio extends across Palm Jumeirah, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Dubai South, Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Jebel Ali.
Its most prominent current project is Burj Azizi, which is intended to become the world’s second-tallest building. Azizi Florence represents a different type of undertaking: a low-rise, family-oriented community built around public space and daily amenity.
For company founder and chairman Mirwais Azizi, the Sharjah project also carries a personal connection. The emirate was his first home in the UAE more than three decades ago, adding a symbolic dimension to the developer’s expansion.
Sharjah’s residential ambitions grow
Although Dubai and Abu Dhabi have traditionally captured much of the international attention directed at the UAE property market, Sharjah has been steadily broadening its residential offering.
Large freehold communities such as Azizi Florence have the potential to attract both local families and international purchasers looking for comparatively accessible entry points into the Emirates’ property market.
At a starting price of US$515,000, the project’s three-bedroom townhouses will sit well below the cost of equivalent family homes in many of Dubai’s more established luxury communities.
The ultimate appeal, however, will depend on execution. At this scale, the quality of the public realm, connections between residential clusters and delivery of the promised supporting infrastructure will be as important as the homes themselves.
If those elements come together, Azizi Florence could help establish a new benchmark for large-scale residential development in Sharjah—and give buyers another option beyond the UAE’s better-known property markets.
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