A fulfillment of her imagination
Ceilings of intricate tin panels are out of the ordinary, but ones of peacock feathers and leather? That’s extraordinary.
Artist Denise Roberge runs her gallery, jewelry salon and restaurant out of a plaza that she built about a decade ago in Palm Desert. When she was finished, she wanted to create a more subdued version of the art-rich plaza as a place to live.
The result is this Rancho Mirage compound named Terra, meaning “earth,” with 2-foot-thick walls made of rammed earth and steel rebar, and floors of compacted earth and concrete, stained with red wine.
About this home: The estate, designed by Jim McIntosh and completed three years ago, has a main residence, a detached guesthouse, a gatehouse and a two-story artist’s studio, which could be a sound studio or a movie theater. The compound could be turned into four houses.
Asking price: $12 million
Size: The compound has five bedrooms and eight bathrooms in 9,500 square feet. The site has 1.5 acres.
Features: The main house opens onto a saltwater pool and a courtyard. The pool has an island that serves as a bar counter with underwater chairs. There are eight fireplaces, four kitchens with concrete counters, and 51 stained- and painted-glass windows.
The property also has citrus trees, rolling lawns, an aviary and mountain and golf course views.
Where: At the base of the Santa Rosa foothills in the Coachella Valley, 11 miles from Palm Springs, in Rancho Mirage.
Listing agent: Enzo Ricciardelli, Sotheby’s International Realty, Santa Monica, (310) 260-8275.
Questions can be sent to homeoftheweek@latimes.com.
