Hollywood drama and desert architecture meet in this Madison Club house
Los Angeles architecture practice Kovac Design Studio crafts Madison Desert Club, a vacation home in La Quinta’s fabled Madison Club

Roger Davies - Photography
Seen from afar, this vacation home in La Quinta’s fabled Madison Club appears discreet - low and respectful, blending easily with its surrounds of open expanses and rocky Californian countryside. Yet, stepping closer and its tasteful exuberance and architectural drama unfolds. Designed by Kovac Design Studio for a private client as a base for entertaining and holidaying, Madison Desert Club is a home that pays homage to both its arid environment and the iconic architecture of its region - such as the houses born in the Golden Hollywood era at nearby Palm Springs, known for its architecture offering as seen in the annual Palm Springs Modernism Week.
This combination of desert architecture and Hollywood glamour offered valuable inspiration for the design team, as the Los Angeles–based studio's team explains: 'We looked at notable desert architecture around the world, and we were drawn to Jean Nouvel’s Louvre project in Abu Dhabi with its perforated canopy providing dappled light and the clustered building forms underneath resonating with what we had in mind for our own project. The specific patterning of our canopy, as well as its signature oculus, recalls cholla cactus wood.'
This powerful overhang, perforated with openings of various sizes–that create an impression of dynamism and moving shadows, similar to tree canopy shading–defines the outdoor areas, sheltering terraces and walkways that help connect indoors and outdoors seamleassly in the pleasant Californian climate. 'The ever-changing pattern of light and shadows, the elements of surprise, and the remarkable feeling of tranquility that quickly takes over all who visit [make this house special]', the architects say. 'We take pride in making each of our projects truly unique creations that reflect the client’s program and the site; to us, this project hit the mark perfectly on both counts.' The canopy also connects visually and physically the main living space to six surrounding 'casitas,' with their independent guest bedrooms and terraces.
Throughout, water features, reflections, large openings, key furniture (by B&B Italia and Knoll, among other brands) and art enrich the spatious interior and exterior areas. But what makes this Madison Club house a trully ideal home for entertaining, is the suspended theatre space placed above the ground level bar. It features a motorized, movable wall that doubles as a movie screen, looking down to a similarly dramatic double height living space that is perfect for partying. Meanwhile the lower ground's wellness area with spa and gym that opens to a private garden makes for the ideal post-party, restorative haven.
Between the house's low forms, its natural material palette of plaster, wood, and stone and its open gardens and climate-appropriate design, Madison Desert Club is a memorable retreat that is embedded to its surrounds. It has been designed to perfection around its site and the owners' needs. 'A true oasis in the desert,' the architects conclude.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
This minimalist Wyoming retreat is the perfect place to unplug
This woodland home that espouses the virtues of simplicity, containing barely any furniture and having used only three materials in its construction
By Anna Solomon
-
We explore Franklin Israel’s lesser-known, progressive, deconstructivist architecture
Franklin Israel, a progressive Californian architect whose life was cut short in 1996 at the age of 50, is celebrated in a new book that examines his work and legacy
By Michael Webb
-
A new hilltop California home is rooted in the landscape and celebrates views of nature
WOJR's California home House of Horns is a meticulously planned modern villa that seeps into its surrounding landscape through a series of sculptural courtyards
By Jonathan Bell
-
The Frick Collection's expansion by Selldorf Architects is both surgical and delicate
The New York cultural institution gets a $220 million glow-up
By Stephanie Murg
-
Remembering architect David M Childs (1941-2025) and his New York skyline legacy
David M Childs, a former chairman of architectural powerhouse SOM, has passed away. We celebrate his professional achievements
By Jonathan Bell
-
The upcoming Zaha Hadid Architects projects set to transform the horizon
A peek at Zaha Hadid Architects’ future projects, which will comprise some of the most innovative and intriguing structures in the world
By Anna Solomon
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s last house has finally been built – and you can stay there
Frank Lloyd Wright’s final residential commission, RiverRock, has come to life. But, constructed 66 years after his death, can it be considered a true ‘Wright’?
By Anna Solomon
-
Heritage and conservation after the fires: what’s next for Los Angeles?
In the second instalment of our 'Rebuilding LA' series, we explore a way forward for historical treasures under threat
By Mimi Zeiger