Jim Olson designed this residence in 1977. Fast forward almost thirty years and to new owners who found themselves with a home that was in need of updating—amazingly, the new owners sought out Jim Olson to remodel his own work. A site visit to the house quickly revealed that substantial changes had been made during, and after, original construction which had compromised the design. After conferring with the new owners, it was determined that in addition to updating the home, the new work would bring back much of the original design.

A major component of the original design which had been lost, was the extent of glazing on the view side of the house. Subsequent remodels had dramatically reduced the size of the windows so that shutters could be easily installed and operated. Ironically, all of the original framing for the much larger windows was still in place, which made restoring the windows to their originally-designed proportions and size easier.

In addition to reworking the architecture, the firm also provided interior design, creating a neutral yet earthy palette of materials reflecting its desert surroundings. Niches were introduced to hold art works from the clients’ collection and custom furniture pieces, included the sofa and dining and occasional tables, rounded out the design.