A Palm Springs Home Designed by Two Greats of the Midcentury Era Hits the Market for the First Time Ever

It’s not every day that a modernist gem breezes onto the market. In fact, this historic mid century pad in Palm Springs has never been listed on the open market until now. Originally built in 1958, the 3,000 square foot compound known as Bougain Villa is asking just shy of $8.8 million. The California property is nestled in the Coachella Valley amongst the San Jacinto Mountains and, as The Wall Street Journal reported, was designed 65 years ago by prolific American architect Hugh Kaptur for William Burgess, who at the time was chairman of an electronics firm in Los Angeles.

According to the newspaper, Burgess tapped Swiss born architect Albert Frey, who came up around the same time as John Lautner and Richard Neutra , to renovate the building in the ‘80s. During the remodel, he expanded the abode’s square footage and added a mirrored guest dwelling. Most notably, the visionary architect completed the neighboring guest house, Frey House II , which sits behind the Palm Springs Art Museum.

In 1999, Burgess reportedly handed the spread over to the late Harold and Dorothy Meyerman, who lived at the residence full time up until their passing in 2015 and 2022, respectively. During their time at Bougain Villa, the couple held fundraisers at the house, including a 2014 benefit for the Palm Springs Modern Committee.

The main estate is positioned on an approximately 1.3 acre lot inside a gated community and takes full advantage of the rocky landscape. “The mountain and the house are blended together as one, with rocks used as part of the actual structure,” Sean Stanfield of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, who holds the listing with Craig Chorpenning of Desert Sotheby’s International Realty, told The New York Post .

Internally, you’ll find generous expanses of glass in the form of floor to ceiling windows, plus super cool boulder walls. There’s also a slew of perks, including a swanky wine cellar, a swimming pool, a hot tub, and a three car garage. “The property is a one of a kind piece of art that just could not be replicated today,” Stanfield told The Post .

Luckily, many of the original elements are still intact, including a seven foot, elephant shaped cedar swing and a number of different Moroccan and Turkish rugs. Interestingly, the trustee of the owner’s estate is willing to throw in all the home’s various furnishings and artifacts. For an additional price, that is.

Click here to see all the photos of Bougain Villa. Abigail Montanez is a staff writer at Robb Report. She has worked in both print and digital publishing for over half a decade, covering everything from real estate, dining, travel and topics….