Inside the Restoration of a Midcentury House With the Most Insane Roof

During Palm Springs’ Modernism Week in 2018, the nearby City of Palm Desert’s Redevelopment Agency put a tumbledown, 1950s Walter White house, nicknamed the Wave House for its undulating roof, up for auction. They were aware of the risk: Many people interested in the property would prefer to knock it down and build condos. So they sweetened the deal for potential restorers with $50,000 in matching funds. The city found what it was looking for in the family-run Los Angeles firm Stayner Architects , who acquired the property for a song, at just $360,000.

An archival photo from 1954 shows construction of the unique roof.

BEFORE: When Christian and Gil acquired the Wave House in 2018, the striking roof was almost unrecognizable.

“It had virtually no resemblance to the house that Walter White designed in 1954,” says Christian Stayner who will unveil the renovated property during this year’s Modernism Week , which runs through February 23. Soon it will be available as an event space and vacation rental. “But if you looked closely, you could see bits and pieces, little corners of the original architecture were visible.” Before bidding, Christian's father and partner Gil, had studied the floor plan: “There was this moment where we realized this was something special—a very well designed, extremely efficient plan.”

BEFORE: Gil stands in the living room after pulling up unsightly carpet which was hiding the home's original dazzling terrazzo floors.