Emerson Stewart Williams Palm Springs Modern Architecture


Emerson Stewart Williams with his Palm Springs Alpine Station design.

Emerson Stewart Williams: Palm Springs Modern Architect

Emerson Stewart Williams (aka E. Stewart Williams), FAIA (1909–2005) was a prolific Palm Springs based modern architect whose distinctive mid century modernist buildings, in a beautiful mid-century modern style, significantly shaped the Coachella Valley's architectural landscape and legacy. In 1946 E. Stewart Williams joined his father and brother in their Palm Springs practice, forming the 'Williams, Williams, & Williams' firm. The 'Williams, Williams, & Williams' firm's first residential commission was a house for Frank Sinatra. Williams said that on May 1, 1947 Sinatra wandered into their office eating an ice cream cone and stating that he wanted a house built by Christmas, meaning Williams had roughly only three months to design it and another three months to build it. Sinatra's other requirement was that it be a Georgian-style mansion, a style neither aesthetically nor functionally suited to the desert. E. Stewart Williams had it his way and designed the iconic Frank Sinatra house in the mid century modernist style which typifies Palm Springs modern architecture.

One of the lesser known modern houses by E. Stewart Williams is the Sutter Residence: a small yet perfectionist residential house at 1207 S. Calle de Maria in Palm Springs. The house was sold in 2010 and the new owners are doing their best to restore the house according to the specifications of E. Stewart Williams. That ugly wall sconce at the entrance: consider it gone. We love the mid century modern screens which are at the entrance and also surround the swimming pool which is located in the inner courtyard of the residence (all the screens are original according to the original design from 1958).

Built by midcentury architect E. Stewart Williams in 1958 and with interiors by Arthur Elrod (who later went on to request his famous Elrod House - designed by John Lautner), this home in the Deepwell neighborhood of Palm Springs had an original asking price of $995,000 when it was listed in 2009. It sold for $650,000 on May 3, 2010. Pretty decent price for a mid century modern icon. This two-bedroom, two-bath home (official records state 3/3) has 2,610 square feet of living space and is situated on over a quarter of an acre. of land. The architectural significance of this steel-framed and concrete residence makes it an icon of Palm Springs Modern Architecture.

Here is the house in 2009:

E. Stewart Williams Sutter Residence 1958 as pictured in 2009.

On a recent visit to Palm Springs, we had a chance to take a closer look at the Sutter residence which is currently undergoing an extensive restoration.