Inside Hillview Cove

Tucked against the backdrop of the San Jacinto Mountains, Hillview Cove is more than a home—it’s a refined expression of desert modernism at its most considered. Designed by Sean Lockyer of Studio AR&D Architects, this 7,200-square-foot residence in Palm Springs redefines what it means to live in harmony with both architecture and environment.

The home doesn’t rely on spectacle. Instead, it embraces restraint, precision, and the raw beauty of honest materials. Board-formed concrete walls run uninterrupted from exterior to interior, offering texture and permanence while allowing the landscape to remain the true protagonist. These walls, cast with natural impressions, feel sculptural and grounded—like they were always meant to belong to the desert.

One of Hillview Cove’s most compelling architectural gestures is its treatment of the ceiling: charred Douglas fir planks extend across both interior and exterior spaces, using the traditional Japanese shou sugi ban technique. This not only adds warmth and variation but blurs boundaries between inside and out. The ceiling becomes a connective element—a quiet canopy uniting structure and sky.

Teak veneer panels, terrazzo floors, and CNC-milled granite in the bathrooms create layers of texture that never compete but instead complement one another. Bronze detailing adds depth, catching the light subtly throughout the day.

Hillview Cove is a masterclass in proportion, flow, and material integrity. Its spaces feel generous without excess, sculptural without severity. Every transition, joint, and surface has been executed with clarity and care, proving that luxury lies not in accumulation, but in refinement. This is a house that will grow more beautiful with time—weathered by sun, softened by memory, and always deeply rooted in place.