Ever wanted to live like Kris Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio or the late, great Frank Sinatra?
Now you can – and just 45 minutes from Adelaide’s CBD, too.
Well, sort of.
Palm Springs in southern California has been home to many of the biggest names in the world.
Famous for its mid-century modern architecture and design, the city is enriched in history.
Never been? Here’s your chance.
Husband-and-wife duo Rosie and David loved it so much, they’ve recreated their experience back home for you to enjoy, transforming a 1960s house at Aldinga into a modern, Palm Springs-inspired oasis.
Casa Billie – named after David’s cousin, a Los Angeles local who pointed them in the direction of the Sonoran Desert – is a luxurious three-bedroom Airbnb, 200 metres from the beach on South Australia’s beautiful Fleurieu Peninsula.
“It took us about five minutes to completely fall in love with the mid-century modern architecture and landscapes,” Rosie tells Place Journal of the family’s 2019 trip to the US.
“Palm Springs is so unique, very laid-back and low-key but with such a focus on design.
“It’s a very special place and we knew straight away that we wanted to create something to bring that vibe to our lives at home.
“We were always looking at the Fleurieu Peninsula, it is such an incredible part of the world. When this house came up in Aldinga Beach, it just had the perfect bones to transform into what we wanted.
“It is three houses back from the beach with super easy walking access straight down to the sand.”
And, yes, it looks as good as it sounds.
With builder Duncan McConnell, luxury Airbnb host Krystal, landscapers Dowie Designs and The Interior Studio in tow, the pair brought their other-side-of-the-world dream alive.
Sure, the memories of that trip were front of mind, but this is a place that hasn’t just been designed for their family.
There’s a cubby house and trampoline for the kids in a backyard where the desert oasis feeling really takes hold – a space that also features an outdoor shower and fire pit.
Inside, custom storage units, which include suitcase shelves, make unpacking easy in the bedrooms.
There’s even WIFI, so you can bring Kris along for the journey, if you are that way inclined.
“I designed everything with my own family in mind and what we would need in a holiday rental, but then we took a lot of things a step further to provide guests with an extra level of comfort and luxury,” Rosie says.
“I made notes every time we travelled and found something missing that would have been really helpful.
“Happy kids equals happy adults.”
Truth.
But adults will be happy here regardless – especially the design-minded ones.
“There was a lot of beige,” Rosie recalls of the house they took off the market immediately after the first open.
That’s a distant memory now.
The green terrazzo benchtops of the kitchen are unlike anything you’ve ever seen - in a good way.
Then there’s the pink floor-to-ceiling tiles, and curved shower, of the bathroom – a room Rosie says was ‘a bit of a crazy dream that turned out better than I was hoping’.
Put us to sleep now.
But not before we can take one more look at the terracotta and yellow checkerboard tiles in the second bathroom/laundry.
“That sounds crazy,” Rosie admits.
More truth.
But as she says, it ‘screams mid-century modern’ and the result is stunning.
As like every room in the property, it doesn’t just look good – it works.
“It was the trickiest space to design, it was the only room in the entire house that had supporting walls that we couldn’t move,” Rosie explains.
“We ended up creating a laundry/‘sand room’ - my beachside version of a mud room – and there is a toilet and vanity that provides a second space to get ready, a laundry and lots of storage for Airbnb supplies.
“The checkerboard tiles from Ceramica along with the walnut joinery and brass fittings create such a cool mid-century vibe and it’s ended up being a very useful and aesthetic space.”
Aesthetic is still king here, like Leo standing on the bow of the Titanic with his arms stretched outwards.
There’s kinda a Rose in this story, too.
Off track? Sorry.
But Rosie and Jac… I mean David, almost lost their way on the sixth-month beach house renovation, their third as a couple.
“About halfway through the build I had a few weeks of panic that perhaps the idea in my head was a bit ridiculous and might not actually work in real life and in a beachside location,” Rosie admits.
But as it all came together, they knew they were right – and the locals agreed, often stopping to say they loved what the couple were doing.
“It definitely stands out in the street but it also sits so nicely in the landscape, there are a lot of native plants and colours that suit the location,” Rosie says.
There was only a small alfresco added, but the floorplan changed completely and most of the internal walls were moved.
They knew what they wanted but it still took “many late nights, glasses of wine and arguments” for their vision to come out on paper.
The result is a holiday rental they describe as “indulgent, rejuvenating and fun”.
And we couldn’t agree more.
California, eat your heart out.
Words: Jordan Pinto
Photography: Meaghan Coles - Now And Then Photography
CASA BILLIE - ROSIE AND DAVID'S PLACE
Built: 1960s
Land: 900m²
Bedrooms: 3 (Sleeps 6)
Bath: 1.5
WHAT THEIR PLACE TAUGHT THEM
Invest in quality plans and drawings.
The entire process runs smoothly when the plans cover all bases. Our plans were too basic and it resulted in a lot of time spent with our trades to clarify details and make rushed decisions.
Trust your instincts.
Don’t settle for something just because it’s easier, in the long run you won’t be happy with it.
Don’t like it? Paint it!
We sprayed all the old fences and a huge green shed and they look good as new without blowing the budget.
Find a professional host (if you're looking to start a holiday rental).
From the start, we had a very clear vision of the guests we wanted to attract and the price-range we wanted to rental to sit within. This made it easier not to over capitalise but also make sure that our guests would be comfortable, happy and see the value in the rental.
Scroll through to see what their place looked like before