A 1940s California bungalow is restored by Studio AR&D and Anthony Cochran

Old meets new at this Californian bungalow in Rancho Mirage, meticulously renovated by Studio AR&D and Anthony Cochran as a modern desert oasis.

The 1940s homestead is located between Palm Springs and Palm Desert in the heart of the Coachella Valley. It’s undergone a radical four-year transformation by Studio AR&D principal Sean Lockyer and Cochran, founder of eponymous interior design firm Anthony Cochran Design, who’ve doubled the size of the single-storey home to 3,349 sq ft by adding an entirely new wing.

Lockyer stripped the original house back to its studs, removing 80 years of additions and adjustments to reach the bones of the building and converting it into a sizeable guest wing. From there, he has added an angular volume spanning 1,700 sq ft, which houses the new kitchen, primary bedroom and a media room.

The exterior is harmonised by wood cladding, blackened steel windows and stone masonry – a signature of Lockyer’s work that fits seamlessly with the heritage of the building.

Cochran’s interior interventions any midcentury-modern cliches, instead exaggerating volume with high ceilings and a muted, minimalist colour palette of grey hues and black accents. Furniture is modern and nods to Americana and Danish modernism, with crisp lines and texture, while integrated smart features include Lutron programmable lighting.

‘The nearly neutral color scheme was client-driven, especially the use of black accents, which I absolutely love,’ says Cochran. ‘A soft blue-gray has become my signature colour. Who can say no to the various blue skies that surround us daily.’

Lockyer and Cochran have also heightened the four-bedroom home’s connection to the outdoors: sliding glass doors accessing the landscaped back garden from the living room and bedrooms, including one currently set up as a pool-side office. Landscaping is spectacular, encompassing a citrus orchard, mature cacti and olive trees, and there’s also a fire pit for evening entertainment and a kitchen garden.

The original kidney-shaped pool has been tweaked, as has the 1940s car port – updated with an electric car charger.

Keith Markovitz of TTK Represents, Compass is listing 72453 Ranch Road for $3.96m. If you want to buy Cochran’s entire interior vision, $4.5m will net you all of the furniture and most of the artwork.

Rancho Mirage has historically been popular with Hollywood’s elite, from Frank Sinatra to Lucille Ball. It’s also nicknamed the ‘Golf Capital of the World’ – there are 17 golf courses in Rancho Mirage and another 83 golf courses within 20 miles of the city.