Edris House

Edris House is a single-story residence built from concrete and wood featuring extensive glass walls that frame views toward the Coachella Valley and distant mountains. The open layout includes multiple sleeping areas, bathrooms, and a continuous ceiling treatment of exposed Douglas fir wood throughout.

Designed in 1954 by architect E. Stewart Williams for William and Marjorie Edris, a Seattle hotel owner and his wife, this residence emerged as an important example of mid-century modern building. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2016 for its contribution to Desert Modern design.

This residence exemplifies how modern design embraced the desert environment as part of its aesthetic, influencing how homes in the region approached the relationship between indoors and outdoors. The way it sits within the landscape shaped local building philosophies.

The residence sits on a rocky outcrop with uneven terrain, so visitors should wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for the natural slope of the land. The summer heat in the desert can be intense, so early morning or late afternoon visits tend to be more comfortable.

The structure literally grows from a rocky outcrop, with the wood cladding and sloping roof blending naturally into the desert surroundings. This physical integration with the bedrock is unusual and demonstrates how architecture can emerge without major land reshaping.