Elrod House

The Elrod House is a modernist residence in Palm Springs featuring a circular living room 60 feet (18 meters) in diameter, topped by a concrete dome with nine glass petals that direct natural light indoors. The five-bedroom home includes a master suite, guest quarters, staff facilities, a gymnasium, and a half-moon swimming pool overlooking Coachella Valley.

Interior designer Arthur Elrod commissioned architect John Lautner in 1968 to design this residence, incorporating natural rock formations from the San Jacinto mountains into the structure. The design embraced organic architecture principles, weaving the surrounding landscape into the building itself, and soon after gained recognition through cinema.

The house gained fame through its appearance in the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, where it portrayed the mansion of character Willard Whyte. This film role made it a landmark of modern pop culture and continues to draw visitors interested in exploring the cinematic setting.

The property sits on a hillside and is accessed via stairs and varying levels, requiring a reasonable level of mobility to navigate comfortably. Plan your visit for early morning or late afternoon when the sun illuminates the rooms most beautifully and the heat is more manageable.

Large natural boulders from the excavation protrude through walls and windows into the house, merging the building with the landscape in an unconventional way. This integration of inside and outside is not only visually striking but also demonstrates Lautner's radical philosophy of refusing to separate nature from architecture.

Location: Palm Springs

Inception: 1968

Architects: John Lautner

Architectural style: organic architecture

GPS coordinates: 33.79356,-116.51086

Latest update: December 7, 2025 20:48