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House Beautiful has revisited its 1979 Design House of the Year, a Las Vegas home designed around a central courtyard pool to create a garden-like retreat in the desert. The archival feature documents the work of architect William Turnbull Jr., designer Ristomatti Ratia and House Beautiful editors; it does not report a new renovation or a change to the property.
House Beautiful has revisited its 1979 Design House of the Year, a Las Vegas home planned around a central courtyard pool as a way to make a desert setting feel more sheltered and lush. The archival feature recalls a project developed by the magazine’s editors with architect William Turnbull Jr. and designer Ristomatti Ratia, and highlights how the house used courtyards, trellises, fabric and water to shape its rooms.
The house was built on a sandy, treeless site in Las Vegas. Its courtyard was central to the plan: a pool and palm could be seen from every room, according to the original report, while surrounding walls and filtered light helped distinguish the enclosed home from the exposed landscape. The feature describes the pool as a source of cooling sound and atmosphere, rather than presenting measurements of its effect on indoor temperatures.
Turnbull, a San Francisco-based architect, adapted standard builder’s materials with details including battens, latticework and exposed beams. The original story called the approach “decorative pragmatism.” Ratia, then creative vice-president of Marimekko, supplied custom furniture and interior design, including the home’s vivid floral fabrics and grid motifs. House Beautiful said the project was intended to inspire builders; the American Wood Council was its co-sponsor.
The kitchen connected the rooms and courtyard and was presented as the home’s social center. Other features included a master suite with a platform bed and mirrored closets, a children’s room with Palaset storage cubes, a trellis-covered hot tub, private decks and an outdoor space called the mirador. Canvas canopies and tent-like coverings appeared indoors and outside, giving the rooms a distinct visual theme while providing layers between occupants and the desert sun.
A Courtyard at the Center
The project’s enduring interest lies in how its design responded to the specific conditions of a desert site. Rather than treating the exterior as scenery, the plan brought a pool, planted elements and shaded outdoor rooms into the home’s daily circulation. The arrangement also made the courtyard visible across the house, linking rooms that otherwise might have felt separate.
The archive feature offers a record of a particular design idea from 1979: comfort could come from combining practical construction with decorative choices. Trellises and fabric filtered light, while bright Marimekko patterns, a canvas dining canopy and exposed building elements gave the interiors a playful character. The publication revisits the project as a historical example, not as evidence that the house has recently been altered or that its design has been independently evaluated for performance.
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The 1979 Design Project
The original story appeared in House Beautiful’s May 1979 issue and identified the home as the magazine’s Design House of the Year. House Beautiful editors collaborated on the project with Turnbull and Ratia; builders Connie Sommers, Duane Daum and Ernest Becker of Rancho Bel Air, Nevada, were also credited. The source describes the home as using redwood, masonry, glass, lattice and canvas elements.
The current article is part of House Beautiful’s Archive Dive series, which editor in chief Jo Saltz introduced as a recurring look at stories from the magazine’s 130-year archive. Its focus is the 1979 house and the design details documented in the original feature. The supplied source does not describe a new commission, sale, restoration or change in the property’s status.
“Here food is prepared among family and friends.”
— Ristomatti Ratia, quoted in the 1979 feature
The Property’s Present Status
The supplied article does not establish whether the 1979 house still stands in its original form, who owns it now, or whether any of its interiors or outdoor areas have changed. It also gives no current photographs or inspection findings to confirm the home’s present condition. Descriptions of cooling, shelter and comfort are the original magazine’s account of the design intent; no performance data is provided.
The feature does not announce a new project or explain whether the property is accessible to the public. Those details remain outside the scope of the archival report.
Further Archive Features Ahead
House Beautiful describes Archive Dive as a monthly series revisiting stories from its archive, so another installment is planned as part of that editorial format. The supplied material gives no publication date or subject for the next feature.
For the Las Vegas house, the current development is the magazine’s retrospective. No restoration, sale, preservation decision or other next step for the property is reported.
Key Questions
What is House Beautiful revisiting?
The magazine is revisiting its 1979 Design House of the Year, a home in Las Vegas first featured in its May 1979 issue.
Who designed the house?
The original report credits architect William Turnbull Jr. and designer Ristomatti Ratia, working with House Beautiful editors. Builders Connie Sommers, Duane Daum and Ernest Becker were also named.
What was distinctive about the design?
The house was arranged around a central courtyard pool visible from every room. Latticework, trellises, canvas coverings, exposed beams and bold Marimekko patterns were among its other defining details.
Is the home being renovated or sold?
The archival feature does not report a renovation, sale or other new development involving the property. Its subject is the original design and the magazine’s retrospective.
Source: rss
