In Palm Springs, entrance is presence. Many cultivate it for their own homes and look for it in others. A home either tempts the eyes with curb appeal, or it falls forgettably flat.
In the elite Indian Canyons neighborhood — lined with one “they’ve-outdone-themselves” façade after another — architecturally compelling estates quietly compete for attention. Bill Lear knew all about that.
The residence he commissioned in 1963 — the same year his first Learjet took flight — was as sleek and linear as the aircraft that bore his name. A self-taught engineer who never finished high school, Lear fueled his rise with ambition, becoming known for speed, performance, and luxury in the skies. From the curb, his Palm Springs address projected that same precision and opulence.
Like many details of the historic house, the origins of the engraved metal doorbell plate — who placed it there and when — remain unknown, enhancing its vintage mystique.
More than 60 years after an unknown architect designed and built the house, its Pullman-style doors, classic arch above them, and contrast-lined square columns supporting the portico could make Kelly Wearstler shed a tear.
This is Hollywood Regency at its finest — bigger than the 10-foot yellow doors, sentinel cypress trees, and elongated footprint at the end of Alhambra. Lear set the tone for the avenue with this glamorous style and party-house proportions. Built on a lot he reportedly selected for its Disney fountain views, the home has a history as mysterious as it is storied.
Although some suspect Hollywood set designer-turned-architect James McNaughton created the design, no one can confirm it. The golden “Lear House” metal plate around its doorbell is equally enigmatic. For those invited to drop by, the home’s presence is palpable, primed for the suspense of stepping inside.
When owners Ken Greenblatt and Peter Walsh open the canary-colored doors to guests arriving for mahjong or cocktails, the wide, shallow entry hall stretches out like the wings of a plane. At each end are the real wings: three bedrooms to the left, living spaces to the right. The symmetry feels aeronautical — calm yet commanding, like boarding a jet for a first-class destination.
Few houses position the back patio several short paces from the front door, yet this one reveals Lear’s apparent love for water. Guests traverse the entry hallway in seconds, pass through a glass slider, and find themselves at the pool’s entry steps. The U-shaped residence wraps around the blue focal point, sparking a novel thought: Perhaps the pool came first.
From the first time they toured the home, Greenblatt and Walsh immediately appreciated both its dramatic style and quirky original attributes. From terrazzo floors and a curved soffit in the primary bedroom to the built-in secretary’s desk off the kitchen and the retro wall intercoms — now rewired as a smart home system — they couldn’t stop thinking about the Lear House. The property they thought might be too big (4,374 square feet) and too much work turned out to be just right.
“We went to Australia for work, and when we came back five months later, there hadn’t been a single offer,” Walsh says. The popular star of the Aussie organizing show Space Invaders, now in its fourth season, adds, “The home is so elegant and had once been so loved. It’s a one-of-a-kind icon, but it needed a loving hand. We decided, why not? We love a project. We’ve never once regretted it.”
A circular hot tub and a hedge shielding the pool from the golf course are contemporary additions, paired with an Arthur Umanoff dining set from Hedge in Cathedral City.
The prominent Regency features on the exterior resonate indoors as well.
“I love the step-down of the living room and how you have to enter into a conversation pit,” Greenblatt says. “I love the circular fireplace made for gathering. And I love the glass looking straight out to the Disney fountain.”
The arch above the front door repeats in window casings in some of the Western rooms. Circular ceiling insets soften the glow of the chandeliers, and decorative metalwork screens set low along several windows offer another touch of Regency glamour.
Excitement outweighed thoughts of the nine-month renovation ahead. “We weren’t looking for a prestige house; we just love good architecture,” Greenblatt says. The couple previously restored a midcentury home in the Hollywood Hills during their 20-plus years in L.A. “For this one, we were the right people at the right time.”
Curves counter angles in the sunken living room, a space said to have hosted Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin during a charity golf game: They slipped in, poured drinks, and made themselves at home.
Creativity comes naturally to this pair. Greenblatt oversees administrative details, while Walsh jumps in with a hammer and consults with the contractor. Their partnership combines strengths: Greenblatt spent years as a Hollywood talent agent, while Walsh, an Australian native, transitioned from corporate training videos to organizing expert, making his TV debut on TLC’s Clean Sweep in 2003. As Walsh’s career grew with appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Network and Rachael Ray and a string of bestselling books, Greenblatt served as his agent, blending personal and professional relationships as one.
Their Hollywood Regency reset recaptured the spirit of 1963 — stripping back odd additions while making it comfortable for their months in Palm Springs.
“Success has a lot of parents,” Greenblatt reflects. “Keith Fortner helped us with many decorator items and ideas, and contractor Sean Flannery of Art House was responsible for the reconstruction. They both did an incredible job.” Walsh adds that even subcontractors fell in love with the Lear House. “It became a collaborative project every step of the way to bring it back to its original beauty.”
Dividing their time between Australia and a vacation rental they owned, they oversaw the renovation room by room. With no original plans or specific architect reference, they “listened to the house.” In the living room, they installed a cylindrical flue over the fireplace and added starburst wall panels for texture.
“Big parties, but small dinners,” says Walsh of the compact formal dining room tucked inside the large home. The gallery wall behind the eat-in kitchen table displays two lifetimes of meaningful art.
In the game room, a vintage painting by Lee Reynolds complements a mahjong set that once belonged to Greenblatt’s mother.
The kitchen demanded a made-for-TV overhaul. Hidden beneath failing cabinets, a second terrazzo pour forced a redesign around existing cabinetry. They raised the ceiling and modernized the space with gunmetal cabinetry, marble surfaces, gold accents, and a centerpiece chandelier emphasizing Regency roots.
Bedrooms received fresh paint and wallpaper. The primary bath revealed two surprises from Lear’s era: a 1960s sunken Roman tub buried beneath a platform and terrazzo flooring hidden under basic builder’s tile. Raising vanities, adding a rain shower over the period tub, and dressing two walls in gold Italian tile finished the major renovation, aside from rebuilding the aging pool.
Greenblatt and Walsh enjoy sharing the home’s pleasures with others, from Modernism Week tours to Thanksgiving dinner for 30, with Walsh as head chef.
In the primary bath, a Roman tub and terrazzo floor revive 1960s character, enhanced by gold Italian tile from Modern Home Design Showroom in Palm Springs. Floor‑to‑ceiling glass looks out to a new sun deck.
Regency reigns in a guest bedroom, where a yellow upholstered bed with a button‑tufted headboard nearly reaches the ceiling, paired with a table lamp from Hedge.
The main hallway of features one of its distinctive ceiling insets.
“Our house is where, at 4 o’clock on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, the phone starts ringing and we’re saying, ‘Hey, come over for drinks,’” Walsh says. Though radiantly restored, “it’s not a place for show. It’s a place to live and to share with family and friends.”
Even uninvited guests often pause for photos out front, wedding attire and all. “It’s not our house,” Walsh adds. “We’re the current custodians. We’ll pass it on to someone who hopefully will love it as much as we do. What’s the point if you keep the door locked? What’s the point if no one enjoys it as much as you do?”
