This story was originally published in Dwell’s July/August 2011 issue.

Palm Springs knows no shortage of domestic modernist gems—the desert community flourished under the direction of many midcentury masters and remains an oasis of classic homes to this day. Michigan-born John Lautner transformed his early experience working under Frank Lloyd Wright into a career creating a wealth of Southern California structures that broke out of the mold of the oft-restrained geometry of glass and steel. Interior designer Arthur Elrod commissioned this house in 1968, and the cliffside residence—complete with oversize exposed rocks, spiral staircase, and its signature dome—remains one of the most recognizable homes of the era.

Key features: Circular concrete construction, retractable glass walls, swimming pool that sweeps into the living space.

Notable appearances: Willard Whyte’s hideaway in the James Bond adventure Diamonds Are Forever, a spread in a 1971 issue of Playboy.

Good neighbors: Steve McQueen once owned the house next door.