Marrakech – Behind private gates in Rancho Mirage’s exclusive Thunderbird Heights, a 1957 Moroccan-inspired villa known as White Shadows has emerged from foreclosure into the kind of beauty that turns heads and stirs hearts.

Priced at $5.995 million (58,951,000 MAD,) this newly restored desert gem is a midcentury masterpiece reimagined with reverence — and no shortage of style.

Set on an elevated acre with panoramic views of the Coachella Valley, the estate was one of the first homes built in the Thunderbird Heights enclave, a neighborhood known for its Midcentury Modern architecture and star-studded history.

“It’s one of a kind and one of the first properties built in Thunderbird Heights,” said listing agent Stewart Smith of Bennion Deville Homes/Luxury Portfolio International.

While homes in the area start at around $2.5 million, White Shadows stands in a category of its own.

Originally designed by renowned Los Angeles architects Henry Eggers and Walter Wilkman for furniture magnate Thomas B. Davis, the home is infused with custom craftsmanship and international flair.

The British-born architect and furniture designer T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings — whose clientele included Aristotle Onassis, Elizabeth Arden and Doris Duke — collaborated on the property, adding bespoke artisanal details throughout.

“The wood in the house is just spectacular,” Smith said, pointing to elements like a walnut ceiling in the circular dining room, intricately carved wooden gates, and custom walnut-screened doors and built-ins.

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But the home’s true heart is its expansive interior courtyard, designed to dazzle with natural light, columns, and a striking central fountain.

“You really get the wow factor of the house when you walk into that courtyard,” Smith added.

Throughout the 7,000-square-foot main residence and its three-bedroom guesthouse, elegant nods to Moroccan design are seamlessly woven into midcentury geometry.

Carrara marble floors extend from inside the home to the open-air pool area, blurring the boundaries between indoors and out.

Despite its pedigree, White Shadows wasn’t always so polished.

After years of neglect and foreclosure, the home was left gutted — many of its signature features, from vintage light fixtures to wood screens, door handles, and even faucets, had been stripped.

In 2013, the property was purchased by mannequin designer George Talbott Martin and his husband, Jim Watterson, a teacher at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.

The couple embarked on a meticulous restoration, bringing the home back to life with a devotion to its original vision — and a clear appreciation for its storied past.

Today, White Shadows stands not only as a tribute to the glamour of midcentury design, but as a celebration of what thoughtful restoration can achieve.

With its architectural pedigree, Moroccan detailing, and a story of revival at its core, this Rancho Mirage villa is more than a listing — it’s a legacy.