April 4th, 2010 by Rob

Palm Springs Desert Modernism

Architects, Architectural Landmarks, Architecture, Palm Springs 7 Comments

Yesterday I hopped in the car with my fiance and mom, bought a map at the Palm Springs Visitor Center and drove around checking out some of Palm Springs’ notorious desert modernism architecture. For decades architects traveled to Palm Springs to design the sleek and modern homes the region is famous for. For those of you who love this stuff, do yourself a favor and see it in person. Photos simply don’t do these works of art justice.

My favorite house was Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House. Designed in 1946 this was one of the visionary architect’s most famous homes. It’s one of the best examples of a home connecting with the desert landscape you’ll ever see.

Next up was William Krisel’s House Of Tomorrow (which also served as the location for Elvis and Priscilla Presley’s honeymoon). How could you not love this “experiment in modern living”?

The Frank Sinatra House (designed by Stewart Williams in 1947) just oozes history and glamour. There was an event going on and we were able to peek inside the back and see the amazing piano-shaped pool (unfortunately no pics). Oh to be poolside here back in the day with Frank and his pals…!

Some more examples of Palm Springs Modernism:

Share With Your Friends:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

---

Comments RSS You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “Palm Springs Desert Modernism”

1. Tara says:

   April 5, 2010 at 10:34 am

   Great photos as you definietly captured the look of the area. The last one reminds me of The Brady Bunch era

   Reply
   • Rob says:

     April 5, 2010 at 10:35 am

     Thanks! There is a definite “Brady Bunch” vibe going on throughout the area. I love it.
2. Arline says:

   April 5, 2010 at 11:40 am

   Super pictures! You really saw some great homes and the landscaping is gorgeous..The homes make me very nostalgic!

   Reply
3. Julian says:

   April 21, 2010 at 9:24 am

   Great pictures! The Palm Springs area does offer plenty in terms of architecturally significant houses. The Kaufman House is simply the best as it embodies the California lifestyle perfectly and it was years ahead of the others in design and innovations.

   Reply
4. Hotel Palm Springs says:

   August 1, 2010 at 6:28 pm

   What a great bunch of houses… I love it here!

   Reply
5. John Raymond says:

   April 24, 2011 at 9:32 pm

   I love residing in Palm Springs. I like the architecture of all the buildings here and the houses are really neat. If you ever get the urge to visit the desert…Palm Springs is a great place to go!!

   Reply
   • Rob says:

     April 25, 2011 at 9:01 am

     John – Palm Springs is one of my favorite places to visit in the world!