Looking through the photographs I took of these houses brings back great memories for me and if you enjoy mid-century design you might like to see them too. Continue on for more mid-century goodness...
// This house is one of my favourites having recently been renovated back its former glory by the owners. Hoorah!
// The square bricks work beautifully with the pattern of the breeze block and square cut-outs. It's all in the details!
And how great are the large street numbers?
// The 'Swiss Miss' (above), is the nickname given to these A-frame houses. The design was not originally embraced in Palm Springs because of its futuristic / tiki style appearance
// No tour of Palm Springs is complete without visiting the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway
Palm Springs feels as though you have walked back into time. It is highly concentrated with low-line 50s and 60s buildings that contrast with the tall desert mountains. It makes for magnificent views and there were design enthusiasts from around the world who visited for Modernism Week.
Sadly some of the homes (not shown here) have been renovated to remove the architectural detail that gives the buildings their character but there are many that have been preserved and it is these that make Palm Springs so special I think.
Some people have asked me what I thought of Modernism Week and so I thought I would put together a few tips if you are thinking of visiting:
- Reserve your tickets early because the best tours are sold out super fast!
- Some people who visited the Sinatra house came dressed in 50's style so if that's your thing then that's the place. You'll need to check if it is open when you visit.
- Palm Springs is small. We hired a car from Las Vegas and drove there. I would suggest hiring a car to explore the town.
- Las Palmas is where a lot of the celebrity homes are and there are informative walking tours that you can take (but book in advance). Most of the photos in this post are taken from the walking tour.
- If you are traveling with kids, check the Modernism Week website for whether there are kid-friendly events because some of them aren't (ahem, Martini party!)
- We stayed for 3 days and didn't get a chance to see it all so if you can stay longer I would suggest it. The Villagefest markets are on Thursday nights featuring arts, crafts and entertainment. Streets are closed off for the event so be sure to get a parking spot early.
- Visit Trina Turk. Trust me.
- The antique stores are to die for. I wanted to take every chair home and if I could, I might have!
