Sunday, November 15, 2009

Palm Springs Modern (part three) Landscaping


Bird of Paradise -- I took this photo in our backyard!

Landscaping in Palm Springs ranges from extremely well-manicured to boulder-strewn! With enough water added in, the climate encourages tropical plants and vivid flowers. The rugged mountain backdrop adds even more gorgeous texture and color to the view. The most popular plants in Palm Springs seem to be Palm Trees (both Fan Palms and Feather Palms), Cacti of all sorts, Bougainvillea of many colors, and Birds of Paradise -- it's truly an oasis!

When viewing the photos below, please hover your mouse over the word "Notes" on the lower right side, so you'll be able to see the descriptions!

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BOOKS:
Palm Springs-Style Gardening
Landscape Plants for Dry Regions
Gardening in the Southwest

WEBSITES:
Hot Gardens
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument AZ
Joshua Tree National Park CA
The Living Desert CA
Agave Americana

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Palm Springs Modern (part two) Swimming Pools

Water has always been an important theme in the Palm Springs area, for the beauty as well as the cooling effect.  I have chosen the most interesting residential pools to share...
Bob Hope's pool and 17,531 sq. ft. house! (1)

Elrod House pool (2)

When viewing the photos below, please hover your mouse over the word "Notes" on the lower right side, so you'll be able to see the descriptions!

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(1) 1979 Bob Hope House (John Lautner) photograph by Julius Shulman & Jurgen Nogai, 2007

(2) 1968 Elrod House (John Lautner) photograph by Julius Shulman & Jurgen Nogai, 2007

(3) Palm Springs Modern p. 40

Friday, November 13, 2009

Palm Springs Modern (part one) Architecture

Palm Springs was sparsely populated until the arrival of air conditioning in the 1940's! Then it became a hotspot where Hollywood came to play. The town really kicked into cocktail hour in the late 1940's and 1950's when Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Lucille Ball (our friend Susie owns Lucille Ball's former home in Thunderbird Country Club), Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Jack Benny, the Gabor sisters, Red Skelton, Dinah Shore, Liberace, and Kirk Douglas moved in. Some of these entertainers would "break in" their routines at clubs here, before headlining the showrooms of Las Vegas. Palm Springs was the ideal escape -- at the time it was a dusty 4-hour drive from Los Angeles and inaccessible enough that there were few paparazzi... In the 1950's golf took over, and many people moved to "country clubs".

Bob Hope's house, see amazing aerial photo below

These affluent vacationers wanted their second homes to be beautiful and different. Wood disintegrates in the desert, so the architects who came here started designing homes with glass, stone, steel, and concrete. They wanted differing rooflines: curvy, butterfly, zig-zag, pointy. And, they wanted transparency between being "indoors" and "outdoors", lots of skylights, and interior spaces more "open" and minimal. Thus the architectural style known as "Palm Springs Modern" was born, also referred to as Mid-Century Modern. Palm Springs Modernism reflects Hollywood, tourism, the desert, and wealth. Similar forces existed in Los Angeles, but in Palm Springs they were concentrated in a small, isolated area. The architects who subsequently became famous for this innovative, unique style are: Richard Neutra, A. Quincy Jones, Paul R. Williams, Albert Frey, E. Stewart Williams, William Cody, Donald Wexler, Palmer and Krisel, and John Lautner.

When viewing the photos below, please hover your mouse over the word "Notes" on the lower right side, so you'll be able to see the descriptions!
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

BOOKS I RECOMMEND:
Julius Shulman: Palm Springs
Palm Springs Weekend
Palm Springs Modern

PALM SPRINGS MODERN LINKS:
Palm Springs Modernism Week
Palm Springs Modernism Show and Sale
The Palm Springs Modern Committee
Palm Springs Preservation Foundation
Palm Springs Art Museum: Architecture and Design Council