Month: February 2025

Girls, grab your pencil skirts and kitten heels for Palm Springs Modernism week. Each February this desert oasis hosts a ten-day festival showcasing midcentury architecture, interior design, landscaping, and art. The mecca of midcentury modern is two-hours east of Los Angeles. Pulling into the town of just over 45,000 feels like entering a time machine back to the 1950’s.  This year’s festival was the 20th annual and Palm Springs went all out.  Over 500 tours, lectures, guided walks, evening events and more immerse visitors in the the oh so cool vibe.  I attended the event and gathered a few highlights to help you plan for next year's shagalicious sojourn.  Little Tuscany and Tahquitz Estates Palm Springs boasts one of the largest concentrations of preserved midcentury modern homes in the world, popular from the 1940’s through the 1970’s.  The hip designs are recognized by sleek lines, deep woods, and floor to ceiling windows connecting indoor and outdoor spaces. Furniture is covered in fabrics boasting geometric shapes, vinyl and solid bright colors.  Some of these beauties are in Little Tuscany. Hollywood celebrities Elvis Presley and Jack Benny took refuge here away from the spotlight. The extra large properties sprinkled among large boulders with incredible views of the San Jacinto Mountains make it a fan favorite. Many were built by famed architects Albert Frey and William Lady.  The Hollywood House built in 1966 is quintessential midcentury modern. Purchased by a Canadian couple as a tear down, they worked tirelessly for two years to lovingly restore it back to it’s original blueprint. The living room decor of turquoise sofas and large chandiler is reminiscent of this bygone era. Large sliding glass doors enter onto the inviting patio and pool.     Another neighborhood opened for the festival were six homes in Tahquitz River Estates.