Remember that scene in Sliding Doors where Gwyneth Paltrow ends up living 2 parallel lives? Two lives yet she is unable to express emotion in any of them. In fact her short-blond hair out acts her in every scene. Well in my parallel life I’m swooning around my Palm Springs Desert house dressed in a bright green kaftan and serving cocktails by the pool to the fabulous people that I’m entertaining.
I don’t know if it’s because I grew up watching Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin and Lucille Ball on television- but I’ve always loved that Californian glamour that Palm Springs evokes.
Palm Springs is in the Coachella Valley (home to the festival of Paris Hilton and other really important celebrities) and surrounded by mountains and deserts. It became a favourite getaway for Hollywood stars during the 1900’s. Imagine Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the rest of the Brat Pack talking movies in their leopard loafers and smoking cigars.
One thing I absolutely adore about Palm Springs is the architecture. The desert is a mecca for Mid Century homes. In fact it’s like a museum. The homes are mainly in an architectural style called Desert Modernism which took advantage of the sunny skies and arid desert. It featured expansive glass and streamlined design. The landscape, including rocks, palm trees and the like were often incorporated seamlessly into the design of the house.
The Kaufmann house.
The Kaufmann house as photographed by Slim Aarons.
The Jetsons-like Elrod house. Amazing!
A perfect example of the flat roof and streamlined design.
The Frank Sinatra house.
I love the way the desert is perfectly framed in the background.
So what do you think? Can you picture yourself laying by the pool in a turban smoking slim cigarettes and sipping on a dry martini? Me too. X
love, chrystal 
Oh I love how you help us dare to dream Chrystal!
Thanks Casey! Join me in Palm Springs? X
Nice selection of houses. There’s a great book called Case Study Houses that documents modernist architecture in the States in the postwar period. Have you come across it?
Thanks Warwick- glad you stopped by. I’ll have to chase up that book, thanks 🙂
By the way, I came across your blog through the WordPress dashboard. Surprising to learn you’re in Australia too! Small world.
Good to know how people stumble across my blog. And yes it is a small, small world!
Sent from my iPhone
No to the ciggy but OOOOHHH YES to the rest. Just booking an October break there now.
You are?? Oh, so jealous! Have an amazing time! And yes- I agree about the ciggie- I quit many, many moons ago 😉
As did I but sorely tempted by your offer, must be the turban…
Great post today Chrystal 🙂
Thanks Amy. What do you think- can we pull off the turban look? X