When Arthur Elrod selected John Lautner to design a house for him in Palm Springs in 1969, the interior designer had a simple set of instructions: ‘Give me what you think I should have on this lot,’ he told the architect. Lautner designed a four-bedroom, 8,801 sq ft home perched on a Palm Springs hillside, its open air, circular living room ideal for entertaining, and even for filming movies — a scene from the 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever was shot there.
On 17 February, Lautner, who also designed the Bob Hope house in Palm Springs, was honoured as the 2017 Palm Springs Walk of Stars recipient as part of Modernism Week.
Modernism Week, the 11-day affair that celebrates the iconic mid-century architecture that fills the area, took place last month in Southern California, bringing a series of talks, screenings, architectural talks and more in the Coachella Valley. The week kicked off with a Bond-themed affair that celebrated the Elrod House.
Visitors could partake in the Signature Home Tour, a drive through some of the most key examples of desert modernist architecture. The documentary Harry Seidler – Modernist had its American premiere during Modernism Week, while Eero Saarinen: The Architect Who Saw The Future, by the famed architect’s son Eric Saarinen, made its West Coast debut. The 17th annual Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, which coincided with the week, boasted 85 dealers selling furniture and wares from the 20th century.
The Christopher Kennedy Compound appointed the Andreas Hills home of social influencer Kelly Lee (aka ‘Kelly Golightly’) and her photographer husband, Fred Moser, as the Modernism Week Show House, dubbed Villa Golightly. Dressing a chic outdoor terrace for the space, interior designer Christopher Kennedy also recruited the likes of Natasha Minasian, who conceived a room covered in palm leaf wallpaper, and Rachel Cannon, who decorated a funky laundry room.
Beadle’s design is based on plans unearthed from the late architect’s Phoenix-based estate
The Monkey Tree Hotel, originally designed by Swiss architect Albert Frey in a 1960, revealed a fresh new look courtesy of its current owners
Just the fifth Desert Eichler to be completed in Palm Springs, this newly built house is a contemporary version of an original Eichler house designed by Claude Oakland
It is the first of its kind developed by KUD Properties and was the second ever Modernism Week Social House
Design Milk and designer Bobby Berk teamed up with with Carl Hansen & Søn to curate its interiors top to toe
The art, accessories, and design objects complement the heritage midcentury furnishings provided by Carl Hansen & Søn
The 17th annual Palm Springs Modernism Show & Sale, which coincided with the week, boasted 85 dealers, including San Diego-based The Atomic Bazaar
The Christopher Kennedy Compound appointed the Andreas Hills home of social influencer Kelly Lee (aka ‘Kelly Golightly’) as the Modernism Week Show House
The interiors were inspired by Audrey Hepburn. To wit, the house is nicknamed Villa Golightly
The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation conducted a tour of Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms estate, In 1947
The home was designated a Class 1 Historic Site by the city of Palm Springs in 2011
It has been described as ‘great midcentury design combined with Hollywood lore’
More than 50 vintage automobiles on display at the front entrance of the Palm Springs Convention Center on the last day of the Modernism Show & Sale, including a special display of Alfa Romeo cars
The Illuminated Modern Sunset Bus Tour highlighted architecturally significant midcentury and modern building facades along Palm Canyon Drive and surrounding neighbourhoods, including the Del Marcos Hotel
The buildings were illuminated with various lighting and typeface styles identifying the architect and year of construction
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Modernism Week website (opens in new tab)
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