Palm Springs Modernism Week is one of the country’s most popular annual events for architects, modernism art and design fans, and mid century modern culture buffs.
The seventh annual Modernism Week, February 16-26, 2012 brings thousands to Palm Springs for 11 days of double-decker bus tours, lectures, films, exhibits, a vintage fashion show, and parties that celebrate the architecture and culture of the 1950-60s era. Modernism Week offers more than 75 events including some firsts for the Coachella Valley.
Visitors and residents alike are looking forward to the first public tours of the renowned Sunnylands Estate, the historic Annenberg residence and grounds and the new Sunnylands Center & Gardens.
The late Lenore and Ambassador Walter Annenberg lived at Sunnylands some five months a year during which they entertained United States Presidents, British and other royalty, international political figures, cultural and entertainment icons.
The 1966 Mid-Century Modern residence was designed by A. Quincy Jones with interiors by William Haines and Ted Graber. The 25,000 square foot home, located in the middle of landscaped grounds and a private Dick Wilson designed golf course, has been restored over the past two years in anticipation of the estate and grounds becoming public.
The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands will present and host a variety of high-level conferences, retreats and seminars of issues of national and international importance. The Modernism Week guided tours will provide the first peek into the 200 acre pink walled estate that has fascinated passersby for decades.
The tour will also feature the newly constructed Sunnylands Center & Gardens, which will officially open to the public March 1.
A variety of public tours will include studies of the art and sculpture collection, interior design and architecture of the Sunnylands home. History and political science buffs can delve into the 20th century cultural landscape through films, videos and publication detailing the historic events of the time and the role the Annenbergs had in shaping the world.
More information may be found online.
www.sunnylands.org

On Feb. 16, kick off Palm Springs Modernism Week at a tres chic soiree at John Lautner’s iconic Elrod House perched upon the Southridge hills overlooking Palm Springs. Just steps away is the late Bob Hope’s famed dome-shaped hilltop manse.
Instantly recognizable from the 1971 James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever, the Elrod House offers many Lautner hallmarks: A difficult site in a harsh environment, a modest entrance that conceals its soaring interior space, and rooms that meld indoors with the outdoors. The 8,901-square foot house incorporates an interior/exterior swimming pool in the living room and expansive mountain and desert vistas.
The home was built for interior designer Arthur Elrod and a portion of the tour proceeds benefit the LA-based John Lautner Foundation. This is a rare opportunity to see this privately owned masterpiece home.
Another new event during Modernism Week will be a Modernism Prefab Showcase Village featuring cutting-edge prefab structures with the latest alternative energy ideas incorporated into the 21st century lifestyle. Each room, designed by a different notable interior designer, showcases sophisticated design aesthetics and advanced technological innovations.
A number of cocktail receptions will be held during the week at intimate settings and at some of the area’s most notable boutique inns, a perfect way to wind down an exciting day of Modernism.
Get groovy with your cocktail dress, white shoes or Nehru jacket for the PS Modcom annual gala on Saturday, Feb. 18, a tribute to the late Peter Seller’s 1968 cult movie, “The Party,” in an ultra-mod glamorous private home.
On Feb. 24, the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation’s Retro Martini Party this year will be at the Maranz home, also known as the “gull wing house.” Rarely open to the public, this home, built in 1960 and designed by architect Val Powelson, features an unusual three-pointed star floor plan.
Throughout the week, mix and mingle with other modernism fans at cocktail parties held at the Horizon Hotel, Hideaway and Desert Star Hotel.
Palm Springs Modernism Week is a non-profit organization that produces this annual 11-day festival.
When it launched in 2006, the event helped fuel a revival of interest in Modernism, a design aesthetic developed during in the 1950s and 60s typified by clean, simple lines and elegant informality.
To purchase tickets and for more information, visit online at www.modernismweek.com.

Today, desert modernism is a much sought-after architectural genre and Palm Springs is a virtual treasure trove of custom and tract home neighborhoods and important public buildings.
Team Haverkate specializes in Mid Century Modern homes and estates for sale. After absorbing the sights and lifestyle of Palm Springs Modernism Week, contact Team Haverkate for a personal tour of desert modern classics currently for sale in the Palm Springs area.
Email agent@TeamHaverkate.com. or visit online at www.HaverkateRealEstate.com.

Check out the story on Ralph and Bettina Haverkate’s Joshua Tree home renovation in the February, 2012, issue of Palm Springs Life. www.palmspringslife.com.
— Pamela Bieri

Herb Ritts, Richard Gere – Poolside, 1982, C-type print, Courtesy of the Herb Ritts Foundation, Los Angeles © Herb Ritts Foundation

Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography, 1945-1982

opens January 21 in the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Annenberg Wing.

www.psmuseum.org

Beyond some of the obvious glamorous shots of Marilyn Monroe, Ann Miller, Rock Hudson, Liberace, and other stars, the exhibit explores more deeply how photography emerged during as an important medium of fine art, according to Palm Springs Life editor Steven Biller in his art feature this month, breaking the surface.

One pivotal moment came in 1982 when fine art photographer David Hockney’s composite Polaroid shots of a nude bather “challenged paintings as the dominant mode in all fine art,” said Daniell Cornell, the museums deputy director of art  who curated the exhibition.

Hockney’s composite of many Polaroids as one artwork, first exhibited at the L.A. Louvre gallery, will be one of 140 works in the show.

“Backyard Oasis… organizes the photographs in themes explored in the museum’s preparatory symposium: the backyard pool in celebrity, Cold War California, architecture and design and beefcake and ‘skate cake’ views of masculinity,” writes Biller.

Biller notes that “the swimming pool also provided a platform to show the changing depiction of gay and straight masculinity.”

Photographer Bob Mizer’s nine homoerotic images once “held a pretense that the buff, one-cloth-from naked men were posed to promote fitness.”

Architectural photographers such as Julius Shulman’s iconic views of Richard Neutra’s Kaufmann House and Albert Frey’s Raymond Loewy House seem to “elevate midcentury modern houses to celebrity status.”

www.palmspringslife.com

As part of the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980 regional initiative, Backyard Oasis traces the iconography of California’s  swimming pool, an integral part of the region’s identity, and suggests “the hopes and disillusionments of the country’s post World War II ethos.”

Bill Anderson, Raymond Loewy Family, Palm Springs, California, 1957, gelatin silver print, Collection Palm Springs Art Museum, gift of Dorothy Anderson © Palm Springs Art Museum

In addition to more than 100 framed archival photos, Backyard Oasis includes selected celebrity home film clips from Steve McQueen and Ginger Rogers shown on flat-screen monitors.

Among well known artists’ work will be Diane Arbus, Bill Anderson, Michael Childers, Anthony Friedkin, Robert Cumming, Shulman, and Maynard Parker.  The exhibition’s catalog contains the photos and an overview of California swimming pools’ aesthetic and culture.

The show continues through May 27, 2012.

Renowned Modernist architect E. Stewart Williams designed the Palm Springs Art Museum in 1974 and  the Steve Chase Art Wing and Education Center which opened in 1996.  The 124,435 square foot museum complex houses various galleries, sculpture atriums, a museum store, cafe, and the 437-seat Annenberg Theater for the performing arts.

It’s located in the heart of downtown Palm Springs at 101 Museum Way, Call (760) 322-4800 or go online at www.psmuseum.org

Backyard Oasis exhibit is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 8 p.m., closed Monday and holidays.  Free admission every Thursday, 4 – 8 p.m. during downtown Villagefest and the second Sunday of every month.  Admission is $12.50 adults, $10.50 seniors, $5 students, free for youths under 12, active military and their families.

After viewing the Backyard Oasis exhibit, explore Palm Springs’ vast collection of modernism homes and public buildings.  Pick up a map at the Palm Springs Visitor Center for a self tour.

www.visitpalmsprings.com

When you’re ready to “dive in” to your own desert modern home and pool, contact Team Haverkate for a personal tour of homes and estates for sale.  Email agent@teamhaverkate.com or visit online at

www.HaverkateRealEstate.com.

– Pamela Bieri

The Palm Springs International Film Festival  opens this week with hundreds of filmgoers, movie makers, directors, actors and celebrities expected to attend the annual gala on Saturday, Jan. 7 and more than 100 films during the 11 day festival.

The Palm Springs International Film Festival takes place Jan 5-16.  Visit www.psfilmfest.org for tickets, information or to search for movies and screening times.

Besides the incredible array of films, galas and parties, one of the non-film highlights is an exhibition of Marilyn Monroe photographs that will be on display in stores and restaurants throughout Palm Springs Uptown Design District all during the festival.

The show is based on a new book about the actress, Marilyn: Intimate Exposures, and chock full of  photos by Bruno Bernard, her friend and confidante, the famous Bernard of Hollywood who is credited with “discovering” Marilyn.

“The art exhibit is something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while,” said Darryl MacDonald, festival director in a Palm Springs Life Desert Guide story by Scott Brassart this month.

www.PalmSpringsLife.com

Bernard has been called the “Rembrandt of photography” and the “king of glamour” who made his name taking portraits of female stars and starlets of the 1950s such as Anita Ekberg, Jayne Mansfield, Brigitte Bardot, and Monroe.  He also photographed many male luminaries such as John Wayne, Gregory Peck, and Elvis Presley.

Bernard fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s, eventually migrated to California where he studied film and photography.  He established himself in Hollywood becoming one of the most sought-after celebrity photographers.  Countless hopeful stars visited his Sunset Boulevard studio to have their portraits taken.

While she was still called Norma Jeane, the young model first met Bernard in 1946. One story says they  met passing one another while Bernard was leaving a dentist appointment apparently near his studio.

As did many Hollywood hopefuls, Norma Jeane stared up at the “Bernard of Hollywood” sign and asked if he thought she could be a model.

Bernard’s now famous photos captured the transformation of Norma Jeane, then a 19-year-old girl-next-door, into the glamorous movie star, Marilyn Monroe.

Bernard wrote,  “While nature has been generous to her figure, her face is just that of any pretty girl her age, very much like the girl next door, with the exception of her translucent skin, her waiflike innocence, the helplessness underneath.”

No one was so much at ease in front of the camera as Norma Jeane:  “Concentration, projection and synchronization are second nature to her,” he wrote in his journal.

www.immortalmarilyn.com

With additional studios in Palm Springs, Laguna Beach and Las Vegas, Bernard immortalized some of the century’s greatest stars and mastered the art of pin-up photography.

An icon of the 1950s and 60s, Monroe was often in Palm Springs between films and owned a home in the Las Palmas area from 1960-61. The Monroe photo exhibition in Palm Springs Design District shops and restaurants is a perfect place to connect with Mid-Century Modern design and decor.

After attending the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the retro photo exhibition, satisfy your passion for Modernism and take a tour of Mid Century Modern homes and estates for sale in the Palm Springs area.  Many are located in historic districts and significant neighborhoods near Marilyn Monroe’s former Las Palmas home.

Contact Team Haverkate at:   agent@teamhaverkate.com or visit www.HaverkateRealEstate.com

— Pamela Bieri

Blast from the Past: 60s and 70s Geometric Abstraction, now on exhibit in the Annenberg Wing at the Palm Springs Art Museum through December 23, is a vivid, powerful collection of geometric abstract paintings, sculpture and prints from the 1960s and 70s, a period known for its purity of style.

www.psmuseum.org

Some 100 artworks represent a variety of ideas in optical art (Op Art), kinetic art, minimalism, hard-edge and color field. Many of the works have rarely been or are on view for the first time in this impressive exhibit.

Purely abstract forms – square, rectangle, triangle, circle and geometric volumes such as the cube and cone — suggest architecture and geometry, while the artists’ use of primary colors, lines and compositional devices present a sensual experience, illustrating alternative ideas about art and principles of reality.

Op Art, a trend that uses optical illusions to simulate motion and other perceptual shifts, is seen in the experiments of Victor Vasarely, Carlos Cruz-Diez and Yascov Agam.  Bright primary colors finely interspersed with complementary hues, creates visual interactions between the colors that seem to give off light and vibrations.

In Jesus Rafael Soto’s classic work, the sensation of constant flux transforms color, space, line into a new perceptual experience.

Other artists from the southern California Abstract Classical movement such as John McLaughlin, Karl Benjamin, Lorser Feitelson and Helen Lundeberg, often infuse gentle blues, whites, yellows, and olive greens to their hard edge works that are “keenly reflective of the unique qualities of light and space” — characteristics of the southern California coastline.

Starting January 21, 2012 through May 27 in the Annenberg Wing will be Backyard Oasis: The Swimming Pool in Southern California Photography, 1945-1982.

As part of the Getty Foundation’s Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A., 1945-1980 regional initiative, this exhibit examines the swimming pool in photographs as visual analogs of the ideals and expectations associated with southern California.

The images of manmade pools in arid landscapes traces the iconography of California’s  swimming pool, an integral part of the region’s identity, and suggests “the hopes and disillusionments of the country’s post World War II ethos.”

Backyard Oasis will include some 135 framed works of archival photography, prints and selected film clips shown on flat-screen monitors.

Among featured artists’ work will be Diane Arbus, Bill Anderson, Michael Childers, Robert Cumming, Julius Shulman, and Maynard Parker.

During the January exhibition will be lectures and educational programs for K-12 grade students, college and university audiences and the general public. The exhibition’s catalog contains photos and an overview of the development of the swimming pool, its aesthetic and culture.

Palm Springs Art Museum was designed in the Modernist style by renowned local architect E. Stewart Williams in 1974.  The Steve Chase Art Wing and Education Center, also designed by Williams, opened in 1996.  Today, the 124,435 square foot museum complex houses various galleries, sculpture atriums, a museum store, cafe, and the 437-seat Annenberg Theater for the performing arts.

It is located at 101 Museum Way, downtown Palm Springs.  Call (760) 322-4800.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday, noon to 8 p.m., closed Monday and holidays.  Free admission every Thursday, 4 – 8 p.m. during downtown Villagefest and the second Sunday of every month.  Admission is $12.50 adults, $10.50 seniors, $5 students, free for youths under 12, active military and their families.

After visiting these Mid-Century Modern inspired exhibits at the Palm Springs Art Museum, take a tour of Palm Springs’ wonderful collection of modernism homes and public buildings.  Pick up a map at the Palm Springs Visitor Center for a self tour.

www.visitpalmsprings.com

Once you’ve whet your appetite to own of these inspired desert modern home — and the artwork to go in them — Ralph Haverkate at  agent@teamhaverkate.com or visit www.TeamHaverkate.com for a personal tour of homes and estates for sale.

– Pamela Bieri

A Swinging’ Affair on December 11, a benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association, celebrates Frank Sinatra’s birthday and promises gala-goers a taste of Sinatra’s swingin’ lifestyle at two of his favorite Mid-Century  hangouts.

From a cocktail party at Sinatra’s former Twin Palms estate to a grand gala at the Riviera Resort and Spa and late-night after party in the Riviera’s Starlite Lounge, guests experience the Rat Pack lifestyle for an evening .

Frank Sinatra's former Twin Palms estate, designed by E. Stewart Williams, is now a popular venue for many Modernism events

At the Riviera, glitzy talent includes Frank Sinatra, Jr. with his 20 piece orchestra, singer Lainie Kazan with Matt Dusk and Daniel Joseph Baker from America’s Got Talent.  Actress Pamela Anderson is host of the Grand Gala.

The evening offers a rare opportunity to hang out and enjoy cocktails at listen to the live music of Buddy Greco Jr. Trio with Matt Dusk crooning at Sinatra’s former home, a modernism landmark  by noted architect E. Stewart Williams.

Sinatra’s Twin Palms estate was William’s first custom home commission.  Apparently one afternoon in May, 1947, Sinatra sauntered into Williams’ architectural firm slurping an ice cream.  His movie career at a zenith, Sinatra wanted Williams to design and build a big Georgian style home by Christmas.

www.psmodcom.org

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Stewart_Williams

Williams presented Sinatra with two sets of drawings, one for the Georgian-style home and another for a long, low four-bedroom house in which every room has a view of a large swimming pool shaped like a piano.  Fortunately, Sinatra chose the innovative modernist house, which put Williams’ design firm on the map.

Sinatra vacationed there with his first wife Nancy Barbato and three children, and later with his second wife, actress Ava Gardner.  Twin Palms became a popular destination for Sinatra’s famous friends — such as  JFK, his brother in law Peter Lawford and Sinatra’s neighbor Marilyn Monroe.  Sinatra’s landmark estate and the lifestyle he lived there helped fuel the wave of modernism which today defines Palm Springs.

www.sinatrahouse.com

Williams subsequently designed a number of custom Mid Century Modern homes as well public landmarks including the Oasis Office Building, Coachella Savings and Loan, Crafton Hills College (in Yucaipa), Santa Fe Savings Bank and the Upper Mountain Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

www.pstramway.com

After a recent multi-million dollar renovation, The Riviera Resort and Spa reflect its glamorous Mid-Century Modern heritage.  The hotel was another famous hot spot Sinatra and his Rat Pack frequented in its circa 1959 heyday.

www.psriviera.com

At the Swingin’ Affair’s Grand Gala, guests will enjoy a three course gourmet dinner while reliving the era as Frank Sinatra Jr. pays tribute to his famous father in songs and anecdotes.  Lainie Kazan, Dusk and Baker share the spotlight with Sinatra.

After the gala, the party keeps on going into the wee hours with music and cocktails in the Riviera’s Starlite Lounge.

For tickets and more information, visit www.aswingingaffair.com

The revival of modernism has  generated great interest in both custom and tract Mid Century Modern homes in the Palm Springs area.  In fact, these homes continue to increase even as housing values decline in other markets.

For a personal tour of Mid Century Modern homes and estates for sale, many located in historic districts and significant neighborhoods, contact Ralph Haverkate at: Ralph@RHaverkate.com. or visit www.HaverkateRealEstate.com.

– Pamela Bieri

A monumental Mid-Century landmark, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway continues to play an important part in the Coachella Valley’s tourism industry as major attraction and a visible beacon from the mountain signaling seasonal events to residents below.

The official Palm Springs Aerial Tramway’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be on Sunday, December 4.

Actor and comedian Ronnie Schell will be the Celebrity Tree Lighter and  festivities begin at the Mountain Station at 5:30pm with the Palm Springs High School Choir singing a selection of holiday songs.

When the tree is lit, it can be seen throughout the Coachella Valley. Both the Valley Station and Mountain Station will be festively decorated.

For Tram admission tickets and more information, visit www.pstramway.com.

One of Palm Springs most famous attractions, Tramway is a compelling demonstration of form and function, proving Modernism’s relevance today.

Modernism is not only beautiful and dramatic, it is highly functional.  “Form follows function” is the  mantra underlying the Mid-Century aesthetic.

Both of the Tramway stations were built by two of Modernism’s most notable architects: Swiss-born Albert Frey designed the Tramway Valley station, constructed between 1949 and 1963; and E. Stewart Williams designed the Mountain Station, built in 1961.

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Frey

www.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Stewart_Williams

Frey also designed the iconic “flying wedge” canopy of the Tramway Gas Station at the foot of the entrance to the tramway, now locale of the Palm Springs Visitor Center.

www.psmodcom.org

Back in 1935, the idea of a cable car reaching from the hot desert floor to the cool pines some 8500 feet above was not only a daring vision, but visionary Francis Crocker, an electrical engineer, was deemed a bit foolish. His dream was dubbed “Crocker’s Folly” by the local newspaper.

It took three decades, two wars, surmounting funding problems and resistance from county and local government before “Crocker’s folly” became a reality.  Work on the tram began in 1949 and was formally dedicated in September,1963 with state, local dignitaries, and Crocker himself in attendance.

Frey’s Valley Station forms a bridge that allows water runoff from the mountain to pass underneath, and through large steel framed windows, offers close up views of the mountain and the steep cable that ascends from an elevation of 2,643 feet to the Mountain Station, 8,516-feet above at Mt San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness.

The Palm Springs Tram has the steepest vertical cable rise in the U.S. and the second steepest in the world.

From the 360-degree rotating cable cars, a thrilling vertical ascent gives you views of the Chino Canyon and the San Jacinto Mountains, slowly turning to show the vast Palm Springs area desert splayed out below. Passengers move from one ecological zone to another: The heated desert floor through mountain canyons and chimneys to an arctic-alpine forest with giant Ponderosa pines.

At the Mountain Station, you step from the tram car into the large, three-story facility which has a cocktail lounge, dining facilities, gift shop and dramatic observation decks. E. Stewart Williams’ glass, steel and concrete building is anchored to the mountain on one side while its north edge juts over the steep canyon precipice below.

The Tramway project seems to summarize the philosophy and daring of the Modernism movement: That technology (and optimism) can overcome any challenge.

The Tramway was one of the first projects in the world to use helicopters in construction. It was labeled the “eighth wonder of the world” because of their ingenious use in erecting four of the five supporting towers.

Helicopters flew some 23,000 missions during the 26 months of construction, hauling men and materials to erect the towers and the 35,000 sq. ft. Mountain Station.  The first tower at the Valley Station is the only one that can be reached by road.

The Tramway was designated an historical civil engineering landmark.

After your Palm Springs Aerial Tramway adventure, satisfy your passion for Modernism and take a tour of Mid Century Modern homes and estates for sale in the Palm Springs area.  Many are located in historic districts and significant neighborhoods, some even in the foothills of the majestic San Jacinto Mountain.

Contact Ralph Haverkate at: Ralph@RHaverkate.com. or visit www.HaverkateRealEstate.com.

– Pamela Bieri

Welcome to Ralph Haverkate Real Estate, Specializing in Mid Century Modern Homes

Palm Springs is synonymous with Mid Century Modern architecture, an era that emerged in the post-war 1950s through the 1970s. A revival of modernism gained momentum in Southern California and has grown around the world for more than a decade.

It began in Palm Springs in 1992 when investment manager Brent Harris and his wife Beth, an architectural historian, bought Richard Neutra’s Kauffman House with the intention of restoring the historic house to its original design.

However, finding original or replacement sources for paint, cabinetry, fixtures, sheet metal and stone was a challenge, as were finding furnishings later on.

The Harrises hired Marmol Radziner + Associates to restore the house. The team went to such lengths as purchasing a metal crimping machine to reproduce the sheet-metal fascia that lined the roof and even re-opening a long-closed section of a Utah quarry to mine matching stone to replace what had been removed or damaged.

The restoration was critically acclaimed. Sourcing original products and materials helped create a new niche and demand for mid-century homes, fixtures and furnishings.  The project launched more than a resurrection of one important house: It launched the revival of an era.

Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District, a stretch of shops and galleries along North Palm Canyon Drive, has become a primary resource for authentic Mid-Century Modern designer chairs, tables, credenzas, couches, and outdoor furniture, as well as lighting, art and sculpture, housewares and even hardware, wallpaper, and building materials.

Many of the era’s great architects also designed home furnishings and products — chairs and couches by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; armchairs, sofas and tables by Le Corbusier are among them.

Modernist product and interior designers — such as Charles and Ray Eames, Milo Baughman, Verner Panton, Arne Jacobsen, Frank Gehry, Herman Miller, Noguchi and many others — have created innovative furnishings, housewares and artwork that have found their way to Palm Springs’ design and estate stores.   A treasure trove of retro, modern and new furnishings are waiting discovery.

Here are some top resources:

Design Within Reach

840 North Palm Canyon

(760) 322-8750

www.dwr.com

DWR features furnishings by some of the world’s most important architects and designers including Le Corbusier, Mies Van Der Rohe, Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi, Eero Saarinen, as well as contemporary designers such as Christopher Farr, Yves Behar and Nathan Yong.

The Palm Springs location is both a design studio and a “cult classic” warehouse outlet.  Customers can “test-drive” an assortment of modern living, dining, bedroom, outdoor and workspace options, as well as lighting and rugs, all available to order.  The outlet offers an assortment of returned and discontinued merchandise that changes constantly.

Organic Shapes

System 1-2-3- lounge chairs by Verner Panton, who developed the series in 1973, have since been rescued from the Panton estate archives and brought back into production.

Of his furniture, the late designer said, “I want to design furniture that grows up out of the floor; to turn the furniture into something organic, which never has four legs.”

Pushing materials to their limits was a passion of this Danish architect and designer, who always approached design challenges in unconventional ways, according to DWR’s website.

The Panton 123 Chair

This cantilevered chair delivers slightly springy, pleasing support and a gentle waterfall edge behind your knees. Each chair comes with a certificate of authenticity, and Panton’s signature is stamped into the base. Licensed manufacture by Verpan Aps. Produced under license from the Verner Panton Estate, Basel, Switzerland. Made in Denmark.

Space Age Styles

In 1957, The Soviet Union launched the world’s first man-made object to orbit the earth. The satellite was about the size of a beach ball, had whisker-like long antennas extending from one side, and each of its 1440 elliptical orbits around the Earth took about 98 minutes.

Its launch marked the start of the Space Age, led directly to the creation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and kicked off a worldwide fascination with space travel. It also inspired a design aesthetic based on these rocket-propelled devices, which brought new shapes to furniture, lighting and other household items.

While not constructed of hermetically sealed aluminum-magnesium-titanium, as the Soviets’ satellite was, the new Satellite Chandelier with 24 antennae arms captures the spirit and design ethos of the time.

Molded shapes and butterflies

George Nelson was the director of design at Herman Miller, Inc. from 1946 to 1972. His influence over those three decades is what made Herman Miller what it is today. Not only did Nelson recruit Charles and Ray Eames and Isamu Noguchi, but he also created a portfolio of work without which the history of modern design would be incomplete.

To honor this legacy, Michigan-based Herman Miller is re-issuing Nelson’s 1961 molded-top Tray Table (1961/2011) with a special design inspired by Nelson’s Flock of Butterflies clock. Forming the sunburst are hand-selected veneers of walnut and santos palisander wood inlaid into white ash.

A La Mod-Mid-Century Shop

768 N. Palm Canyon Drive

(760) 327-0707

www.alamod768.com

Formerly known as Palm Springs Consignment, a La Mod is a new name and location offering mid-century furniture, artwork and accessory items.

Owners are Miguel Linares, an architect who grew up in the desert and  has a passion for Modern; and  James Claude, who grew up in Victorville where he opened his first store, the 2×4 Toy Box, at the ripe age of 15.  In 1996 he opened what became a La Mod Mid-Century Modern and teamed with Linares in 1997.

With a eye for good design, Linares and Claude are always on the lookout for new items for the store, such as this glass vase by Vicke Linstrand for KOSTA.

Trina Turk Residential – Home Furnishings & Accessories

895 North Palm Canyon Drive

(760) 416-2856

www.trinaturk.com

Trina Turk has drawn constant inspiration from the poolside-cocktail-party lifestyle of the desert, so it was fitting that the first Trina Turk boutique opened in March 2002 in Palm Springs in a modernist building designed by Albert Frey.  In May, 2008, Trina Turk Residential opened next door to the original boutique.

You’ll find new mid-century modern style furniture: sofas, chairs, side tables, plus planters and accent pillows designed with bright, bold patterns for which Trina Turk is known.

Galleria Shops

457 North Palm Canyon

(760) 323-4576

The Galleria is an open-air window-shopping style vintage Palm Springs building that contains several shops the cover a range of mid century style design.

Proprietor Jim Gaudineer’s hand-selected art and accessories are from Mid-Century masters and well as talented unknowns.  The well-edited store goes well ”beyond Eames,” and strives for high-end vintage midcentury modern with 60 percent new items.

Modern Way

745 North Palm Canyon

(760) 320-5455

www.psmodernway.com

One of the first Palm Springs Mid-Century Modern shops in business for more than 10 years, Modern Way specializes in unique and high quality vintage 70s modern furniture, retro outdoor patio furniture, loungers, tables, artwork, rugs, Lucite furniture, dining tables, sofas and rare “mod” items.

Miloe Baughman Chaise Lounge

This Milo Baughman blue chaise lounge is one of many famouns-name designer pieces that may be found at Modern Way.

Illusions Interiors

803 North Palm Canyon

(760) 325-0300

www.interiorillusionshome.com

Chic, sexy and sophisticated, Illusions Interiors offers a complete line of Calvin Klein home designs as well as furnishings from other talented designers.  From seating, dining, tables, and bedroom furnishings to lighting, media shelving, and outdoor environments, Illusions Interiors offers high end quality and service.

Interior Designer Shane Elmore, who recently closed his Asylum design store on North Palm Canyon, has joined Illusions offering full design consultation, space planning, custom and ready-made furniture.

If you’re in the market to buy one of Palm Springs’ spectacular Mid-Century Modern homes, contact Ralph Haverkate at ralph@RHaverkate.com for a personal tour of quality homes currently for sale in the California desert area.

– Pamela Bieri

A fourth generation Coachella Valley resident, architect Lance O’Donnell understands the California desert from places too deep in his soul to excavate.

From childhood memories of wide open vistas, pristine blue skies against rugged mountains, days flooded with sunshine, and soft turquoise sunsets, Lance has absorbed more than the physical essence of desert living.

He also lived among and absorbed the inspired and innovative architecture created over the last half century by some of the world’s most gifted and notable architects:  Richard Neutra, Albert Frey, E. Stewart Williams, William Cody, and Don Wexler, with whom O’Donnell began an almost decade long collaboration in 2002.

www.pspreservationfoundation.org www.eichlernetwork.com

After receiving his Bachelor of Architecture degree, with honors, from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1991 and his Master degree in architecture from UCLA in 1994, O’Donnell returned home to the desert to, in a sense, resume the work of the past masters.

“Palm Springs has a heritage and history of genuine and authentic architecture,” said O’Donnell.  “That generation of progressive thinking influenced an entire movement of architecture. The desert was a place for experimentation.  Varied people and lifestyles drove the thinking;  architects could take a more experimental and progressive approach to living.  It was not about ‘having to have so many bedrooms and bathrooms.’”

Different housing configurations — from Cody’s pre-condo era connected cottages at Eldorado Country Club to Wexler’s cluster of attached homes with lots of open space around them –  the desert lifestyle has always engendered a sense of community, said O’Donnell.

“You shared the yard and the pool; you wanted to know your neighbor.  It promoted a community sense, civic mindedness,” he said.

O’Donnell’s firm, o2 Architecture, “engages the senses and intellect with a poetic connection to site and rigorous environmentally crafted modernism.”

www.o2arch.com/

He collaborated with Wexler on his California modernist lifestyle project in the Hamptons, and completed an extensive remodel of Wexler’s former family home, awarded “Remodel of the Year” in 2009 from the Palm Springs Modernism Committee.

www.hamptons-modern.com/team.html

Current owner Daniel Giles who purchased the home from yet another previous owner, wanted to renovate and maintain its modernist essence but expand and update some living areas.  He asked Wexler to be a consultant with O’Donnell as the remodel architect.

“It was not easy managing the project,” admitted O’Donnell. “Giles took some license by eliminating one bedroom and expanding another.  In the end, though, when Wexler and his 3 sons recently toured the house, they agreed with and saw the significance of the expansion and remodel.”

Remodeling a mid-century modern home is not always just about restoring to an original condition.

Today, year round homeowners also seek more space — larger bathrooms and kitchens and more storage– as well as better cooling and insulation, more luxury appointments, while still adhering to the mid-century ideals.

“Part of the challenge is that people tend to accumulate stuff over the years and this stuff has its own inertia so doesn’t easily go away” said O’Donnell. “And in a minimalist environment, there’s often not enough space to store it — whether it’s shelving or wall space or adding storage for seasonal things like clothes or holiday decorations.”

During the 70′s, 80′s and 90’s, many mid-century modern homes suffered “add-ons” such as enclosing covered patios, extra rooms and storage areas that obscured the architect’s original vision.

“In some cases, we’ve had to surgically remove almost one third of the square footage to get to a livable plan,” said O’Donnell.

Making homes energy efficient by today’s standards is another challenge.

“Back in the 50′s and 60s when electricity was cheap, you didn’t worry about running the AC all day and leaving the doors open,” he said.  “There was lots of attention on indoor/outdoor living, but no plan for energy conservation. There was a understandable tendency for over-consumption.”

O’Donnell’s recent renovation of Ralph and Bettina Haverkate’s mid-century modern in south Palm Desert included new air conditioning units and ducts, fully insulating the new roof and walls, and using dual pane windows throughout – including a massive glass wall—on the “cool” north side.

He added functional space with a new master suite bedroom and bathroom, designed with its roof tilted in the opposite direction of the house’s existing roof line to celebrate the views and resulted in a butterfly roof profile.

For his own family home in Palm Springs’ Little Tuscany neighborhood, O’Donnell designed the house that taps natural cooling temperature patterns in summer and passive warming in winter through “timeless, low-tech solutions” like cross ventilation.

“By placing large operable windows on the north and south sides of the house, we can quickly cool the house in evenings, thus decreasing the need to air condition,” O’Donnell said in a Palm Springs Life Magazine story about his “Bionic House.”

www.palmspringslife.com/core/pagetools.php?pageid=9056&curl=%2FPalm-Springs

A generous overhanging roof shades the floor to ceiling windows in summer, while the sun’s lower angles in winter warms its interior concrete floor which retains heat throughout the night.  The LEED certified home with sub zero carbon footprint was completed in 2009.

“After living in the house for two years now, its efficiency is even better than expected,” said O’Donnell.  “We’ve never had to turn on the heating system and the house performs 25-30% better than our energy models predicted.”

O’Donnell, his wife Regina, and eight-year-old son Jonathan enjoy living in their “house of the future,” while benefiting from its energy efficiency today.

The up-and-coming architect has worked on more than a dozen Alexander home remodels, several by Cody and Wexler and his firm also designs many new mixed-use and civic projects.

While some projects still remain on paper, one of his proudest achievements is the Tahquitz Canyon Visitor Center on Agua Caliente tribal land.

www.indian-canyons.com

The glass, steel and concrete building — its classic modernist form and large overhanging roof — stands out against the rugged mountainside at the entrance to an ancient Indian canyon where for centuries, native people gathered seed, hunted, planted and lived in harmony with the desert.

“The paradox is while contrasting with the natural environment the building seamlessly harnesses the same natural forces the Cahuilla utilized for thousands of years.”

Working closely on mid-century building, has “driven home the sense that there is an underlying order to the building, there is a harmony to the parts,” said O’Donnell.

And there is clearly poetic harmony between nature and human purpose in O’Donnell’s designs.

— Pamela Bieri

Welcome to Team Haverkate Real Estate Specializing in Mid Century Modern Homes

Long before Palm Springs came to treasure its Mid Century Modern heritage, architectural photographer Julius Shulman began documenting California’s postwar contemporary homes and buildings with a mission to “sell architecture” and the idealized vision of California’s casual, sunbathed indoor-outdoor lifestyle to the readers and editors of consumer and architectural magazine.

Shulman’s iconic photography spread California Mid Century Modern throughout the world.

His roster of clients is an impressive “who’s who” in pioneering contemporary architecture: Rudolf Schindler, Gregory Ain, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, Raphael Soriano, John Lautner, Albert Frey, Pierre Koenig, Harwell Harris and many others.

Shulman’s work was contained in virtually every book published on Modernist architects and that trend continues.

Two new books on the late photographer were just released this spring:  Julius Shulman Los Angeles: The Birth of a Modern Metropolis by Sam Lubell and Douglas Woods, published in April, 2011 by Rizzoli International ; and Julius Shulman: The Last Decade by Thomas Schirmbock and Shulman’s business partner Juergen Nogai, published March 22 by Kehrer, Heidelberg, Germany, are now available in books stores and at  www.Amazon.com.

Shulman’s unplanned career as an architectural photographer began  in 1936 when an acquaintance who worked for Richard Neutra asked Shulman to take a few shots of Neutra’s nearly completed Kun House in the Hollywood Hills.  Neutra liked the images and hired Shulman for subsequent projects, soon introducing him to all the leading and emerging architects.

Shulman’s most famous 1947 photo of Neutra’s Kaufmann House in Palm Springs shows the architect’s glass house as an array of shimmering squares and rectangles.  In the photo, Mrs. Kaufmann reclines beside the glowing swimming pool in the foreground while the dusk illuminated rugged desert mountains frame the background.

One of most widely reproduced architectural photographer ever, it’s existence lead to the painstaking restoration of the Kaufmann house in 1999 to its original condition, and subsequently helped launch the revival of Palm Springs Modernism.

www.psmodcom.com

The restoration of the Kaufmann house “became a part of cultural history thanks to an iconic photo by Julius Shulman,” according to Dave Weinstein in CA Modern Magazine.  “The project did more than restore one of America’s most important 20th century houses … it helped the city of Palm Springs recover its love for all thing modern.”

www.eichlernetwork.com/desert_chron7.html

Another landmark photo is Shulman’s portrayal of Pierre Koenig’s Case Study House #22 in Los Angeles, 1960, in which the edge of the house seems to float above Los Angeles’ evening lights while inside two women are seated, having a conversation.

Both photos seem to testify to the ability of the Modernist architect to transcend the limits of the natural world.

Shulman’s optimistic world view fit the Modernist era.

“He was the most optimistic person I’ve ever known,” said Santa Monica gallery owner Craig Krull who since 1991 was the exclusive gallery representing Shulman.  “That outlook was perfectly suited to a ‘translator’ of Modernism’s optimistic spirit — with its belief in the promise of the future and the capacity of technology to improve civilization.”

Shulman almost always used black and white film to better reduce his subjects to their geometric essentials.

www.nytimes.com/2009/07/17/arts/design/17shulman.html

His “prodigious body of work is quintessential: luminous and memorably composed images highly evocative of time and place,” writes Sarah Amelar in a July, 2009 issue of Architectural Record.

www.archrecord.construction.com/news/daily/archives/090728shulman.asp

“The clarity of his work demanded that architectural photography had to be considered as an independent art form,” according to Shulman’s biography in Wikipedia.

“Each Shulman image unites perception and understanding for the buildings and their place in the landscape.  The precise compositions reveal not just the architectural ideas behind a building’s surface, but also the visions and hopes of an entire age.  A sense of humanity is always present in his work even when the human figure is absent from the actual photographs.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Shulman

“But Shulman’s work went well beyond merely taking beautiful pictures of houses and buildings,” wrote Claudia Luther in the July 18, 2009 issue of the Los Angeles Times.

“His mission was to use his photography to build the reputation of the architects who were bringing innovative design to the West. Indeed, his photographs were, by and large, all that most people would ever see of noted architects’ works, many of which were later destroyed.”

www.latimes.com/new/obituaries/la-me-julius-shulman17-2009jul17,0,1393680.story

In 2005, The Getty Research Institute acquired his archives of more than a quarter million prints, negatives and transparencies.

In February 2008, the Palm Springs Art Museum presented “Julius Shulman: Palm Springs” with more than 200 photographs, illustrations, renderings and models, the largest Shulman exhibition ever presented to date, documenting a place that was so inspirational to Shulman.

www.psmuseum.org

Shulman’s last exhibit at Craig Krull’s Gallery was scheduled for July 4 through August 8, 2009.  But Shulman passed away at his home in Los Angeles July 15, 2009 at 98 years old.

Craig Krull Gallery will be opening a major survey of Shulman’s work in September, 2011, and a paperback edition of Julius Shulman Los Angeles by Christopher James Alexander is due out October 29.

Shulman’s work brought fame to a number of Mid-20th Century architects, left an invaluable record of the evolution of key buildings and their surroundings, and forged an unforgettable, inspiring archive of time and place.

Palm Springs and the California desert offer a living testament to the beauty and grace of Mid Century Modern homes and lifestyle.  For a tour of these homes currently for sale, contact Team Haverkate at Ralph@RHaverkate.com.

– Pamela Bieri

Welcome to Team Haverkate Real Estate Specializing in Mid Century Modern Desert Homes

During Modernism Week 2011, Park Imperial South on South Araby Drive in Palm Springs celebrated its 50th birthday and invited the public to tour its 31-unit condominium community.  Created in 1960 by one of the nation’s most noted residential architects, Barry Berkus, AIA, Park Imperial South’s remarkable Mid Century Modern design still thrives and remains virtually untouched.

www.parkimperialsouthps.com www.modernismweek.com

Berkus guided the tour and presented his take on modernism’s mark on architecture in Palm Springs and across America.  A video archive of the design tour and Berkus’ discussion is posted here at Team Haverkate Real Estate.

“Being acknowledged by those who live within the architect’s dream is the highest honor one can aspire to , and the fact that residents here have kept my dream in condition is a remarkable compliment,” Berkus said.

www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/barry-berkus-aia-to-address-modernism-week

Founder and president of B3 Architects and Berkus Design Studio in Santa Barbara, Berkus has remained on the forefront of residential design in this country and abroad for over 40 years.  His name is synonymous with innovation, and his firm has won hundreds of design and planning awards from regional, national and international competitions.

www.barryberkus.com www.b3architects.com

Berkus began college with a focus on economics, but he always loved to draw.  After attending Santa Barbara City College, he transferred to USC’s  architecture program, saying “It was exciting and I knew I’d found my place.”

He pursued housing, an industry that during the 1950′s and 60s most architects thought was “beneath them” and many were convinced they couldn’t make a living at it.

“When we started, housing was looked down upon,” he recalled. “I lead a design panel at the National Association of Home Builders, but couldn’t do one at the American Institute of Architecture.”

“I had a goal to change the way housing looked,” he said.  “I wanted to give it a sculpted feeling, an innovative component to nurture people.  I strived to use volume, light and shapes in my homes.”

Berkus’ ability to produce house plans quickly also turned the odds in his favor.

“Housing as a product has to move on and off the boards quickly because it didn’t pay very well,” he said.

www.noozhawk.com/article/120309_barry_berkus

Berkus began as an intern for noted Palm Springs architect William Cody before opening his own firm and designed Park Imperial South at the age of 25.

During his talk at the tour, Berkus recalled sitting at construction sites for John Lautner projects, inspiring him to develop his  own unique design vision.  Berkus said Park Imperial South was an experiment in design and construction.  The distinctive folded-plate roofs were constructed in Oakland before being transported to Palm Springs where they were lifted into place by crane.

www.itssosunny.com/2011/02/20/palm-springs-modernism-week-home-tour-feature

“I wanted to design a space for people who could not afford an architect,” said Berkus of the project.

As his company went public, Berkus began considering modular housing.  He researched data at UCLA on every modular created up to that point and concluded that mobile homes were the only successful factory-built house that made its manufacturer money and lasted for any length of time.

“Let’s change the way housing is built,” he said when he approached national builders with the first “smart house” and various homes on wheels.

“I’ve always gone the far edge of the planet in my thinking,” Berkus admits.  “I’ve always been interested in investigating.  I’m in my 70s now and I’ve failed a bunch, in part because security never interested me.”

“Architects, by nature, are optimists,” he said.  “I’ve grown by taking risks and assumed it would work out.  Even recently, with single family homes in Santa Barbara, I’ve had to build them and then people showed up to buy them.  I knew it was right.”

www.noozhawk.com/article/120309_barry_berkus

It seems Berkus was right about his long lasting design at Park Imperial South as well.

One objective of the Modernism Week tour was to demonstrate the complex’s design longevity both interior and exterior as well as the versatile floor plan.

Nine homes in varying stages of rehabilitation and remodel were open for guests to view.  Several units had been completely redone with new kitchens and appliances, upgraded bathrooms, redesigned patios and new flooring, while other units retained original design elements such as range hoods, cabinetry and intercom entertainment systems.

For the past 10 years, Park Imperial South homeowners association has been restoring the complex with new landscaping, entrance signage, lighting and wood paneling to each home’s entrance.  The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation has granted funds to continue restoration projects, and the sold-out tour during Modernism Week benefited the development’s renovation projects.

www.itssosunny.com/2011/02/20/palm-springs-modernism-week-home-tour-feature

For Berkus, thinking outside the grid comes naturally and so does the task of reinvention.

“Everything has to fall apart so you can come up for air,” he said.  “Residential architecture is about romance, learning, fulfillment of a journey.  It should never be below you to do housing.”

www.residentialarchitect.com

Palm Springs has a proud heritage of innovative Mid Century Modern architecture in public buildings as well as custom, tract and condominium homes.  For a personal tour of Mid Century Modern properties currently for sale, contact Ralph Haverkate at ralph@RalphHaverkate.com.

– Pamela Bieri