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

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

Haverkate Real Estate Recommends Dwell On Design: The West Coast’s Largest Design Show Celebrates the Best Modern Projects, Products and People.

Welcome to www.HaverkateRealEstate.com , Palm Springs’ premier site for Mid-Century Modern Real Estate and design resources.

If you can’t get enough Mid-Century Modern, do not miss Dwell On Design (www.dwellondesign.com ), the West Coast’s largest design event, returning June 25-27 to the Los Angeles Convention Center. It’s only a short two-hour drive from Palm Springs.

Curated by the editors of Dwell Magazine, this three-day extravaganza features more than 200 brands on exhibition with design-forward exhibits, competitions, East and West side home tours, and over 80 presentations and panels by design industry  leaders and influencers.

“We’re thrilled to see how the creative community in Los Angeles has taken cultural ownership of Dwell on Design, making this show the premiere event on the design calendar,” said Dwell Media President Michela O’Connor Abrams.

It’s no wonder that Los Angeles has taken an active role in this major design event:  also called California Modern style, Los Angeles and Palm Springs offers a wealth of residential  Mid-Century Modern architecture, furnishings, and designs.

While in LA, take a look at some prime examples on the self-drive home tours into areas that most visitors don’t see.  From Larchmont to Silver Lake and Atwater Village to the east, and a “surf and turf” drive from West Hollywood to the beaches, explore Mid-Century Modern homes like the Walnut and Skywave houses in Venice Beach, the Los Feliz residence or Auburn 7 house in Silver Lake district.  The landmark Stahl House tour (by Architect Pierre Koenig, 1960) in the Hollywood Hills is sold out, however.  Planning and engineering company Latitude 33 ( www.latitude33.com ) is the tour sponsor.

Check out Room & Board (www.roomandboard.com), a respected American purveyor of “all things domestic,” who will be on the Design show floor offering sensible and affordable Mid-Century classics.   A bevy of small Southern California-based brands will also join their international counterparts.

Gleaming rows of low-flow faucets, fixtures, toilets, bathtubs, and kitchen designs by Kohler (www.kohler.com), CB2 (www.cb2.com )  Holdit (www.holdithome.com), Miele (www.mieleusa.com) and Ecofabulous (www.ecofabulous.com) offer eco-friendly, sustainable innovative products.

Exhibits run the gamut of building materials and systems, from the bright lights of design-forward Lutron (www.lutron.com) to the cozy environs of Napoleon fireplace.  A lush landscape of planters, prefabs, shrubs and sheds with solar panels, outdoor carpet, and patio furniture, Dwell Outdoors explores exterior spaces with a focus on greenery and green energy.

Los Angeles’ AIA design conference,  MOBIUS LA ( www.aialosangeles.org ), offers  multi-day professional development seminars, lectures, panel discussions and special events like the Restaurant Design Awards Ceremony. More than 100 of leading design, sustainability and culinary thinkers will be presenting live on the Design Innovation and  Sustainability stages.

During the Ideas Conference, The New Face of Affluence seminar turns brands toward a new generation of high value customers who spend $303 billion annually on discretionary purchases from apparel and autos to home furnishings and travels.  Speakers include Rose Marcario of Patagonia (www.patagonia.com), Michela O’Connor Abrams (www.DwellMedia.com)  , Chris Chamberlin of Paine PR, Richard Whitehall of SMART Design (www.smartdesignworldwide.com), advisor and social media expert Dale Larson, and Betsy Burroughs of FocusCatalyst (www.FocusCatalyst.com).

In Palm Springs, be sure to contact www.HaverkateReal Estate.com/resource.php. for the most comprehensive listings of Mid-Century Modern homes and estates for sale in the California desert area.

We’ll see you at Dwell on Design June 25-27! By Pamela Bieri