In the decades that followed World War II, architects en vogue at the time—think Richard Neutra and Donald Wexler—were flush with requests from leisure-seekers to build homes in the heart of California's Coachella Valley. Palm Springs soon became a place where burgeoning home trends flourished. Here, innovations like wall-to-wall carpeting, flat rooflines, huge windows, and—wonder of wonders—air conditioning sparked and took flame, as the liberated "Desert Modern" style began garnering fans like Cary Grant, Truman Capote, Frank Sinatra and, of course, Bob Hope. In looking through these postcard images snagged from the newly-released Palm Springs Mid-Century Modern Postcard Book (Schiffer) it's not hard to see what Old Hollywood juggernauts (and, indeed, the book's author/photographer Dolly Faibyshev) found so appealing: chunky blocks of orange, low-slung frames, turquoise pools, and bone-white paint jobs make each home an oasis amidst sand-colored mountains and blue sky. Do have a look.
Click to enlarge:
? The Alexander Steel House by Donald Wexler (1961).
? The Kaufmann House by Richard Neutra (1947).
? The Park Imperial South Condominiums by Barry Berkus (1960).
· All Palm Springs coverage [Curbed National]
· All of Dolly Faibyshev's work [official site]
· Buy Palm Springs Mid-Century Modern Postcard Book [Amazon]
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