From the Desert Sun, 9-20-11:   The Paul Kaplan Group is thrilled about the announcement regarding  NEW AIRLINE CONNECTION TO Palm Springs, San Francisco and New York, via Virgin America!  We love New York, AND San Francisco, and this will make it easier for those visitors to come to town.

The Palm Springs’ El Rancho Vista Estates neighborhood (where I live) was featured in the latest version of Atomic Ranch magazine. 

This mid-century Palm Springs enclave consists of home designed mostly by Donald Wexler around 1960.  Over the years it had experienced some urban blight and decay.  However in the past 7 years, the neighborhood has had an extreme makeover!  Many of the mid-century homes have been redone and restored back to the original charm and glory. 

The neighborhood came together recently to form a neighborhood committee, recognized by the City of Palm Springs.  Erik Rosenow, the president of the neighborhood committee (I’m the secretary of the committee), wrote the article that chronicles his experience and info on this cool mid-century Palm Springs neighborhood.  Here’s an excerpt:

“It all started with a flyer on our doorstep in the autumnof 2009 indicating our house was of interest to the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation for a home tour. My wife and I had just purchased a Donald Wexler–designed house in the El Rancho Vista Estates neighborhood and were ecstatic that it could potentially be pushed into the limelight. Little did we know that this event would so positively turn the neighborhood into a community….”

To read the complete article, and order the magazine, please visit the link:  www.atomic-ranch.com

If you’d like to look at homes in the neighborhood, click here.

Twin Palms was the first subdivision built by the Alexander Construction Company in Palm Springs, between 1957 and 1958.  The owner of Alexander Construction Company, Bob Alexander, had his own residence in one of the cul-de-sacs. 

Designed by Palmer & Krisel, the homes featured two configurations, designs “A” and “B.”  “A” had a front door that was accessed on the side of the house through a breezeway; “B” was oriented with the front door facing the street, with a private breezeway between the house and carport. 

 The homes were built on lots that  were around 10,000 square feet, on a 40′ x 40′ concrete pad,  offering approximately 1600 square feet of elegant and efficient living space.  The 3 bath, 2 bedroom homes were designed using simple Post and Beam construction,  thus the interior walls were non-load bearing.  The services were located in the center of the home, including an open atrium off the master bathroom.  HVAC ducting was in the slab which eliminated unsightly soffits, allowing for dramatic ceiling heights throughout the house. 

Corinne Krisel, backyard of Twin Palms Estates home, Palm Springs, 1957, photo by Julius Shulman

The facades of each plan varied, resulting  in a “custom look” to the neighborhood, despite having identical floor plans.  Facades consisted of a range of materials on each house, including concrete block, stucc, stone, conwood panels and wood siding.  The roof lines also varied, consiting of a long and short butterfly, flat and gable roof. 

Each home came with two palm tress in the front yard, hence the name, Twin Palms!  Many of these trees still exist today.  The original price of these Palm Springs homes, were around $30,000.

The Twin Palm neighborhood has remained desireable for architectural and mid-century afficionados who apprecite the character, scale and design of these homes.  Many of the homes have been restored and brought back to their original glory.

1837 Aquanetta is a prime example of the “Butterfly” roof designed “A” Plan. Recently updated to today’s modern standards, this home features some of the most unique architectural details that defines the Twin Palms design- huge clerestory windows that flood the home with light; walls of glass that merge indoors with outdoors; an original concrete block fireplace- open floor plan, beamed tongue and grove dramatic ceilings… The butterfly roof is one of the most sought after roof lines for not only its design but its rarity. With a west facing back yard, beautiful mountain views are visible throughout the living areas.  The Twin Palms neighborhood is close to the Ace Hotel, and Koffi, one of Palm Springs’ most desirable MCM neighborhoods. Great cash generating vacation rental potential too.   Asking price:  $675,000

For more information, please contact The Paul Kaplan Group or visit www.TwinPalmsPS.com

A friend recently gave me this book, which hi-lights mid-century architecture in the San Francisco area.  What a great find!  Check out the details below:

Mid-Century by the Bay is a celebration of some of the places that made the San Francisco Bay Area a special region in which to live, work, and play in the years following World War II.  From the Bay Area’s post-war suburbs, with their modern ranch homes, schools and shopping centers, to its futuristic commercial architecture and once numerous roadside attractions, author Heather David invites the reader to enter a visual time machine and to experience our recent past.

With over 200 images, including rare vintage ephemera and the author’s own photographs, Mid-Century by the Bay documents a unique geographic area at a particularly hopeful time in United States history.

The book covers so many interesting and unique locations: the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, Santa’s Village, Tahoe, wine country, the wonderful neon signs of the Bay Area, Frontier Village, Storyland, Playland by the Beach — one after another the book provides both photos and write ups on so many wonderful bygone places.

In addition to this book, David also maintains a flickr account with many remarkable mid-century images here. You can also find her site SV Modern (celebrating Silicon Valley’s Mid-Century Past) here.

David’s book is $40 and can be purchased here. If you’d like to see a sampler of some of the pages inside the book, she has one up on her Flickrstream here. Her book is a labor of love independently produced and represents the best of what is possible with self-publishing these days. If you are a fan of the Bay Area’s history, or a student of the 50s and 60s more generally speaking, you won’t want to miss this wonderful record.

A new listing just hit the MLS in Old Las Palmas, one of Palm Spirngs’ premier neighborhoods.

Here’s what the agent has to say about it:

“Wait ’til you see the original features in this mid-century gem: Stone fireplace, incredible tile work in showers, amazing original appliances in the party/pool room kitchen and decorative cement block on perimeter walls! Yes, she needs updating in places (you’ll have a ball picking your favorite foil wallpaper pattern and color), but WOW, what potential! Each bedroom has a private bath (two bedrooms are off the party/pool room wing) and the enormous master has two baths and giant walk-in closet. Located on a corner lot in Old Las Palmas, the L-Shaped home wraps around the pool on 2 sides allowing for uninterrupted mountain views.”

Living Room

Kitchen

Atomic Electric Stove (Covered)

Stove - Open

1960s Jenn-Air logo

Retro Ovens

Unique Bathroom Tile Details

Why don't they make yellow sinks anymore?

Stone inlay detail

Mosaic tile detail

I absolutely LOVE this tile installation!!

Pool and view

Unique decorative masonry wall

Offered at $795,000    Want this retro martini pad for yourself? Please call or text me at 760-285-8559 for a private showing.  Or email me at paulkaplanre@gmail.com for more information.

 Listing courtesy:  Windermere Real Estate 

Just got my tickets today!!  I’ve been wanting to see this house since I was a kid, visiting Palm Springs.  Here’s a great opportunity to check it out, and to join the Palm Springs Museum and the Arts and Design Council. 

The Arts and Design Council is holding its anual ADC Fundraiser – (6:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Saturday, March 20)

This is a rare opportunity to enjoy the spectacular Hope House at a cocktail reception with fellow ADC members. The enormous roof, which echoes the surrounding hills of Southridge, hovers over an expansive patio and garden area where Lautner’s dramatic architecture can be experienced. Invitations will be mailed to ADC members.

Fundraiser
ADC Fundraiser at the Bob & Dolores Hope House, designed by John Lautner
$200 per person (ADC members only)

To make reservations, please call Brooke Devenney at 760.322.4818 or email bdevenney@psmuseum.org

SEE YOU THERE!

Over 10,000 architecture aficionados will be flocking to Palm Springs for the annual Modernism Week to discover the largest collection of mid-century modern architecture in the country. The 10-day event is scheduled for February 12-21, 2010, featuring more than 40 events including architectural tours, films, book signings, and film screenings, as well as chic galas and tours of mid-century modern homes. A vintage car and Airstream trailer show are new events this year. www.VisitPalmSprings.com and www.ModernismWeek.com

STOP BY MY BOOTH AT THE MODERNISM SHOW ON FEB 13 and 14th and pick up a free Palm Springs Mid-Century Neighborhoods Map.

Here’s the schedule of events for the week:

For my fellow mid-century fans:  A new website produced by the Los Angeles Conservancy and the Modern Committee celebrates Los Angeles’ legacy of rich 1960s architecture, which has been around now for 50 years.  In an effort to restore and preserve 1960′s architecture, the site will launch a nine-month program of education and outreach. The program combines events such as tours and discussions with the online activities on the new website.  For more info, check out the site:

http://lac.laconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=60sAboutPage