Table of contents for Spring 2020 in Atomic Ranch

Architect Albert Frey was born in Switzerland and, during his early career, worked under Modernist pioneer Le Corbusier. Frey came to Palm Springs in the 1930s and went on to live and work in the desert city, creating many iconic buildings and homes including Palm Springs City Hall, The Aerial Tramway Valley Station and Frey House II. Though not quite as well-known—the home is often referred to as “The Forgotten Frey"—the Cree House was built in 1955 by Frey for real estate developer Raymond Cree and serves as a gorgeous example of Frey’s residential work. Sam Harris, owner of local favorite Sherman’s Deli & Bakery, spent some time growing up in the Cree House during the 1970s when his father owned the home. Sam went on to rent it from…

When Carlos Cardoza and his team at H3K Design began work on Darryl and Michele Burns’ Palm Springs home, they had a blank slate. “It was essentially an empty space with just a little wallpaper on a few of the walls,” Carlos says. With the full support of the Burnses, Carlos was able to transform the space into a tropical paradise befitting its locale—a unit within the Royal Hawaiian Estates, designed by Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison. Built between 1959 and 1960, the complex is made up of 12 buildings with 40 units across five acres in the Southern California desert. Now a historically designated property, Royal Hawaiian Estates features a blending of tropical and modern styles, with elements including peaked rooflines, clerestory windows, triangular apexes and bright pops of…

An early hotel in the area, the Ingleside Inn was built in 1925 as an estate for the Humphrey Birge family. In 1935, Ruth Hardy bought the property, where she invited the era’s elite to stay, from Elizabeth Taylor to Salvador Dali. Melvyn Haber took over the property in 1975 and, when the Inn reopened—complete with Melvyn’s namesake restaurant and the Casablanca Lounge—everyone was welcome to book a stay. Melvyn passed away in 2016, but the Inn and restaurant continue to delight desert visitors today. Opening in 1956, the Ocotillo Lodge was built by father and son developers George and Bob Alexander with the architectural firm of Dan Palmer and William Krisel. The team went on to create many modern tract homes throughout several neighborhoods in Palm Springs. Today the…

Inside Scoop! Hello Alohaus Check out the roundup of our favorite Charles Du Bois homes in the desert. Cooking Up Retro In the market for a kitchen with atomic appeal? Take a quick tour of our most colorful and classic ones. Must-See Sights in Rancho Mirage Take a tour of our recommended stops in Palm Springs’ stylish neighbor in the desert. Pattern Pop Looking for a statement piece for your room? These patterned finds (like this one from essential-home.eu) are sure showstoppers. Check Out One of Our Most Dramatic Makeovers From teardown to triumph, this Vista Las Palmas gem was saved and now stuns as one of Palm Springs’ biggest success stories. Follow us online on Facebook , Pinterest and Instagram daily! LOOK FOR THIS THROUGHOUT THE ISSUE TO SEE…

Architectural purists typically cringe when they discover that a wake of renovated homes comes with their new neighbors. Fears of builder-grade “improvements” and the loss of period details flash before their eyes as the real estate agent’s sign is ripped from the front lawn. Purists, you can loosen that grip on your pearls because Dave and Tracy Folks have arrived, and you’re going to wish they’d lend their talents to your home. “Whenever possible, we will restore rather than replace.” Dave, a professional photographer, and Tracy, a regional office manager, designer and artist, treat their homes like a large-scale art project—mindfully curating, crafting and cultivating a period-appropriate aesthetic. This 1964 Rancho Mirage gem by S. Charles Lee is their 11th masterpiece, and it certainly won’t be their last. THE DESERT…

The annual Palm Springs event has offered visitors and locals alike the opportunity to tour iconic Midcentury Modern homes seldom open to the public. In our Winter issue, we explored some of these remarkable private residences that have been available throughout 15 years of Modernism Week, and here we share more favorites! (For more about Modernism Week, visit modernismweek.com.) Canyon View E states (1962, Palmer & Krisel) South Palm Springs Built in the early 1960s in six stages, Canyon View Estates in South Palm Springs is a Midcentury Modern community developed by Roy Fey and designed by Dan Palmer and William Krisel. The community showed a new kind of architecture for the era, which featured innovative solutions that have now become defining features of midcentury design, such as imaginative butterfly…

The best kitchens blend style and substance—great to look at, fun to hang out in and, most important, easy spaces for cooking and entertaining. This kitchen ticks all those boxes now, but it wasn’t the case when Avian Rogers and her team from Moderne Builders in Palm Springs, California, first saw the space. “The kitchen was pathetically dated and, frankly, had been done at some point with very low-grade ‘country’ cabinets that didn’t suit the house in the least and cheap Formica countertops,” Avian says. FITTING UPDATES For a midcentury home surrounded by mountains in the heart of the Southern California desert, this dated kitchen just wouldn’t do. The homeowners wanted something better fitting their modern home that would also be functional when they entertained. Over a six-month renovation, which…

Palm Springs’ Park Imperial South neighborhood dates to 1960 and was designed by Barry Berkus. With 30 homes featuring distinctive folded roofs, concrete block and floors made using poured terrazzo, the desirable area had been calling out to Ossie Saguil and Craig Mann. The couple have enviable style and impressive resumes: Ossie is a practicing physician, a vintage collector and CEO of Mr. Mann’s Design in Palm Springs. Craig Mann is the chief designer at Mr. Mann’s Design, which provides interior design as well as production and event services. He is also an accomplished singer and performer. (For more about Mr. Mann’s Design, visit mrmannsdesign.com.) The home’s unique folded roof creates sun and shade patterns that shift throughout the day, adding further visual interest. Longtime residents of Palm Springs, they…