Walking down the shaded footpath towards the front door at 432 Hermosa Place in Palm Springs, it’s not immediately obvious why this property caught the eye of Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio.
“A lot of people think it looks like a grade school,” says David Dixon, as he opens the door and crosses the threshold. Dixon is the creative director of the Modernism Week festival, which celebrates Palm Springs’ treasure trove of iconic Mid-Century Modern (MCM) architecture. This morning, he met our group at breakfast before jumping into our rented Jeep and taking us on a tour of his favourite sights.
“What you don’t know is that while it’s very private from the front, it’s all glass at the back,” he says.
The house, known as the Dinah Shore Estate, was designed by renowned architect Donald Wexler in 1964. At the time, the city was bursting with creative energy in the post-WWII boom and flowing with Hollywood money – the kinds of funds that made it possible to think way outside the box.
DiCaprio collects architecturally significant homes all over the world, many of which are rented out as investments. This one was purchased in 2014 for a reported US$5.32 million (A$7.48 million) and is available to rent from US$3750 per night (A$5270) per night, with a minimum two-night stay.
It’s set on a 1.3-acre desert compound with six bedrooms and seven (and a half) bathrooms spread between the main house, guest house and a small casita beside the tennis court. It’s impressive, especially when you add the grand piano, fireplace, chef’s kitchen, heated pool and cocktail bar.
What makes it so special, however, is the way it melts seamlessly into the landscape.
“The elements of Modernism are simple lines, open floorplans, blurred lines between inside and outside and simple use of materials,” explains Dixon. “Modernists were not interested in visiting the past, they wanted to celebrate the materials and root their buildings in their surroundings.”
Aside from taking in some truly spectacular design concepts, this tour offers a fascinating perspective on local history and culture. The Dinah Shore Estate is just one example of the intriguing structures around town. In these parts, design is such serious business that at one point even the fuel stations had to be conceptualised by an architect. One of them now houses the Palm Springs Visitor Center – we drive past to see the distinctive kite-shaped roof Dixon describes as a “hyperbolic paraboloid”.
Styles change distinctly from neighbourhood to neighbourhood. As we drive around, Dixon draws our attention to the innovative Steel Development Houses of the Racquet Club Estates, one of which has a folded plate roof with six-inch window panes running around the side that make it look as though the roof is floating. We see the Mediterranean villas of Little Tuscany (“rocks have been tumbling down the mountain for thousands of years, they become part of the landscaping by necessity”), as well as the Hollywood Regency homes in Vista Las Palmas (“these are more opulent and fancy”).
And there is plenty of name-dropping. We slow our roll as we cruise past homes linked to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Samuel Goldwin (an MGM movie executive), Adam West (the original Batman), Marilyn Monroe and even Elvis Presley.
Stepping back onto the footpath, I can confirm one thing – I can totally see what Leo saw.
The writer travelled as a guest of Visit Greater Palm Springs. Modernism Week Architecture Tours run seasonally from October until May from US $130 (A $182) – check the website for dates.
Kirrily SchwarzTravel Writer