Realtor: Palm Springs’ Largest Mid-Century Modern Home Is on the Market for $4.4M

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Palm Springs’ Largest Mid-Century Modern Home Is on the Market for $4.4M

largest mid century modern in palm springs

realtor.com

Few homes inspire poetry, but this massive Mid-Century Modern estate in the “Movie Colony” neighborhood of Palm Springs, CA, has us thinking in verse.

With apologies to Dr. Seuss, there are rooms of gold, rooms of pink, and rooms of eggshell blue. Ruby-red rooms, and amethyst rooms, and rooms of sapphire blue. There are rooms to sleep in, rooms to play in, and rooms to dance in, too!

OK, we’ll stop with the rhymes, but there are quite a few other elements worth praising in this nine-bedroom, 12-bathroom house on the market for $4.4 million.

Built in 1966 by modernist architect Howard Lapham, the 9,400-square-foot layout is the largest known Mid-Century Modern residence in a city known for its architectural delights. The city is credited with being the epicenter of the Mid-Century Modern architectural style, and many palatial residences have been constructed with this style influence.

Colorful bedroom

realtor.com

This estate is one of the most colorful MCM homes out there, and there’s good reason for those signature hues. The house was painted beige inside and out when the current owners purchased it in 2003 for $1,287,500.

One of the owners was a New York womenswear designer before she moved to the desert. Women’s Wear Daily described one of her fashion lines as “Doris Day meets ‘Barbarella.'”

In what the owners describe as a “rage against beige,” each room is decorated in a different vivid color or theme. The kitchen is eggshell blue. A powder room is covered in golden tiles and has mirrors on walls, floors, ceilings, and countertops. And the dining room has violet walls, drapes, and light fixtures. There’s also a red-and-white game room.

Red-and-white game room

realtor.com

Gold powder room

realtor.com

But not all the decor is inspired by color. There are numerous Zen water features on the grounds, complete with lily pads and koi. Modern art sculptures grace the outdoor pool while mosaic tiles surround the indoor pool. A stone wall surrounds the property for privacy.

Eggshell blue kitchen

realtor.com

Violet dining room

realtor.com

The living room features walls of glass, a Roy Lichtenstein print, and a glamorous bar decorated with marble, wood, and leopard print.

“Nothing like it exists in Palm Springs,” says listing agent Scott Histed with Bennion Deville Homes.

Living room in white and lime green

realtor.com

After putting so much love, color, and fun into the house, how can the owners bear to leave it behind?

“They love the house, but desire to spend more time overseas in Hong Kong and mainland China,” says Histed.

They’re hoping “Mid-Century [Modern] enthusiasts interested in preserving the historical features and prominence of the property” will snap the place up.

It will “most likely be a buyer from out of the area, possibly someone involved in television, cinema, or the arts,” Histed says.

Glam bar

realtor.com

The eventual buyers can count on the current owners to help retain the home’s authenticity and style. They have one of the largest collections of Arthur Elrod furniture and accessories, and would consider including the items currently in the home in a negotiated offer.