A Mid-Century Desert Oasis in Palm Springs

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There is perhaps no area quite as closely associated with the mid-century modern movement as Palm Springs. It is no mistake that the most recent iteration of mid-century appreciation - the highly popular and widely acclaimed series Mad Men - set an iconic episode in the desert oasis of a town. The house featured in this post, known as the Leff/Florsheim house, has been restored to its original low profile, modern bones with updated fixtures and careful, ideal staging.

The house is built in the recognizable and luxuriously simple post and beam style with exposed Douglas fir throughout both interior and exterior spaces. Around the perimeter of the home, overhangs in this same beautiful wood provide shade for the sunny sides of the structure, keeping the essential outdoor entertaining spaces cool even during the brutal summers. After all, it is those sweaty, dry summers that draw people to Palm Springs in the first place, is it not?

A sparkling blue pool (another Palm Springs necessity) takes over the backyard area of the home with an expansive deck for lounging, dining, and ideally tossing back a cool martini or four. It would be the perfect place to invite your guests if your guest was Frank Sinatra in shorts.

While the table may seem like an especially contemporary touch, that transparent Lucite look was a popular choice for the most daring mid century modern coffee tables. This design offers a fresh spin on a classic.

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Despite the renovations, the terrazzo flooring was kept and polished to a reflective shine for the ultimate in clean lines. Overall this iconic house is still stunning and feels no so much out of place or anachronistic as truly timeless.

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The home also celebrates the privacy of the desert community with tall hedges fencing in the yard and those shady overhangs preventing too much exposure. The result is the feeling of being in an actual oasis or an island, looking out onto the nearby mountains as well as the surrounding palms.