SUBURBAN * POP

Hey all! I’m a little behind recapping Modernism Week, but we left, as always, with so much momentum that would be stupid to not act on asap. Major floor work getting done over here! The week was so great though! Such a packed, but fun visit. While I wasn’t particularly jazzed about the increased Palm Springs crowds – I think we tend to travel in off season/ghost town times so the traffic jams and restaurant lines were unexpected and annoying – there were many upsides to all the people. For starters, house creeps blend in with all the other house creeps, making us all super legit. Crazy ladies are given a pass to gawk this one special week of the year.

Of course, the obvious bonus to the madness was all the events and house tours. I only ended up doing two official house tours, the Edris House and the Frey House II (which I’ll share next time because they each deserve their own space), because most everything was sold out by the time we decided to go. I know I missed out on some incredible houses (like the Frank Sinatra estate and the Morse Residence), but I have ZERO complaints because Edris and Frey have been my top two favorite houses for like ever. Like, I’ve been unhealthily obsessed with them. I never ever expected to see the interiors of one, let alone both, and they were both FAR beyond expectations, leaving me feeling incredibly fortunate.

Additionally, I got to see the West Elm House and another really cool home for sale in the Royal Hawaiian Estates, both of which I’m sharing today (all iphoners). Lots of take aways!First up: I’ve had my eye on this listing in the Royal Hawaiian Estates for a few months and was so happy to see it in person. I love mid-century Polynesian madness, and this whole 60’s complex is top notch. Fun facts, Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison designed the estates (which, in this case, is a fancy name for condos) and they were originally for the 55 and older Jewish crowd. The place has an odd restoration story. The place was way run down by the 90’s and decisions by the board to remove, not restore, certain architectural details only intensified the downward spiral. But recently residents have taken big steps, including becoming the first Historic Residential District in the city, to restore the place to its former magnificence. This particular unit, in glorious original condition, was obviously decorated by someone who ran with the Polynesian theme, and who should be my best friend. Sadly, it won’t be our future vacation home, not that we’re looking, but not that I’m not looking, because I’m always looking. EEK!
Look, they have a dressing room too! Should I paint my kitchen yellow? I should paint my kitchen yellow.  I didn’t snap a photo of their iconic flying sevens or their colorful front doors, so you must get googling if you’re not familiar!

Next up, the West Elm house. This house is actually owned and was renovated by Acme House Co., a vacation rental company, meaning you can rent it! West Elm furnished it. The furnishings were fine and all, basically like a cool West Elm location complete with pulsating shopping music. But I was there for the architecture and renovation of the Alexander home, which had so many good ideas with universal (if you are me) appeal! Breezeblock, not original to the house, was incorporated successfully inside and out into exterior walls, outdoor bars, mailboxes, firepits, and a bathroom vanity wall. I was really inspired by all of it and am still trying to figure out how I can replicate the bathroom wall situation. The entire bathroom will serve as inspiration for our abandoned bathroom project if we ever decided to do a full renovation. The layout is perfect for our space and the shower flanked by a sliding door to the backyard is a dream. (The sliding door has a pull down screen on the exterior for privacy!)
I also loved the outdoor spaces. They turned a front yard dominated by a large U shape driveway into a few private patio spaces, one for every front-facing bedroom. The front door is a giant sliding door within the first patio.

As if all the houses weren’t enough, the best bonus to Modernism Week was having so many Instagram friends in town! Meeting in real life was so much fun! I had the privilege of hanging with the good folks from Destination Eichler, Fogmodern, Ma and Pa Modern, and Dear House I Love You – all Eichler people (or Eichler painters…see @aaroneskridge for his awesome I Like Eich paintings that I’m sure you’ve seen all over) so you know they are great! I also got to spend a wonderful afternoon walking neighborhoods, drooling over houses, and just talking life with Audrey from @wildwoodmodern. She is the sweetest! The internet is pretty incredible, allowing you to connect with people you might actually really like. I put the intro in introvert and generally don’t like socializing or small talk or really any social conventions/norms (picture Larry David in lady form and you’ve got me), but get me at a table full of house nerds and I could hang all night. My kind of people! I definitely recommend you check out all of their houses and renovations if you don’t already follow them! Every one of them is doing incredible work!

I’ll be back next time with my favorite houses, while saying the word perfection far too many times. Thanks for reading :)