It would be hard to find a more perfect place to begin a tour of Palm Springs architecture than the Saguaro Hotel. Rows of balconies painted in a vibrant rainbow of shades wrap around a swimming pool decked out in sunny yellows and oranges. Designed to reflect the colors of Coachella Valley desert wildflowers, the Saguaro is an explosion of color and an audacious style that prompts an immediate smile and curiosity.
The Saguaro is the meeting spot for our tour of three mid-century modern homes with Kurt Cyr, designer, Palm Springs architecture expert and founder of the Palm Springs Mod Squad. Kurt greets us in front of the hotel, and it’s immediately evident that we are in for a terrific morning. Friendly, warm and engaging, he explains that he typically limits his small group tours to five guests, but is inviting a couple who booked at the last minute to follow his minivan in their car and listen to his commentary by phone. “I did all the tours this way during Covid,” Kurt says, “and it worked quite well.”
Desert Modernism
As he drives to the first house, Kurt talks about the architectural style called “Desert Modernism” and its impact on Palm Springs. I quickly realize that I’d better pull out my notebook if I want to remember even a kernel of the information he is offering. The phrase walking encyclopedia immediately comes to mind!
The houses we will be visiting, Kurt tells us, are private residences, and the owners may or may not be home. Interior photography is not permitted, but we are free to photograph exterior details. Kurt features different homes on each tour, depending upon availability. House exteriors all reflect four principles of Desert Modernism:
- A cantilever is used in conjunction with a band of windows.
- A brise soleil – French for sunscreen or sun breaker – serves as a decorative wall to block sun, but let in light.
- Sunflaps are attached to exteriors to block direct sunlight and reduce heat gain.
- Patterned brick or shadow block creates sun-activated shifting patterns of light and shade.
Palm Springs is a one-story town, Kurt says, with homes built at a maximum height of 15 feet. There are no attics or basements. Traditional Palm Springs colors are orange and blue and also chartreuse, with front doors painted a variety of colors. Interior walls and floors are typically white.
House #1: The Wentworth
The owner is just leaving to walk his dog as we arrive at the first house of the tour. Known as “The Wentworth,” the home was designed by renowned Palm Springs architect Donald Wexler and sold to the original owners in 1965. It was refurbished in 2013, and later expanded to include additional space at the back of the house.
Inside, Kurt explains how the architect made his tract homes feel spacious and even grand. He says that Wexler designed the entry – known as “the bridge” – higher than the floors, requiring visitors to step down into the living space. Door openings go up to the ceilings and are not trimmed in molding, creating a feeling of height. Ceilings in the home’s private areas are lower than in the living, dining and kitchen areas, signaling that you are entering a different part of the house. Window and door size and placement maximize light and views and create seamless transitions between interior and exterior spaces.
House #2: New Take on an Original Design
Although not constructed in the mid-century, the second house on our tour is based on a 1959 design by architect William Krisel. A key player in Palm Springs’ mid-century design, Krisel built 2,500 tract homes in the 1950s that still exist today, nearly doubling the size of the city. Krisel licensed one of his 1959 designs to architect Sean Lockyer, who created a custom home for his clients in 2005.
House #3: The Desert Star
Our final stop is a 1956 motor lodge called The Desert Star. Designed by architect Howard Lapham, the “apartment hotel” welcomed visitors until 2005, when it was sold as a seven-unit condominium complex. Today, six of the units are available as rentable vacation studios. A couple who manages the property makes the seventh – and largest – unit their home. The Desert Star Apartments were designated a Class 1 Historic Site by the City of Palm Springs in 2016.
As we enter Number 7, we are actually walking into the original motel office, which now serves as a foyer that leads to the owners’ living room. It’s a seamless transition, but I find myself imagining where the desk must have stood and how it must have looked in the 1950s and ’60s. Surely there was a desktop bell that you’d ring if the manager wasn’t behind the desk. And maybe one of those circular postcard stands. And a display of brochures advertising tantalizing things to do in Palm Springs. And of course, there would be a guest book for visitors to sign.
Suddenly I’m transported to another place and time. But I’m jolted back into 2026 when I realize that Kurt and the rest of the group have already moved on, discussing painted wood ceilings in the living room.
Mary, I’m wondering if, somehow, you and Herb engineered several thirty-six hour days into your stay in Palm Springs? You certainly packed a great deal into your schedule and every bit of it is captivating! These mid-century modern designs sit beautifully in their landscape and the colours seem just right too. I loved your explanation of the detail, which took me right back to touring some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs with their varied ceiling heights and lowered floors in places. So very clever and for someone like me with no architectural training whatsoever, absolutely fascinating. I’m grateful that the owners didn’t mind everyone taking a peek at their homes, especially those of us so far away, because the chance to enjoy the Palm Springs vibe on a cloudy afternoon over here is very much appreciated!
Thanks so much, Gill! Our three-and-a-half days there were clearly of the 24-hour kind, but I love your thought of being able to expand time! I was really taken with the mid-century modern designs and gained a real appreciation for the style. Like you, I love architecture and design – no formal training on my end, either – and wanted to include as much information in this post as possible, especially without being permitted to photograph the interiors. I was truly surprised by how much there was to experience in Palm Springs beyond the image of sunshine and palm trees. This tour was our final stop before heading home, and Herb and I thought it was a terrific way to end our time there.