Just a short drive from Los Angeles, Palm Springs is one of Southern California’s top destinations for stars and design enthusiasts looking to buy a midcentury modern home brimming with history and retro Mad Men–esque appeal. William Krisel, Don Palmer, Richard Harrison, and Donald Wexler were four prolific architects who helped cement the city’s reputation as a mecca of midcentury-modern design, collectively building about 2,220 homes throughout the Coachella Valley between 1957 and 1966—usually in partnership with the Alexander Construction Company. Charles DuBois, Barry Berkus, Albert Frey, and Hugh Kaptur are a few other architects of note who were active during the same time period and responsible for other beautifully designed estates and bungalows for the rich and famous, like the Marilyn Monroe home seen below.
Common features of these midcentury abodes are a single-story layout with an open kitchen, living room, and dining area, along with features such as three-quarter walls to divide rooms and patterned brick and concrete for the interior walls (no trim or molding in sight). In-ground pools and breeze-block walls are other signature calling cards of the style. Crafted from post-and-beam construction steel atop a concrete slab, the homes are also topped off with exposed roof planks, whether a flat roof or a center- or side-vaulted version. Some even flaunt a butterfly-style roof.
While you can peek inside along one of the local architecture tours that snake through the area, you might not know that you can actually rent one of these historic homes to live like Old Hollywood royalty—if only for a weekend. From estates that Frank Sinatra once called home to cozy bungalows with period-specific furnishings, these properties let you cosplay as a dweller from a different era (or one of Tinseltown’s elite) among some of the furnishings and design signatures that defined the 20th-century era of desert modernism.
Here in the Marilyn Monroe estate that the late actress once called home, Charles DuBois worked his magic to craft a charming four-bedroom, four-bath home that had plenty of nooks to escape to inside and outside the home. Completed in 1961 by Alexander, the home’s interior is outfitted in some of the era’s most iconic designs, including an arc floor lamp, Le Corbusier lounge chair, and a framed large-format Slim Aarons photo taken at the Richard Neutra-designed Desert House. The pool-scape is the most quintessentially Palm Springs area of the home, lined with loungers under the meringue yellow umbrellas and encompassing a hot tub that lights up for night-time swims. With its pretty blue cabinetry, the spacious kitchen also allows for cooking meals as a group.
Designed by E. William Stewart in 1947, this four-bedroom, 6.5-bath home boasts not only a piano-shaped pool but an adjoining pool house that comfortably sleeps eight people—guests will have to flip a coin to decide who sleeps in the room with the banana leaf wallpaper though. Because this was once Frank Sinatra’s home, some of his memorabilia and the original recording studio remain to peruse. Furnishings like chrome-back dining chairs in one of the two dining areas and an atomic-like globe chandelier definitely reflect the period, while sliding-glass doors seamlessly blend the indoor and outdoor spaces. Entertaining guests here is a must if you really want to make the most of the home, and there are Viking appliances in the baby-blue kitchen along with a wine fridge and wet bar to dutifully help you play host.
Completed in 1961, this two-bedroom, two-bath bungalow designed by Barry Berkus features a chevron-like folded-plate roofline, which allowed for fewer support walls and columns. Its vintage furnishings are period-specific, right on down to the bar cart, and even the kitchen cabinetry and cool mint-green appliances are original. The baths have been updated in crisp white, echoing the minimalist aesthetic seen throughout the rest of the home. Both the pool and hot tub are shared with other residents in the complex, but guests do have access to the entire home on their stay.
This three-bedroom, four-bath home was featured on the 2018 Modernism Week and designed by Albert Frey. Only a few of his homes are located in Palm Springs, making this a true rarity. Cone-shaped pendant lighting in the kitchen and a cocoon-style light fixture above the dining area are two spot-on decorative elements. If guests are into tennis, the access to a full-size court is a dream, as is the pool, spa, and outdoor space for lounging and dining. For groups that want to spread out, there’s a separate ensuite casita next to the main house. Like most Palm Springs’ midcentury-era homes, sliders connect nearly every room to the outdoors with ease.
Swiss Miss is a housing style in Palm Springs that’s easily recognizable by its A-frame, chalet-like roof. This six-bedroom, 4.5-bath home was designed by Charles DuBois and built in 1958. The original stone fireplace, as well as the original breezeblocks, teak wood, and tongue-in-groove ceiling have been preserved. Up to 12 people can be seated at the indoor dining table, but the outdoor area is equally spacious, encompassing a spacious pool, tanning decks, and fire pits.
Modernizing Charles DuBois’s original design meant enhancing the kitchen’s open layout with an island and a wet bar, plus adding rainfall showers to the baths, all while holding true to the home’s time period. The owners’ curation of Danish and vintage furnishings (such as a sage-green Egg chair and walnut dining set) further celebrate the home’s bones, along with a framed photo of Aaron Slims’s Poolside Glamour and a sunburst metal work of art.
Included on Modernism Week tours in 2017, 2019, and 2023 and one of the marquee examples of midcentury architecture in the Palm Springs area, this three-bedroom, two-bath home popped up in partnership with West Elm circa 2017. To match the refreshed interior, West Elm furnishings and lighting in perfect pitch with the home’s 1958 completion date—such as olive green plush chairs in the living room and Huron outdoor lounge chairs with matching ottomans—were added. Among the alfresco areas hugging the pool and its waterfall spa are three outdoor showers, fire features, a pavilion (with a wet bar and electric heaters), an outdoor tub, and a bocce ball court.
Featuring a kitchen updated with Viking appliances, this two-bedroom, two-bath home—built in 1962—has two gas fireplaces: one in the living room (flaunting gorgeous fieldstone) and another in the media room. An atomic chandelier hovers above the dining area. In the backyard are a saltwater pool, hot tub, BBQ area, fire pit and ample space for outdoor dining.
Yellow-and-white striped umbrellas, yellow chaises, and fire pits with surrounding seating all add vibrancy to the backyard pool area of this three-bedroom, two-bath home designed by Krisel. Inside, a dining table can seat six people. Smart design choices with wallpaper and art, plus kitchen cabinetry and bathroom-tile updates, keep this home snug in the middle of the last century.
A covered outdoor pavilion, BBQ grill, mini golf and turquoise- and lime-green striped umbrellas near the pool firmly plant this four-bedroom, three-bath home near the time it was built. Inside it’s just as sweet, with period-specific wallpaper and furnishings honoring the era and Palmer and Krisel’s design.
Anchoring the backyard is a saltwater pool, outdoor kitchen and fire pit, while the interior of this three-bedroom, three-bath home beyond its bright yellow door is light and bright and airy. Furnishings carry designer status, sourced from Stephen Kenn and MiroHaus.
Whether it’s Gucci’s Tiger Face Print wallpaper or neon-hued geometrics, each room’s wallpaper resembles a gallery all its own. Also, a framed Slim Aarons-esque photo hangs in one bath of this three-bedroom, two-bath home designed by Krisel and is another inclusion on last year’s Modernish tour. Surrounding the pool are a cabana, fire pit, BBQ, giant Jenga and dining area.
Contrasting with its whitewashed interior are bursts of bright yellow, also depicted on striped poolside umbrellas at this three-bedroom, two-bath home dubbed Citrus Oasis that was built in 1959. A fire pit, outdoor dining space and BBQ are also outside and one bedroom has a desk in case one is on a work-cation, while the kitchen has been upgraded with stainless-steel appliances and a natural quartzite breakfast bar.
Craving an escape? From colorful carry-ons to cleverly designed packing cubes (how did we ever travel without them?), shop everything you need to make the journey in style—and as streamlined and stress-free as possible.
