Modernism Week: Vista Las Palmas Neighbourhood Tour
The high concentration of perfect mid-century marvels in Palm Springs means that the bucket list of places to see is a mile long. Each visit to our favourite desert city sees us trying to cross a couple of dream houses off the list, and the neighbourhood tour of Vista Las Palmas during Modernism Week was a truly special one — managing a peep inside the stunning Morse Residence, known in the PS community as one of the ‘best entertaining venues’ in the city.
As soon as we walked inside, it was easy to see why! The Morse Residence is owned by Joan & Gary Gand, and has been lovingly restored and revamped to perfection. Walking into the home, down the hallway, flanked by original Alexander Girard tapestries and wall hangings, I think I stood in shock for a minute taking in the perfect party pad. A sunken lounge area, and a further sunken bar, across from the swimming pool that juts into the living area (and provides a swim-up bar while you’re splashing about in the pool). The Morse Residence is now a designated Palm Springs Class One Historic Site, and is truly an amazing sight to see.
Other standouts touring the Vista Las Palmas Neighbourhood included enormous glass-walled lounge rooms and bedrooms that provided full views of the pools, palms, and the mountains behind them, perfect pops of colour, and rich textures (like the rattan wallpaper as a bedhead) that add a warmth to spaces that can otherwise feel quite stark.
Tours of the Vista Las Palmas Neighbourhood in Palm Springs aren’t run regularly, but often during Modernism Week there will be something affiliated with the community that can offer you some insight into the homes and neighbourhood history. All ticket details for events during Modernism Week can be found here. If you’re visiting Palm Springs and self-driving, the Vista Las Palmas neighbourhood is a great one to take in (although some spots are trickier than others to admire, as there are a lot of cul-de-sacs, and all the houses are private property). Keep an eye out for the Swiss Miss homes that are really only found in this area, and definitely admire the external views of the Morse Residence, usually with a cute car parked in front to add to the charm!
