Palm Springs is a haven of midcentury-modern architecture, but that doesn’t mean the city is stuck in a time capsule.
The style — which became popular in the U.S. in the 1940s — still commands a hefty price. And aesthetics are only part of the appeal.
“It fits the California lifestyle,” said Paul Kaplan, director of an eponymous real estate group in Palm Springs. “There’s an endless demand from people who want something different than the Mediterranean tract home they’re used to in Orange County or San Diego.”
Midcentury-modern homes tend to be simple, informal and infused with light. Interior spaces blend with outside nature via wide swaths of glass and a post-and-beam construction technique that eliminates heavy support walls. Hollow cement breeze blocks, wood, steel and raked concrete are popular materials.
The properties typically sell for 25% more than a standard home. Kaplan said it’s common for a three-bedroom midcentury-modern home to cost around $600,000.
