Tag Archives: Palm Springs

Dazzles Vintage Store – Palm Springs, CA

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Tiki Sites and Stores and tagged with , , , , ,

IMG_7036After our Modernism Week architecture bus tour, my cohort and I started walking up Palm Canyon Drive to get a closer look at the tiki torches from Don the Beachcomber Palm Springs. About a block before we reached them, we stopped in our tracks when we spotted these two tikis out by the sidewalk.

IMG_7004They ended up serving their purpose, which was drawing us into Dazzles, a vintage store that we otherwise wouldn’t have noticed. It’s set back from the street in what appears to be a converted motel or apartment building that they share with a dentist’s office.

IMG_7015The first rooms you encounter are filled with knickknacks like macramé owls, resin grape clusters and this lovely Venus rain lamp. Make sure to keep exploring the rest of the building because this is just scratching the surface of their selection.

IMG_7016The tiki bar at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe no longer exists, but back in the day they produced so many mugs that they’re not all that uncommon to find. I also saw a couple peanut lined face mugs marked at $20 a piece.

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In the central courtyard there was an empty swimming pool surrounded by for-sale patio furniture and more palm tikis. On the north side are open doorways leading to still more rooms that are also part of Dazzles.

IMG_7026Here’s where we really hit the jackpot of neat stuff — so many stacks of furniture and art that we had to be careful not to knock anything over. There’s also a large case of bakelite and costume jewelry that Yelpers seem to be quite fond of.

IMG_7027Hello, gorgeous! That’s a nice pair of…barstools. (I was referring to that tiki bar there in the middle, of course.)

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I liked these matching restored rattan rocking chairs, but at five grand for the pair they were a wee bit out of my price range. Just like me to pick out the expensive items, but there were tons of other more wallet-friendly finds, including rattan side tables, coffee tables, wine racks and lamps.

IMG_7032Dazzles is just one of many mid-century modern shops in Palm Springs’ Uptown Design District, which the Los Angeles Times recently blogged about. While you’re in the neighborhood, check out the Shag Store and Trio Restaurant.

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Dazzles
1035 North Palm Canyon Dr.
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-327-1446

Modernism Week – The Contemporary Idol Art Show

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Events and tagged with , , , , ,

IMG_7142Last month, M Modern gallery in Palm Springs celebrated Modernism Week with openings for two new art exhibitions. The Contemporary Idol featured work from “20 artists interpret(ing) primitive art in the modern habitat.”

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A tiki art show at M Modern just wouldn’t be complete without a contribution from Shag. Naturally it had a little red “sold” dot next to it.

IMG_7040Derek Yaniger and Doug Horne were more familiar faces from The Book of Tiki 10th Anniversary exhibition at M Modern from awhile back, which is not surprising since author Sven Kirsten also curated this show.

IMG_7043The home decor aspect of the exhibition’s theme was emphasized by these tiki lamps courtesy of Jim “Polynesiac” DePompei. I especially liked the Andres Bumatay-style one on the left.

IMG_7058This “Twin Tangaroa Trio” is by Lake Surfer, whose carvings have appeared in Trader Vic’s Chicago and the Foundation Tiki Bar in Milwaukee. As there’s a lack of palm trees in his present homeland Wisconsin, he uses hardwoods like oak and maple, which give his work a distinctive look.

IMG_7054The pièces de résistance were undoubtedly the two intricate wood collages (“Face to Face” on left) from Leroy Schmaltz, “godfather of all tiki carvers” and co-founder of Oceanic Arts. It was also very appropriate for Ken Pleasant to be represented (“Irony” on right) since he carries on the aesthetic of Witco, the company that popularized primitive-style furniture in the 1960s. (See: Tiki Modern)

IMG_7076Dawn Frasier‘s paintings have such a beautiful, ethereal quality to them. “The Mystical Order of Mu” was part of this group show, but she also had a few other pieces on display.

IMG_7125The other new exhibition was called Modern Moods, a solo show from Bosko Hrnjak. I already dig his straightforward mid-century modern settings, but this one (“Sector 9”) gave it a fun sci-fi twist with a crash-landed spaceship and the sly suggestion of a future government cover-up.

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Modernism Week – Palm Springs Architecture Bus Tour

Posted by The Tiki Chick in Tiki Sites and Stores and tagged with , , , ,

IMG_6952One of the most popular events during Palm Springs Modernism Week seemed to be the architectural double-decker bus tours. They were scheduled twice a day throughout the week and some sold out fairly quickly since there were only about 50 spots on the top level. (We got our tickets about a month in advance.)

IMG_6904You could venture out to some of these places on your own by purchasing the map produced by the Palm Springs Modernism Committee (available online and at the visitors center for $5). However, you wouldn’t have the higher vantage point where you can peek into walled yards with impeccable pools and mod furniture.

IMG_6910JR Roberts (Boccardo Roberts Architecture and Design) was an invaluable skipper on our three hour tour. Our weather was anything but rough, though. It was 80-something degrees by the time we departed at 9 a.m.

IMG_6916One of our early stops was the iconic Kaufmann house from 1947, designed by Richard Neutra. The history of its restoration is fascinating, including the re-opening of a quarry in Utah to match the original stone. (Sidenote: A print of Slim Aarons’ photo of a 1970 pool party at the house hangs at Hula’s Modern Tiki in Phoenix.)

IMG_6915The Alexander House was dubbed “The House of Tomorrow” by Look magazine in 1962, but it’s more famously known as Elvis Presley’s “honeymoon hideaway.” (The restored estate is open for guided tours — and you could even be like The King and rent it out for a honeymoon.) William Krisel designed it as a series of circular spaces, and it was originally built to be the personal residence of Robert Alexander of the Alexander Construction Company.

IMG_6956The Alexander Construction Company built more than two thousand mid-century modern homes in the Coachella Valley with Krisel’s architectural firm Palmer & Krisel, who designed many more in California and Nevada. Krisel has even consulted on recent restorations, like this Twin Palms house. Apparently that groovy geometric garden was part of the original plans! (Check out the inside on Design Furnace’s blog.)

IMG_6963Our guide was very entertaining, relating celebrity gossip and greeting people at yard sales as we passed. He even showed off a wicked sense of humor when an ambulance drove by with its sirens blaring and he said something like: “Looks like another mid-century house will be on the market soon.”

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I was very pleased that he pointed out these three tiki torches on Palm Canyon Drive, which are all that remains of the Palm Springs branch of Don the Beachcomber that opened in 1953. (Jeff Berry‘s book Sippin’ Safari has some great stories about it, like gold-plated chopstick cases for the celebs.) The Royal Hawaiian Estates and the large A-frame of the Caliente Tropics hotel could have been other tiki points of interest, but our route just barely bypassed them.

IMG_6965We’re house-hunting in Los Angeles now, and I’m afraid Palm Springs totally spoiled me with all of its amazing architecture. Even the fast food joints are located in some striking buildings. This one is a KFC!