Monday
Nov212011
Darren Brown and mid-century modern
Mon, 21 Nov 2011
Breathing life back into mid-century marvels. Putting the glitz back into the perfect Palm Springs bachelor pad. From his intial work with Jonathan Adler on the Parker in Palm Springs to work on a William Cody designed Palm Springs home, Frank Sinatra's pad in the same town and John Lautner's Garcia Rainbow house in L.A. New York based decorator Darren Brown worships at the altar of high mid-century camp. A mix of high end and Palm Springs thrift. (Obviously nothing wrong with Palm Springs thrift!) It's hep, it's hot, it's fun and it makes me swoon for mid-century madness all over again.
Reader Comments (10)
Make mine a martini!
WOW! Such an interesting mix of materials, furniture, colours and textures.
Love the square taps.
Thanks for posting!
Such an impressive house! Most of all I liked the rug in the living room! Great yellow!
Love, Olga
Am I the only one who finds this so retro that it actually seems dated?
The fixtures in this home are so unique - where does one find them?
What a fabulous place! Thanks for the photos!
Isn't the home in photos 1 and 7 featured in an episode of Mad Men? If not, it looks exactly like it!
I'm with you Annie... It reminded me of that movie, Casino. Wayyy retro.
the house in the 1st project here is frank sinatra's old home, restored to be used for period photoshoots and movies. it gets rented a lot. darren's more recent projects have an even better mix - the same kind of retro ceramics and earthy patterns, along with more feminine colors and more elegant furnishings. i know, because i used to work for him! he is the absolute best. a killer eye for one-of-a-kind pieces, and fun to boot. (@rooth - most pieces are vintage, from either 1stdibs.com or darren finds them in estate sales in palm springs)
I got such a kick out of this post - mid-century is one of my first and most enduring loves. Mix it with anything you like, from southern gothic to romantic bohemia - this and Shaker are the two enduring styles that America has offered. I've never seen it done so well - any form followed this faithfully *should* look dated... that it transends those boundaries makes it the work of a master.
However! :-) nothing can excuse carrying that wallpaper up onto the ceiling. Oh, darling, no no no!