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Mi Modern Casa Es Su Modern Casa

Mi Modern Cassa Es Su Mored casaDesert Living
December, 2006

Mi Modern Casa Es Su Modern Casa

by Kimberely Nichols
Photography by Joseph Pellegrini

RESPECTING THE DESIGN INTENTIONS OF ARCHITECT DONALD WEXLER, HOMEOWNERS CHRISTY EUGENIS AND STAN AMY ARE MAKING THEIR MID-CENTURY MODERN CLASSIC IN PALM SPRINGS AVAILABLE TO ALL.

Christy Eugenis and her husband Stan Amy are no strangers to the mid-century Modern architecture and design of Palm Springs. They’ve been riding the retro resurgence wave together since creating the Orbit In from a grungy B&B formerly known as the Village Manor, back in 1999. They renovated the hotel so exquisitely with nods to the 50s, poolside leisure, and four o’clock martinis that the property has been hailed as one of the finest restoration efforts in Palm Springs.

Photo: Classic mid-century modern furniture was chosen to complement the 1955 architectural design.

Although their primary residence is in Portland, OR, they’ve become key figures in the desert’s architecture circle-a group of architects, designers, artists, and preservationists in love with the desert’s residences and buildings that portray the progressive but laid-back lifestyle of the area.

“We first visited the Wexler home for a Palm Springs Modern Committee Christmas party, and noticed that all of its rooms had views of wonderful outdoor spaces, giving them an atrium-like feel” explains Christy. “I was inspired to research more about the history of the home and discovered that it was the home Don himself lived in until selling it in the ’90s. It was wonderful to find that the house was on the market right at the time we were looking to purchase a home.”

Wexler’s name is synonymous with desert living. He was a pioneer in prefabricated steel construction. His homes are known for their post and beam construction, expansive use of glass, and exposed materials like the T-111 siding used for its clean vertical lines.

Stan and Christy invited Don and Nancy Wexler over to the house after they bought it. “It has been such a pleasure to hear the stories about how he designed the house, how rooms were utilized differently over time, and how he created it to be expandable for when his sons got older and needed their own bedroom wing. Those details excited us and we decided to keep the house as true to its original form as possible.”

The home beckons visitors to meander where wing-like areas can be explored and surprises found. “The tear drop-shaped hot tub has its own outdoor patio, and the pool has a unique shallow lounge on one end, which Don designed for his toddlers, but adults appreciate as well,” Christy says. “This last year, Don designed a bike garage for us, which was built behind the carport.”

Photos: Classic mid-century modern furniture was chosen to complement the 1955 architectural design. Post and beam construction allows for expanses of glass, making the entire home feel like an atrium. Note the hinges on the corner window, turning the interior into a breezeway. The laid-back Palm Springs lifestyle, Wexler style.

With much love for the historical bones, the couple kept the paint colors, floors, window coverings, and light fixtures true. Authentic period pieces were added to accentuate the period including womb chairs and ottomans, a wood Platner side table, a mosaic boomerang coffee table with Miro-like design, a Bird chair, a Nelson bench/table, a Danish modern dining sideboard, a ’50s freestanding bar, a Herman Miller ball clock, and photographs from the ’60s movie Blow Up.
Because the house is also rented occasionally to architecture buffs craving a blast from the past, Christy incorporated fun touches such as a game closet full of original games like Scrabble and Yahtzee and kitchen cupboards full of mid-century barware and dishware.

“I love the streamlined look, big eaves, exposed beams and ceilings, and the overall ease of one-level living,” says Christy. But, “what appeals to me most about mid-century architecture is the open floor plans that create a relationship of the indoors to the outdoors. That seems to happen more within this genre.” To enhance this experience, she furnished the patio with a Salterini outdoor table and chairs set and Richard Schultz 1966 chaises and outdoor dining set.

The cherry on top of their purchase, though, was the day Donald Wexler began working with local architect Lance O’Donnell in building a brand new Wexler home right next door. “I think it’s really amazing that a new home is being built next door to his original 1955 home,” says Christy. “What a testament to his passion for creating architecture!”

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