“The Ship of the Desert”, Palm Springs’ iconic architecture restored by Trina Turk
ADDED February 21, 2012
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Resembling a ship wedged into the mountainside, Ship of the Desert is a hallmark example of the Streamline Moderne, or Art Moderne, style. The house was built in 1936 but was destroyed in a fire. The new owners, Trina Turk (famed fashion designer) and Jonathan Skow rebuilt Ship of the Desert according to plans drafted by the original architects, Wilson and Webster.
From its perch, the house’s prow-front living room and wrap-around decks offer spectacular views of Palm Springs as it crests the waves of the sea of swaying palm trees below.
Here are some of the fascinating highlights of the property:
1. The living room with its curved window wall faces east to catch the morning sun. The windows all slide down into their sills and can be secreted away leaving the living room open to breezes.
2. To keep errant pests at bay, the windows are ingeniously fitted with copper screens that can be pulled down from their hiding place inside the window frames.
3.The chunky maple blonde coffee table is surmounted with a collection mid-century colored glassware and stacks of art and photography books.
4. The dining room with its dark terrazzo floor and vintage aluminum and leather chairs certainly were a nod to the streamlined moderne lines of the house.
5. The highlight of the kitchen was its enormous and lovingly well-worn butcher block island. Originally from a Brooklyn, New York delicatessen, it has very unusual metal legs that places it squarely from the industrial modern 1930′s.
Though built over 75 years ago, what worked then still works today. With windows that disappear into sills and doors that slide into walls, there is a sense of boundless freedom yet, the spaces are intimate and inviting.
Many thanks to my friend, Kurt Cyr, for allowing me to use his tour and photos to bring “The Ship of the Desert” to life!
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