More Stewart Galleries, Palm Springs

Billy shopping at Stewart Galleries

This is the final post on our Wild West trip- we always make time to visit beautiful, eclectic, Stewart Galleries, at the corner of Indian Canyon and Arenas- it's a must, as a charming option to the more trendy Palm Springs Design District, which is located further north, and is almost entirely devoted to mid century modern.  The mix at Stewart is more like a cross between John Rosselli and a Madison Avenue art gallery- they have many fine, well priced original works of art, some of which are by Russian artists.

Stewart Galleries, Palm Springs, CA

Above, I adore this small painted table, something Albert would have liked- especially for a desert project.  I had gotten up early and gone out to hike as I enjoy the morning sunrise and the quiet calm of the morning California desert.  The gallery was not yet open for biz, so I snapped through the glass- original painted finishes like this one are very much in vogue right now.

Stewart Galleries, Palm Springs, CA

I also admired this wonderful old parcel gilt and ivory painted table, probably Italian- or "Continental" as the auction catalogs often say- and it also shows a glimpse of what dear Albert liked- I think Mrs. Brown had a bigger version only with legs in her Long Island house.  On another topic, I attended a nice party last night, here in Naples, for Corbett Lighting- at Wilson Lighting- and the goodie bags had links attached for Philippines relief- here they are if you want to donate-
https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/TyphoonHaiyan/
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/super-typhoone-haiyan-response/#donateBottom/
Stay tuned for more updates on DFS.  DF *****

Desert Elegance, El Paseo

Phyllis Washington Antiques, Palm Desert, CA

One of the high points of our recent trip out west was visiting stunning El Paseo, the Rodeo Drive of the Coachella Valley- there is every designer and boutique you can think of plus a few more, it's one very long shopping street, lined in gorgeous flowers, the greenest grass, all manicured, and Bentley, Rolls, etc...I enjoyed seeing Mr. Brent Hartman, at Maison Felice, aka Phyllis Washington Antiques, immensely- his gallery is 28,000 square feet of my favorite continental furnishings - mixed with some interesting mid century pieces- reminding me of the current mix at F.P. Victoria, back east,in New York...divine!

Phyllis Washington Antiques

So, if one picture is worth a thousand words, then I'd say this one is worth a billion words! The mirror and console shown above are simply my idea of heaven on earth.  I didn't even ask how much- since the gallery has a very charming way of displaying prices on small lucite holders- very nice- and what fun to have your picture taken ( I was a tourist) by Miggs- a drop dead gorgeous half Italian, half Spanish young man who also is a professional model when not working in the shop!  (Picture Nacho but younger and even more handsome).

Striking a pose at Maison Felice 

Back in Palm Springs, I neglected to mention the fabulous food we experienced- there were two places Billy and I especially enjoyed- Wangs In The Desert, and Lulu California Bistro.  We liked Wangs so much we went twice!  The very gracious maitre'd was from Austria- and the food was sublime, I washed it down with a MAI TAI (hello Franny Halcyon)  so good!  At Lulu, we enjoyed a pre-theater dinner - three courses- and I carb loaded with a four cheese penne bolognese- funny, somehow I came back to Florida weighing less! ? !
www.lulupalmsprings.com  Stay tuned for more of the accidental tourist- Cheers!  DF *****   

Las Palmas Star Homes

Kaufman House, 1946 by Richard Neutra

Thanks to our Desert Adventures tour, we were able to view some of the spectacular properties located in Palm Springs- in Vista Las Palmas, and the Las Palmas estate section.  The mid century beauty above, has been reportedly extensively restored, and last sold in 1992.  This house has been associated with the singer Barry Manilow.  The Kaufman family also worked with architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Dinah Shore, 1963

 The sprawling estate shown above, belonged to Ms. Dinah Shore- I always loved her television show as a child, and the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament is a huge draw every year in the Palm Springs area.  Our guide, Bob, was particularly fond of this house, which last sold in 2011, for the handsome price of 4.9 million.

Elizabeth Taylor, 1937 

One of my personal favorites, above, the Liz Taylor house, is on the same street as Dinah's and had the most beautiful white roses all around the stucco- this one can be rented for weddings, etc.  Check out Billy and yours truly posing in front of the entrance gate (below).

Billy and Dean, 2013

 I was totally entranced by the fabulous shadows cast by the intricate filigree iron work of the Liz Taylor gate...while having a somewhat bad hair day! Tee hee.  What would Liz think? Probably no worse than Larry Fortensky.

Marilyn Monroe, 1961

You may have heard of the Alexander homes? The Alexanders were big builders in the hey day of Palm Springs, and created many of the so-called "mid-century" houses still standing today.  Marilyn's house was constructed in 1961, with an estimated square footage of 2,978 - it's not far from the other Alexander house we saw, where Elvis and Priscilla Presley spent their honeymoon.  Perhaps Lisa Marie was even conceived there?

Lucy and Desi Arnaz, 1926

  The house above, formerly owned by Lucy and Desi, intrigued me with its very adobe look- it's also located near the former Liz Taylor house.  I think I look pretty tough here, don't you agree?

Lily Tomlin, Jane Wagner, 1952

Above, this was the best shot I could get of the former home of Lily Tomlin and her partner- there is even a plaque noting the provenance- which we also saw on several other of the properties we viewed.  Obviously, privacy was a priority for these fabulous celebs.

Cher, 1938

The former home of fabulous CHER, was extensively remodeled by the star- and last sold in 2007 for around $1,950,000.00.  The gate standing open seemed very inviting, and you could glimpse the pool through the tall glass/wood entry doors, which I found very sexy.

Liberace, 1952

I saved the best for last!  Above, the "Piazza di Liberace" was used as a guest house- sometimes his mother stayed there- this one evokes a misty Hollywood Regency style- with some cute kitsch touches, such as a piano shaped mail box.  Neighbors reported hearing music coming from the house too.

detail of plaque

  We also saw the old Liberace house in Las Vegas, which sadly, was in a state of ruin. I decided not to photograph that house, located on Shirley Street- since it had seen better days.  The Cloisters house, in Palm Springs - has been bought and is being remodeled into a guest house- so I chose not to shoot that one either, but I did get the charming "Our Lady Of Solitude" chapel located directly across from The Cloisters house, which was shown in the recent film "Behind The Candelabra" (now on DVD). 

Our Lady Of Solitude, 151 W, Alejo Road, Palm Springs, CA

Well dear readers, I certainly do hope that you enjoyed my little old blog post today, and who knows, there might even be more tomorrow! Enjoy the day- DF *****

Viva Las Vegas, Posh Palm Desert

Maison Felice, Palm Desert, Ca 

We just returned from a fantastic week out west- first in fabulous Las Vegas, then Palm Springs- and were able to do some Liberace sleuthing too- which was great fun after having read the book (Behind The Candelabra) and seeing the movie about Liberace, starring Michael Douglas and Matt Damon-

Piazza di Liberace, Palm Springs, CA

  Above, a shot I took via i-fone, of the former Liberace guest house- which is in old Las Palmas, an estate section of Palm Springs, where many famous stars have had places - this one was built in 1952, and last sold for $625,000. We had a private tour courtesy of Mr. Bob Gross, of Desert Adventures - www.red-jeep.com - in a cute red jeep - it was tons of fun, stay tuned for more - ! DF *****

Another Palm Springs Shop I Like, Stewart Galleries

Stewart Galleries

Another favorite source of mine, in the California desert, is Stewart Galleries.  
www.stewartgalleries.com
I'm looking forward to visiting there next month, and the last time we were out west, I picked up some very handsome selenite candle holders.  Kelly Wearstler is also a client of the shop, and it's a veritable treasure trove of fine art, decorative objects and handsome furnishings.  
Cheers! DF *****