Here in the desert there is no shortage of gorgeous homes, but for Modernism week our focus is to celebrate and appreciate the preservation of midcentury architecture and design.
Today I got to tour the Wexler house, which interestingly enough, is a short walking distance from where I reside here in Palm Springs. While I always admired the outside of the house and wondered what lay behind the white walls, I had no idea of its importance of retaining the best of mid-century style and elegance. Now I know.
This is a Donald Allen Wexler (January 23, 1926 – June 26, 2015) designed home. Wexler was an influential Mid-Century modern architect whose work is predominantly in the Palm Springs area. He is known for having pioneered the use of steel in residential design. 
H3K Home + Design worked with preservation consultant Susan Secoy Jenson (AIA – American Institute of Architects) to take this home back to its historic roots while keeping the original vision along with being able to support today’s lifestyle. No small feat.
Celebrating the home’s elongated flat roof with walls of glass, they delightfully blurred the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces, drawing the eye to the historic slump stone walls and wonderful pool area. The outside area exemplifies desert living and the mid-century modern experience.
This home is a model of thoughtful architectural preservation enlivened by the best in modern design. It received a well deserved historic designation in 2022.
Photos: d. king
Modernism is on until February 25th. For tickets please visit:
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
The interior and exterior pics both convey a real sense of the time. Super clean lines, simplicity and functionality, for sure. But some have criticized this particular style for being rather stark and not so homey or warm. But the starkness is certainly an echo of the desert, and is in that sense, a wholly appropriate matching style and feel reflecting that fact.
You certainly captured the essence of the home at that time. Local H3K Home + Design group brought it up to today’s comfort level while retaining the original architect’s vision.