The Sunnylands house in Palms Springs is much more than a home.

Dubbed the “Camp David of the West,” this magnificent 25,000-square-foot house on 200 acres of land has played host to eight presidents, one queen, two princes, multiple prime ministers, dignitaries of all stripes and of course celebrities galore.

 
Recently it was included on a “California Bucket List” compiled by the Los Angeles Times, one of a select few “Essential experiences and adventures in the Golden State.”
  

Hell Frank Sinatra got married here.

 
But the real star of the show at 37977 Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage these days in the design itself.
 Indeed, even amidst the treasure trove of mid-century modern classics in Palm Springs, the Sunnylands historic house stands out. Completed in 1966, the home was designed by famed architect A. Quincy Jones and decorated by interior designer William Haines and his partner Ted Graber for their clients Walter and Lenore Annenberg.

 
 
From the outside, you may first be impressed with the sprawling scope of the estate: a main house, guest quarters, three separate guest cottages, a private nine-hole golf course and multiple man-made lakes.
 
Jones designed the house at least partially under the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright’s organic architecture concept. It melds perfectly into the surrounding desert-mountain landscape.
 
Next, your eyes may be drawn to the iconic pink roof. Venturing inside you’ll see a continuation of this classic Palm Springs color scheme, all bright pinks and yellows.
 These colors permeate the stucco interior walls. Glass walls are prevalent as well, along with eleven-foot lava-stone walls imported from Mexico.
There’s marble flooring. Geometric coffered ceilings. Sparse rooms decorated with long sofas that one observer compared to vintage cadillac convertibles.
Everything seems low to the ground, from the structure itself on the outside to the furniture on the inside.
The Sunnylands house will be prominently featured later this month as part of Palm Springs’ annual Modernism Week, held every February. But there are opportunities for the public to visit throughout the year as well. Access to the grounds and the newly established visitor center, known as Sunnylands Center & Gardens, is free during open hours.

There is a wonderful cafe in the garden setting where coffee, tea, and light lunch items are served. 

There are also tours of the grounds (45 mins/$20) and a bird-watching tour (90 mins/$35). For those interested in design, there’s also a tour of the home itself, running 90 minutes for $45.
Enjoy this classic of mid-century modern design during modernism week, February 16-26, 2017 (expect big crowds), or any other time of year.
For more information check out the Sunnylands website at http://www.sunnylands.org.
We also invite you to peruse our furniture selection, very much in the mid-century modern tradition, at seedfurniture.com.

Who knew a bowl could be so cool!? Inspired by the texture and form of a cup of yogurt, this piece personifies beauty in simplicity. Check out more work from designer Jordi Lopez Aguilo here.

Here is a small glimpse into our workshop at Seed. We are proud to have Pedro (below) as part of our team here at our LA studio– he is truly a master craftsman. Here is part of the manufacturing process for our Cabrillo Dining Table.

LA’s Pico-Union neighborhood lies a stone’s throw away from Downtown, which is where we have been making handcrafted furniture for the last 7 years. This winter Schley, along with designers Steven Anthony (Steven Anthony, Inc) and Katherine Ferwerda (K-York Studios) will begin collaborating on styles and designs that are made entirely in Los Angeles.

“The LA Mart attracts buyers and designers from all over the world and we are eager to exhibit our locally designed and manufactured furniture that that is the product of California’s rich culture and history,” said Schley at his workshop studio on Washington Ave. “At a time when most if not all of the large manufactures overseas, it is important to show goods that are made in Los Angeles, to give buyers another option”

The 12^th-floor showroom (suite 1202) at The LA Mart will feature Steven Anthony’s Sofas, Seed Furniture’s case goods, and K-York Studios art and design elements. The hope is to attract designers and buyers who want the simplicity and speed of dealing with local Manufactures.

“My family has been building and sofas in Los Angeles for 80 years and our showroom hopes to promote local manufactures to the greater design community,” said Stephen Anthony. “We want to make people aware that there are local manufactures who can quickly customize and produce items. Larger retailers who build overseas can’t do that.”

Seed Furniture’s latest collection embodies this idea and is inspired by a 250 foot trellis they recently completed at the Huntington Gardens. 

“I wanted to create a piece and a line that was amazingly strong and durable but read as transparent and ephemeral -- all the while personifying the California living ethos,” said Schley.

Moby is one of music's most vocal advocates of LA, here are some of his latest thoughts on our city: 

"I just find that there’s such a huge creative community here and there’s an audience. When you’re in L.A., you have the space to create your art; you have people in Southern California that are really optimistic and enthusiastic about the art and music people are making; and you potentially have the ability to reach a global audience. And I think those three things have really created a really unique, wonderful environment here for creativity. It’s clearly not utopian, but I’d say it’s pretty great."

 Check out the whole interview at the LAist!