Frank Sinatra House Tour + What To See During Modernism Week

FRANK SINATRA HOUSE TOUR

Modernism Week Fall Preview took place a few weeks ago here in Palm Springs and, as part of it, we went on a house tour of Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate! Groovy, right?

The storied Twins Palms Estate saw a lot of celebrities come and go over the years and it was fun to stand in the spot that so many Old Hollywood stars did.

The original bathroom sink remains — with a crack — in which it’s said that Sinatra hurled a champagne bottle at Ava Gardner during one of their famous rows. The drama!

My favorite part was the indoor-outdoor living and the long entryway to the front door.

The house was designed by architect E. Stewart Williams in 1947. Initially, Sinatra wanted to commission Williams to design a traditional Georgian home with columns. So glad Williams convinced Sinatra to go in another direction…

THE FLAG IS RAISED!

I also loved getting to see the Twin Palms — the two palm trees in Frank Sinatra’s yard — in person. It’s where Frank Sinatra would raise a flag to signal to the neighbors that happy hour had arrived. Cheers to that!

Remember when I wrote about raising the flag here and created it at our first Palm Springs house?

MODERNISM WEEK FALL PREVIEW

I love that we can do so many fun things like that in Palm Springs, especially during Modernism Week Fall Preview and during Modernism Week.

If you’re unfamiliar, Modernism Week Fall Preview is like a mini version of Modernism Week that takes place in October. The main event, Modernism Week, takes place every February.

WHAT IS MODERNISM WEEK?

Modernism Week is like Fashion Week but for midcentury architecture and design. The entire town is abuzz with parties, home tours, lectures and more. It’s a magical time to be in Palm Springs!

If you’ve never been to Modernism Week before, and even if you have, it can be confusing and overwhelming trying to figure out what to see and do at Modernism Week.

Here’s what I recommend seeing and doing at Modernism Week 2020.

Tickets go on sale November 1, 2019 and popular events sell out quickly, so bookmark what you’re interested in now!

WHAT TO SEE & DO AT MODERNISM WEEK

I should preface this by saying you should do whatever you’re interested in. For me, it’s mostly home tours with a few parties thrown in. I love seeing inside the gems that are Palm Springs homes.

HOME TOURS

My absolute favorite thing to do during Modernism Week is go on home tours! See inside Frank Sinatra’s home, like I did here. Tour midcentury-modern gems in the neighborhoods of Indian Canyons, Vista Las Palmas and Twin Palms. If you love architecture and peeping decor, home tours are for you!

LECTURES

Fred Baby loves home tours too, but often enjoys many of the lectures taking place. There’s always a keynote address, but also several lectures from luminaries in the world of architect and design too.

PARTIES

Love to play dress-up and hobnob with design’s elite at iconic properties? Check out the parties at Modernism Week! Cocktails by the pool at a storied estate? How could you not have fun, right?

DOUBLE DECKER BUS TOUR

It probably sounds cheesy, but the double decker bus tours are actually really fun and a great way to get a lay of the land and see all of the special iconic Palm Springs neighborhoods. If you’re a first-timer, take a double decker tour!

Those are just a few things I love to see and do at Modernism Week!

You can check out the Modernism Week 2020 events calendar here.

And remember, tickets go on sale for Modernism Week 2020 on November 1st!

Have you been to Modernism Week? What are your favorite things to see and do?

WHAT I’M WEARING

Oh, and a tidbit on what I’m wearing. This is a vintage yellow jumpsuit that we found at The Frippery, one of my favorite Palm Springs vintage shops! Fred Baby got it for me for my birthday back in April. The scarf too! He has excellent taste. 

I tracked down a few similar vintage yellow jumpsuits, plus new yellow jumpsuits and silk scarves so you can get the look, if you’d like.

Enjoy!

PHOTOS by FRED MOSER 

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