Enjoy a special tour inside a 1959 home in the historic Vista Las Palmas neighborhood filled with Hollywood lore and history. Few houses combine the essential ingredients of Palm Springs quite as naturally as the Dee-Darin House: innovative postwar architecture, the Alexander Construction Company, architect William Krisel, indoor-outdoor desert living and a memorable connection to Hollywood.
Built by the Alexander Construction Company and designed by William Krisel, the residence is located in one of Palm Springs’ most important concentrations of postwar Modern residential architecture.
The Alexander Construction Company helped transform Palm Springs by demonstrating that thoughtful Modern architecture did not have to be limited to expensive custom residences. Working with architects including William Krisel and Dan Palmer, the Alexanders created stylish, efficient houses whose architecture responded directly to the desert climate and landscape.
The Dee-Darin House is an intimate example of that philosophy. At approximately 1,225 square feet, the three-bedroom residence demonstrates how carefully considered proportions, open planning, natural materials and visual connections to the outdoors could allow a relatively modest house to live far larger than its actual footprint.
Characteristic elements include the original tongue-and-groove wood ceiling, clean horizontal lines, open living spaces and extensive glazing that visually extends the interior toward the swimming pool, garden and San Jacinto Mountains.
The residence also possesses an irresistible Hollywood pedigree. It served as the Palm Springs retreat of actress Sandra Dee and singer, songwriter and actor Bobby Darin during the early 1960s, when the young couple was among Hollywood’s most recognizable celebrity couples.
Dee had become one of the era’s most popular young screen stars through films including Gidget and Imitation of Life, while Darin had achieved extraordinary success as a recording artist and performer with hits including Dream Lover and Mack the Knife. Their presence connects the residence directly to the period when Palm Springs functioned as Hollywood’s desert playground.
The house has subsequently undergone a thoughtful renovation and interior reimagining intended to preserve its midcentury character while allowing it to function as a contemporary residence. Importantly, the residence retains original architectural elements, including its distinctive wood ceiling, while maintaining the essential relationship between interior and exterior that defines Krisel’s Palm Springs work.
The result is neither a museum nor an attempt to recreate the house exactly as it appeared in 1959. Instead, it demonstrates how a historically significant midcentury residence can remain relevant and enjoyable while preserving the architectural principles that made the original design successful.
For Modernism Week visitors, the Dee-Darin House offers an especially approachable way to understand the Palm Springs phenomenon. It is simultaneously an example of sophisticated Modern architecture made accessible to the postwar market, a carefully preserved Alexander home, and a residence whose celebrity history evokes the glamour and optimism of Palm Springs at midcentury.