Collection by Aaron Britt
Visiting Borrego Springs
Last week I was in Borrego Springs, California, a tiny town in the middle of the Anza Borrego desert in San Diego County. A good two hours northeast of San Diego, the town was, and is, a hotspot for mid-century modern design. Tucked in among the Spanish and southwestern architecture is a trove of homes, offices, and clubs that would make any fan of the fabulous 50s drool. Lesser known than storied Palm Springs, Borrego Springs offers all the beauty of the desert without the bustle of the better known vacation spot. I got a cracking tour of the place from Bill Lawrence who runs Borrego Modern and I'll be posting more photos from my trip soon. Here's the first batch to whet your appetite for groovy desert design.
The main shopping area is an outdoor mall that has all the sun-baked vibes of Californian mid-century design. The big overhangs provide ample shade in the hot summers and the design has a kind of modern-meets-adobe feel. There must be a thousand plazas, schools, and civic spaces in California that have this same, sunny feel.
When Hollywood celebs were burned out by Palm Springs they'd often zip down to Borrego. The Palms at Indian Head is just the hotel they'd stay at, too. In the lobby are photos are Bing Crosby and the like. They also say that Sinatra and Monroe stayed here too. It was bought and fixed up by the current owners in 1993.
Finally, here's a look at Lawrence's Fairway cottage designed by Dick Zerbe. It's at the De Anza Country Club and was originally used as temporary housing for folk who were considering buying a house at the Club.
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