Walter S. White’s Alexander Home: Vivid Mid-Century in Palms Springs

Looking at the overhead shot of this Palm Springs mid-century home, one word immediately springs to mind: vivid. In fact, the various colours and textures offered by the landscaping, the swimming pool, and the conspicuously fertile vegetation go a long way to obscuring the house itself, at least from this perspective

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Not to worry though, because the house more than holds its own when looked at close up. Indeed, this original mid-century house demonstrates some pretty impressive architectural flourishes.

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We were particularly captivated by the curved roof, clad in thin strips of highly polished wood, also the walls of glass, and the local “lava rock” stonework, both of which occur throughout. Like the view from outside, these elements represent a distinctly stimulating visual composition. Yet somehow, it’s not over the top. Rather, it’s quite well put together.

Credit for this must go to the original architect Walter S. White, a man whose designs are quite ubiquitous in the Coachella Valley in which this one is situated.

READ ALSO: This Opulent Palm Springs Home Offers a True Sensory Overload

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White built the home in 1956 for the Hungarian born psychoanalyst Dr. Franz Alexander (renowned as one of the founders of psychosomatic medicine). Judging by the house he had White build, and his impressive resume, Alexander must have been a rather interesting individual.

 

 

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Photos by Patrick Ketchum

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