View of historic homes and Mexican Pillar Lake at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage, California.
Courtesy of the Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands
Palm Springs is the place to go to meet people. Next door, Rancho Mirage, is, well, not so much. That's why so many A-list Hollywood stars hung up their canes in the mid-20th century, moving from Palm Springs and Los Angeles to his Mirage, a more obscure rancho that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, at least one of the Marx Brothers, Bing Crosby, and even the guy who played the wizard in the movie. wizard of oz, character actor Frank Morgan, who was signed to MGM, lived there. All wanted a country club lifestyle away from the party scene and camera flashbulbs.
Lawrence Welk, Frank Sinatra, Dinah Shore and Barbara Sinatra at the Dinah Shore Colgate Winners Circle at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California in 1972.
Martin Mills/Getty Images
Rancho Mirage has long been known as the “President's Playground,” especially for golf. Everyone from Eisenhower to Obama played the course, and Gerald and Betty Ford lived there for many years. Betty Ford He co-founded the Betty Ford Center in the city in 1982. It is also the former home of Annenberg's estate, Sunnylands, which now showcases the furniture designs of his interior designer William Haines.
“Sinatra moved from Palm Springs to Tamarisk. Bing Crosby moved to Thunderbird Heights. Lucille Ball moved from Palm Springs to Thunderbird,” said real estate agent Keith Markovitz of TTK Repens in Compass. He points out two famous country clubs in Rancho Mirage. “They moved here for the country club lifestyle,” he says. Singer, actress, and talk show host Dinah Shore is also famous for founding the Dinah Shore Golf Tournament at Rancho Mirage Mission Hills Country Club in 1972.
“Sinatra commissioned a house in Rancho Mirage,” agrees Melissa Rich, founder of Preservation Mirage and author of architecture books. mod mirage.
First Lady Betty Ford stands in front of the Betty Ford Clinic in Rancho Mirage, California in 1997.
Bob Reha Jr./Wire Image
“At the time, he was breaking up with Ava Gardner and decided to make a home at Tamarisk Country Club,” she added. Sinatra's pad was famously located along her 17th hole at Tamarisk. “From here to eternity ' had just come out and his career was being reborn, and he had 'Ava' in his rearview mirror. He was also very opposed to prejudice of any kind. “Tamarisk, founded by Jewish immigrants in Hollywood, had no restrictions,” she says.
Incorporated in 1973, Rancho Mirage was purchased and developed as a date ranch and farmland 100 years ago, making it a year younger than the residential area of Hollywoodland. However, this land has been home to Agua Caliente his band of Cahuilla Indians for much longer.
Markowitz recently listed his masterfully reimagined historic mansion in Rancho Mirage for $3.96 million and is currently under contract.
A recently reimagined and renovated classic ranch home in Rancho Mirage, California, it was recently listed with Compass' TTK representative Keith Markovitz.
lance garber
This four-bedroom, three-bath home on Rancho Road predates Hollywood's big move and is based on a classic desert ranch-style home from the mid-1940s, originally built in the It was covered with a red wooden exterior. Architect Sean Lockyer of Studio AR&D and designer Anthony Cochran of Anthony Cochran Design reimagined this modest home, adding 1,700 square feet to create a total of 3,349 square feet of interior space, up from the original 8 feet to 10 feet. We even raised the exterior to 12 feet. In some parts.
Yet all this was done without losing the low-down aspect of the original classic desert ranch.
“As you approach the house, you can see the 1940s building with low ceilings and small living areas,” says Markovitz. “And as you enter the new area, the outdoor pavilion has 10-foot-high ceilings and disappearing walls. Both the kitchen and master bedroom fully open to the pool.”
The living room of the house faces the garden.
lance garber
The effect switches from a contrasting cozy atmosphere to an airy, light and open atmosphere, giving you the best of both worlds: a combination of intimacy and a fresh modern style. “It's like the best marriage,” Markovitz says. “It's a great juxtaposition and they compliment each other beautifully.”
The organic meeting of old and new involved retaining the original kidney-shaped pool, only adding more vertical tiles and sun benches. A 1940s-era exposed beam carport has been upgraded with a hidden electric car charger. “It really helped us keep the atmosphere of the time,” Markovitz says.
Markovitz can't say whether a star once lived in the house, but he doubts it. But Hollywood celebrities were also neighbors.
“The land on which this house stands at Barbara Drive and Rancho Road was originally owned and developed by Hollywood entertainment lawyer A. Ronald Burton. – Worked with stars such as Reagan. He also represented Hedy Lamarr and sold her the house around the corner. I will keep the location a secret from the current owners. “We are committed to doing so,” she added. “People here love history, but they also love privacy.”
