It's Modernism Week time in California!

Date and location: February 17-27, Palm Springs, California.

In the heart of California, 10 days dedicated to mid-century design, architecture and art animate Modernism Week, the event that has been celebrating the best of West Coast vintage for 16 years, accompanying an audience of experts and enthusiasts to discover houses and interiors built in the mid-20thcentury and normally not open to the public.

Between talks and meetings led by prestigious architects and designers, the most sought after events during the festival are undoubtedly the expertly curated tours (by bus or on foot), which take place in the most iconic homes of the historic neighborhoods of Palm Springs. Among the most inspirational vintage pearls of the tour intOndo points out:

the Seven Lakes Golf and Country Club, nicknamed "the gem of the desert". Renowned for its distinctive 18-hole golf course complex of houses, including the iconic Clubhouse, it was built in the 1960s by Wexler/Harrison architect Richard Harrison. Modernism Week guests visit a specially curated cluster of homes, embodying the midcentury style but decorated with each owner's personal eye.

Also signed by the same architect is the unmissable Kirk Douglas Estate (1954), which was the home of the great actor and his family until recently. The structure, immersed in the legendary Old Las Palmas neighborhood of Palm Springs and recently renovated, presents the principles of American classic modern design of the middle of the 20th century: construction of poles and beams, large expanses of glass, minimal use of materials. The interior reveals true vintage gems, from Hans J. Wegner shell chairs to one-of-a-kind and tailor-made pieces, such as the Kirk's movie poster wall covering the walls of the tennis pavilion.

Modernism Week is a charity organization that supports Palm Springs students pursuing undergraduate studies in the fields of architecture and design, as well as local and state organizations aimed at preserving modernist architecture in the state of California. To find out more, visit modernismweek.com