Tuesday, March 5, 2013

#psmw palm springs modernism week: 10 decorating tips from the marrekesh designer showcase

Finally, I am nearly at the end of my Palm Springs Modernism Week 2013 material. Marrakesh was the last thing my mother and I visited during President's Day weekend, and it nearly knocked our socks off.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

For example, the above is kind of a sculptural chair. Or maybe just a sculpture. It certainly looks like jelly fish tentacles no matter how you slice it.

Before I hit the top ten things I learned about decorating from Marrakesh, let me preface this by saying, in all seriousness, Marrakesh is a complex of 365 charming Hollywood Regency style condos in Palm Desert, California. Marrakesh sits on 155 beautiful landscaped acres that includes 14 pools, cabanas and spas as well as a golf course designed, in the early 1970s, by renowned course designer, Ted Robinson. The developer was Johnny Dawson, the designer was John Elign Woolf and the architect was Richard Harrison.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase
From WindermerSocal.com

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase
From Marrakesh Designer Showcase FB Page.

I already shared the perfectly charming Marrakesh time capsule, which was house one in a six house tour. The Marrakesh Designer Showcase toured us through five more homes (all for sale), beautifully decorated by a competitively selected design team. The showcase featured designers Carly Blalock, Jacques Boujaklian, Penny Chin, Linda M. Gardner, AtmaWisemanSean GastonFaye Jones, Christine Prescott, Eve Remer, and Morraika Simonds. I apologize in advance that I don't give credit to the appropriate designer with the appropriate picture. Honestly, all the homes were fabulous.

#10 When staging a home for a designer showcase, use oranges for that perfect "pop" of color.


psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


# 9 Entry gates can be used creatively to reflect original design ideas of the homeowner.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

#8 Always feature attractive arrangements of cool items on open shelving units, and and please do not over-load with clutter.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase
Bonus oranges.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


#7 Sticks are not just for campfires anymore.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


#6 Sculpture can be so very, sculptural.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

#5 Why have an ordinary light when you can have an extraordinary lighting fixture?

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


#4 Grey is a super cool color to decorate with. Right. Now.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


#3 No need to waste our precious natural timberland on kitchen cabinets when man-made surfaces do the job so cleanly and economically.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase


#2 Mirrors can NEVER be used too much.

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase
Peek-a-boo. This really should be in the sculpture section.

#1 When the out of doors is as pretty as it is at Marrakesh, how about just going outdoors (rather than bringing the outdoors in)?


psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

psmw palm springs modernism week 2013 marrekesh designer showcase

Ah Marrakesh. How we love you. 

As of the publication date, there are about thirty properties available at Marrakesh ranging from $180,000 to $700,000. The median price is about $350,000. Who knew life on a vintage, perfectly maintained golf course resort could be so affordable? Please do keep in mind, I hail from Southern California, the home of the $500,000 fix-me-up shacks.

Note: If you are a Marrakesh Designer Showcase designer and want picture credit appropriately, please leave information in comments and I will edit accordingly (nice job, by the way).



Related #PSMW Posts

16 comments:

  1. Marrekesh looks like a slice of heaven! That first white entry gate is fantastic and I really like the outdoors photographs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I loved the gates! When I got home and reviewed my pictures I realized that the Marrakesh homeowners are able to exercise some freedom of design with their gates. I wished I had photographed more!

      Delete
  2. That gray refrigerator is pretty darn cool! I had to do a double take because it blends in so well with the cabinetry. These photos are so great. You really got some great photos and posts out of this trip. I know you had a mod time and I for one appreciate you sharing. Felt like I was there in a small way. Maybe one day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am working on a kitchen remodel. The gray cabinets pretty much took my breath away. I keep thinking to myself: "gray is a trend, this shiny laminate would show all fingerprints," but I can't stop looking at them. I want! Also, thanks for the kind words about covering Modernism week. It was all too fun and I really enjoyed the posts as you can tell.

      Delete
  3. Loved this one! My fave pic had to be the outdoors of the table with the lime green chairs. Heavenly. And I have serious kitchen envy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love those lime chairs too!!!! Yeah, the kitchens. Maybe not huge, but every square inch used well and gorgeously designed.

      Delete
  4. Rebecca you have done it again! You have brought Marrakesh to the forefront and created "Marrakesh envy"! Even though these homes were designed and staged by great creative designers, we live like this year around, with or without Modernism Week. We were so proud to be a part of it and to share our joy with the world. You have helped bring it to those who could not attend. Thank you for your expert blogging about our terrific place.

    gena corbett
    chair/Marrakesh Designer Showcase

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Gena. But, really and truly, I did fall in love with Marrakesh. I came home and told my husband about the property and how wonderful I thought it was. I think your Designer Showcase Team made your point very clearly -- what a wonderful place to live. I was glad to share Marrakesh with others who I knew would appreciate it as much as I did.

      Delete
  5. Loved the thematic approach to our tour through Hollywood Regency. I'm still in awe of the fur coats casually strewn about as decor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I forgot about the fur coats strewn all over the beds!!!! Hmmm, wonder if I have a few shots? I could add a number 11 maybe?

      Delete
  6. Love the gates and the outdoor shots...and you can bet that there will be oranges in the photos of my new apartment!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes the oranges in the bowls. I think I could have had more shots of them if I had looked a little harder.

      Delete
  7. Damn, and I used lemons in bowls! What an amazing place and what great decorating. Nothing was overdone and those pops of color everywhere are fabulous! Makes me feel like I'm on the right track! Thanks so much for sharing, this is the second time we thought about going but didn't. Next year, we will have to!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I use lemons too due the presence of a lemon tree on our property. Go next year! Let's get a few of us together. We can have our own club meeting at a fabulous dinner.

      Delete
  8. WOW - every view is so stunning. We used to use lemons when showing a house - maybe because here in the US lemon scent is added to cleaning products so they are colorful and make everything seem clean.

    ReplyDelete
  9. South Florida has such an amazing modernism scene. I need to drive south and check out this summer. Can't wait to get some hardcore Florida travelin' under my belt.

    ReplyDelete

Comments keep things interesting and I respond to most.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.