Tag Archives: Palm Springs

Architecture, Interior Design

SOL 2 in Palm Springs

March 2, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Sol Exterior, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier — Exterior, Sol 2, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Dining Room, Sol 2, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Kitchen, Sol 2 Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Living Room, Sol 2, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Master Bedroom, Sol 2, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Master Bathroom, Sol 2, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Guest Bathroom, Sol 2, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Rooftop Deck, Sol 2, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Sol 2 in Palm Springs is part of a new ultra modern development in Central Palm Springs.

I’ve been watching the construction of this chic new project that sits opposite the Palm Springs Convention Center for the better part of a year. I was beyond thrilled to see that their doors were open to the public, as I was making my way to the Fine Art Fair at the convention center during modernism weekend. The exterior views of the homes remind me of Frank Lloyd Wrights Falling Water, with their elegant overlapping horizontal and vertical planes. They had two home models open: Sol 1 and Sol 2, each with a different floor plan. Todays post is about Sol 2, and I’ll follow up with images from Sol 1 at a later time.

I will tell you right now that this homes kitchen is my dream kitchen. I love everything about it, especially the surface materials. In fact, the overall vibe in this home is spectacular. It’s fresh, modern, tranquil and masculine in an understated way. I’ve been to homes and hotels in the desert that go for an over the top kitschy ‘Palm Springs’ look that can be a bit predictable after awhile. I loved this home so much, that I came back later in the day with a friend and was delighted to meet the designer who’d created the smashing interior. His name is Dino Raimondi.

Dino happily shared his process with me. Since he didn’t have an actual client, he created a fictional character and gave her a remarkable backstory, the same sort of thing an actor does. With her backstory in place, he set out to create the interiors. Muted violet tones are grounded with chocolate brown and gray. He brilliantly mixed multiple patterns that I never would have thought of. The kitchen backsplash has a geometric pattern that reminds me of a Karl Benjamin painting. While it may be hard to see, there’s also a subtle horizontal pattern in the kitchen cabinets, with a completely different pattern on the island where the sink is located. You’ll see that he also used multiple patterns in the master bath, to great affect. And the violet wall treatment in the guest bathroom is something I’ve been dying to do in white, in the entry hall of one of my properties.

Something else that became quite apparent after I examined my photos, was how effortlessly the interior color palette blended with the colors of the San Jacinto Mountains. I don’t know if this was a conscience choice on his part, but it’s super dreamy. And as you can well imagine, this model home is already sold. I wish I could have coaxed the budget out of our designer, but no luck. These properties start in the mid $600,000’s and are well on their way to being sold out.

You can learn more about Sol here

Check out Dino Raimondi’s other projects here

Architecture

Illuminated Modern in Palm Springs

February 18, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Illuminated Modern, Palm Springs Visitor Center, Modernism Week 2015, Photo Romi Cortier

Illuminated Modern, Modernism Week 2015, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier — Illuminated Modern, Coachella Valley Savings & Loan, Modernism Week 2015, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Illuminated Modern, E. Stewart Williams Architect, Modernism Week 2015, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier — Illuminated Modern, Town Palm Springs, Modernism Week 2015, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Illuminated Modern, William F. Cody Architect, Modernism Week 2015, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier — Illuminated Modern, Gas Station, Modernism Week 2015, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

Here’s a few of my favorite shots from Illuminated Modern, during Palm Springs Modernism Week 2015.

Now in it’s fourth year, Illuminated Modern focuses on significant modernist buildings in Palm Springs. It happens every night of Modernism Week, from February 12 -22. It’s a free self guided tour that simply requires you to get in your car and drive along Palm Canyon Drive between sundown and midnight. Therefore, no reservations are required, that is, unless you need to borrow a car or bicycle from someone.

I have no idea who came up with this brilliant idea, but it certainly adds another level of excitement to the full array of events happening during modernism’s 10 day extravaganza. Even though it feels a bit like Vegas, I really like it and almost wish they’d keep it lit like this year round. It would force both the tourists and locals to take note of the significant structures in town. However, that’s highly impractical. See that beautiful gas station by William F. Cody? I had to scramble through the sage brush to reach that vantage point while using the flashlight on my iphone. I don’t think of February as rattlesnake season… but who wants to take chances. That said, once I snapped my photo, it made me think of Ed Ruscha’s famous Standard Station screen print. I absolutely love how the paper thin roof nearly floats over the gas pumps, and I’d never noticed it while driving past it on the 111.

Ed Ruscha, Standard Station, 1966, Screenprint, Image Courtesy Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Here’s a quick run down on the architects of these buildings.

Palm Springs Visitor Center, 2901 N. Palm Canyon Dr. Albert Frey & Robson Chambers, 1963. (Photos 1, 6 & 7)

Coachella Valley Savings & Loan, 383 S. Palm Canyon Drive, E. Stewart Williams, 1956.

Towne Palm Springs, Originally The Harold Hicks – Desert Water Building, 1345 N. Palm Canyon Drive, E. Stewart Williams, 1955/1960

Kaplan Medical Building, 1492 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Bill Krisel

Gas Station, William F. Cody, 1961 – 62.

Click here to learn more about MODERNISM WEEK 2015

Architecture, Art, Interior Design

Lux Mid-Century Remodel at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea

January 29, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com 1 Comment

Xeriscaping at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Ca. Photo Romi Cortier

This lux mid century remodel at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea has been a labor of love for over a decade. And if you’re a friend or client, then you know that this is also my personal weekend retreat away from Los Angeles, and my artist studio.

After selling my condo in L A, I was looking for a new place to call home. Demuth Park in South Palm Springs became my new home away from home. I won’t lie to you, I’ve invested so much more money into this home than I ever imagined, but when you’re fresh out of design school at UCLA and obsessed with detail, you simply have no other choice.

I started by removing every piece of landscaping except for the palm tree in the front yard. The fruit trees in the back yard were replaced with drought resistant Palo Verde trees. The front lawn was replaced with Ocotillos and Barrel Cactus. And that traditional sidewalk up to the front door was replaced with 36 x 36 concrete pavers placed on the diagonal from the driveway… who needs pesky salesmen walking right up to your front door so easily, right? The dilapidated wooden gates and walls were replaced with corrugated metal, or cinderblock, to better withstand the summer heat. And when I replaced the rickety pergola on the north side of the home, I expanded it to wrap down onto the cinderblock wall, creating an additional private patio for outdoor dining or reading. I added a 12 x 12 concrete slab in the back yard for a gazebo, just steps away from the out door shower that I also added. Nothing better than jumping out of the pool from swimming laps, then rinsing off outdoors, clothing optional of course.

When it came to redoing the interior, my sledgehammer and I had so much fun. I opened up the wall leading into the kitchen, and while doing so, discovered that a dropped ceiling had been added in the 70’s to modernize the kitchen. In one afternoon I was able to completely pull it down, exposing the original ceiling, still intact. I removed the hallway closet behind the kitchen, and closed up the odd pass through to the bedroom. Voila, I doubled the size of the kitchen in one afternoon!

The guest bedroom had been equally chopped up, so I reconfigured it by removing a tiny closet and adding a new back door for patio access in it’s place. The old back door was walled off, and became the outdoor shower. The little tool room became the new walk-in closet complete with a washer and dryer.

The master suite bathroom had a very dated and non-functioning jacuzzi tub, remember those? I replaced it with a large walk-in shower made from tumbled travertine and chocolate frosted glass tiles... the contractor hated working with those materials, but it turned out stunningly well.

Some of the other boring, but expensive items I replace included: a new roof, new ac unit and duct work, energy efficient double-pane windows, and 18 x 18 tiles through out the home to unify the flow from room to room.

More recently I installed ceiling fans and low voltage halogen lighting. The later was a must since I opened my home to the public for Modernism Week 2014 , showcasing all of my original oil paintings that you see in the photos above. I even created that butterfly wall mural as part of a youtube video to promote the event at my home.

All good things must come to an end, so this home will be put on the market shortly. It’s time for me to move onto to another project… maybe an Art Deco inspired pied-a-terre in the city?

I’m including a few images below to show you some of the before and afters… after all, isn’t that always the best issue of Architectural Digest! Oh, and in case you’re wondering about the rock wall in front of the house painted high gloss white… I faux painted it to look like natural rock again.

Master Bathroom Remodel at 930 S. Paseo Dorotea, Palm Springs, Photo Romi Cortier

NOW ON THE MARKET, VIEW THE LISTING HERE….

Art, Interior Design

GEN LUX Magazine

August 25, 2014 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Spider mum painting installation for Palm Springs home. Decor and Paintings by Romi Cortier — Spider Mum painting installation for Palm Springs home. Decor and Paintings by Romi Cortier

'Blue Spider Mum', Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20, Romi Cortier — ‘Blue Spider Mum’, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20, Romi Cortier

'Pink Spider Mum', Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20, Romi Cortier — ‘Pink Spider Mum’, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20, Romi Cortier

'Chartreuse Spider Mum', Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20, Romi Cortier — ‘Chartreuse Spider Mum’, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20, Romi Cortier

'Orange Spider Mum', Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20, Romi Cortier — ‘Orange Spider Mum’, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20, Romi Cortier

Photo shoot for GEN LUX Magazine in front of my Spider Mum Painting Installation, Palm Springs. (Romi Cortier)

I was photographed by GEN LUX Magazine during their early years, for an editorial piece that sadly never got published. The photo shoot happened in 2005 at my Palm Springs residence, in front of a series of paintings called ‘Spider Mum Installation’. The photographer/writer for the piece was the friend of a client, and was fascinated by the idea that I’d designed both the interiors of this home, as well as an art installation specific to the residence. The pitch idea also included the fact that I was a successful salon owner and hairdresser. Apparently this was a ‘triple threat’ and a conflict of interest to the other salon owners who’d purchased ad space in the new magazine. The pitch got shot down, but the photographer very graciously gave me these photos. Nearly a decade later, and I can’t tell you how much I enjoy having these images. (I look better than I remember)

The lone interior photo at the top shows the Spider Mum Installation in the context of the home. It was taken by a photographer I’d hired for the purpose of archiving my interior design work. You’ll also notice there’s an additional Spider Mum painting over the bed, seen just beyond the frosted glass door. The home has continued to evolve over the years, and was recently the location for my POP UP GALLERY during Modernism Week 2014. The DIY Video shot at this home in 2013 (Butterfly Mural – How To) is embedded below.

When I created this painting series, I actually painted 2 variations of each color palette. Two Orange mums, two blue mums etc. The pigments from each tube of paint had different densities, therefore, some paintings were more successful then others. The Chartreuse Mum was always one of my favorites, primarily because the thicker paint allowed more of the brush work to show. While some of the mums ended up looking more like sea anemones, it still worked in the larger scheme of things. This series can also be hung with three vertical or horizontal paintings or two rows of two, creating a large square. Personally, I like the impact of all nine works hanging side by side.

Over the years, I’ve sold off several of the pieces at my salon, usually as individual works. I still have a handful of them left, and would be more than happy to arrange a private showing of them to any collector who might be interested.

Art

Palm Springs Pool Series Paintings

August 13, 2014 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

'Bigger Towel', Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30, Romi Cortier — ‘Bigger Towel’, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30, Romi Cortier

'Towel' Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30, Romi Cortier — ‘Towel’, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30, Romi Cortier

'Curved Towel' Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30, Romi Cortier — ‘Curved Towel’, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30, Romi Cortier

'Pink Striped Towel', Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30, Romi Cortier — ‘Pink Striped Towel’, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30, Romi Cortier

This is my Palm Springs Pool Series of Paintings, inspired by photos that I took around the pool of my mid-century home in Palm Springs. It’s amazing how something as simple as a Barbie Towel from Target can take on a whole new life when draped over the edge of the pool. Faded after years of use, the old towel’s tones became richer and more saturated in the water, which made for great photos and even greater paintings.

I painted this sequential series of paintings (the top three) all at the same time. This was a new approach for my work, as I’d never had the required studio space to work on so many paintings at one time.

These paintings are larger in size than their actual environment, and they’re also very tight compositions of moments that most people don’t notice. Therefore, when they’re viewed in person, people have a difficult time understanding what they are. They often see the geometry in the images, but not ‘what they are’. Once they finally see it, there’s a big ‘ah hah’ moment.

I’m a big fan of the artist Francoise Gilot. I had the pleasure of meeting her about 8 years ago at a spectacular gallery opening of her works on the upper east side in Manhattan. I was so captivated by the large scale geometry of her work, that it challenged me to see images in a different way. At the time of the show, she was about 85, and I found the boldness and modernness of her work remarkable for someone of her age. But why should age have anything to do with the quality or tone of your work? It was my perception of how I thought an older woman should paint. But this is a woman who has been painting for over 70 years, and who spent a decade with Pablo Picasso. In her book, Life with Picasso, she talked about how Pablo challenged her to distill her work, and say more with fewer strokes of the brush. Reduce. Reduce. Reduce. Paint the image, then take some of it away.

Over the years, I’ve continued to let this concept resonate with me. In the above paintings, I also focused on texture. Francoise will often use her fingers to create surface texture in her paintings, so I gave that a try with the different colors of the towels. I used a stippling brush technique with the concrete pool coping, and chose an uber smooth finish for the pool tile. The water brushstrokes are very horizontal and blended, creating a mirroring effect of the surrounding tones. These elements combined together, create a true richness to the overall finished product. Interestingly enough, I haven’t sold a single one of these paintings. So lets hope the test of time works in my favor and some savvy and sophisticated collector falls in love with these works and simply has to have them. If not.. I’m happy to enjoy them myself.

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