Good Friends

Back Row, L-R: Bruce, Emma, Ellen and Buzz.  Front Row, L-R: Melissa, Ruth, Larry

Thanks once again to Ruth and Mark for hosting our ISOMATA mini-reunion this past Friday.  It's always great having dinner with excellent friends!  The friends that you've known for years and years are the golden ones!

We had a wonderful dinner and dessert in Ruth's and Mark's home.  Their house is amazing.  It's a beautiful modern, rustic home perched on a hillside with many indoor and outdoor entertaining areas.

 

Bruce and Mark

Many of our group was absent due to colds and flu.  We missed you!!  I think I've known Bruce for the longest time...since I was about 13 or 14 years old.  We were art campers together at ISOMATA.

Larry and I are very interested in mid-20th century modern architecture.  I did a bit of research and found out about two architecturally significant homes in Idyllwild.  On Saturday, Larry, Melissa, Ruth, Mark and I set out to locate these homes.

Futuro House, viewed from the road below

The first journey was to the Futuro House.  WOW!  This place really does look like a spaceship nestled in the pines.  The home was not easy to get to.  There was not a clear path or driveway, so we scrambled up the hillside to view this alien home a bit better.  You can read about the history of other Futuro Houses here.

Futuro House, Idyllwild

Our next mid-century discovery was the Pearlman Mountain Cabin, designed by John Lautner in 1957.  Apparently, Mrs. Pearlman played the piano and Lautner designed the major room in this home to provide excellent acoustics.  The view from the back of the house is entirely of the forest.  In fact, tree trunks support the rear of this home.  Sadly, the plaster has many breaks, the roof leaks and the house supports look in need of shoring up.  I'm sure, at one time, this was a lovely mountain perch.

Pearlman Cabin, designed by John Lautner, 1957

Entrance to Pearlman Cabin

Funny coincidence, when we were at the Palm Springs Art Museum the very next day, we found a book in the gift shop called "Pre-Fab Houses" with a picture of a Futuro House on the cover!

 

Lo and behold, when we went downstairs at the Museum to view a photo collection, there stood two models of Lautner houses, one of which was the Pearlman Cabin in Idyllwild!!

Model, Pearlman Cabin

The model is in waaaaaay better condition than the actual cabin!  More mid-20th century architectural masterpieces in Palm Springs......tomorrow.