Palm Springs Doors & Gardens

It was pretty grey and rainy here in the Bay Area this weekend, and the grey skies and cooler weather have hung around for the start of the week as well.

All this cooler weather has got me thinking back to my trip to Palm Springs at the beginning of February for the blogging conference Alt Summit. I've been meaning to share photos from my time spent in the little spot of color in the desert that is Palm Springs, so let's brighten up the day with a little mid-century modern goodness and some colorful doors.

If you're a fan of mid-century modern architecture and design like me, Palm Springs is a must see. While we were in town for Alt Summit, my friend Jessica and I knew we had to get out and see some of Palm Springs' most well known homes. So during a break in the afternoon, we hopped in the car with our map from saltycanary.com (which you can find at the bottom of this post) and spent an hour or so taking photos of homes that we'd love to live in .

Here's a look at my favorite homes, colorful doors and stunning dessert gardens...

At one point, a homeowner asked us if we'd like to see his backyard. To be honest, we were a little worried at first, but he seemed nice enough so we decided to go take a look. Oh boy, am I glad we did! So many of these gorgeous houses back onto golf courses. There are no back fences at all. You just walk out the back door, and there's a picturesque (and private) golf course right there, surrounded by palm trees with the stunning mountains as a back drop. Now, I don't play golf, but can you imagine having this in your back yard? My girls would love all that lawn to run around on.

The natural beauty isn't just limited to the backyards. The manicured front gardens we saw were perfect and even the cacti were colorful. How stunning are these gardens? Oh, and the lawn in front of the house with the pink door - you have to see the edge of it! It's angled to perfection. I want a lawn like that one day - but I don't want to mow it!

Are you a fan of mid-century architecture? While I really enjoy the classic Victorian architecture here in the Bay Area, I've got to say that I'm a total sucker for an all white mid-century home with a colorful door. The style definitely feels more livable and family friendly to me, especially with the open floor plan usually found inside.

Which one of these houses is your favorite? I love them all, but I think if I had to chose just one it would be the house with the turquoise door and the tree pruned into spheres. Or maybe the one with the pink door. Or the orange door. Ok, I'm not picky - I'd take any of them!