Midcentury Exterior Charm in Las Vegas’ Paradise Palms
A midtown neighborhood is a treasure-trove of 1960s architecture and vibrant curb appeal
Margaret Wright
November 18, 2017
Houzz Contributor. Interior and lifestyle photographer based in Charleston, SC.
In the early 1960s, modern design was having a moment. From 1960 to 1964, architects Dan Palmer and William Krisel, best known for their iconic work in Palm Springs, took their midcentury designs to Sin City and began work on Paradise Palms, a 1,000-home planned community in the center of the city. Local architect Hugh Taylor, who designed the original Desert Inn hotel and casino, was also involved in the project, which included tract, custom and semicustom homes.
In the ’60s, Paradise was the “it” place to live and boasted many celebrity homeowners, such as Johnny Carson, Debbie Reynolds and Joe Louis. As midcentury design continues to make a resurgence, neighborhoods like Paradise Palms are becoming hot spots once again. With mod details and bold, bright colors, the exteriors of these homes will inspire any midcentury enthusiast. Come take a tour in pictures.
In the ’60s, Paradise was the “it” place to live and boasted many celebrity homeowners, such as Johnny Carson, Debbie Reynolds and Joe Louis. As midcentury design continues to make a resurgence, neighborhoods like Paradise Palms are becoming hot spots once again. With mod details and bold, bright colors, the exteriors of these homes will inspire any midcentury enthusiast. Come take a tour in pictures.
This midcentury home features a butterfly roof, indicative of the era, and the original window screens. The shadow-block wall design was a midcentury technique that turned cinder blocks on their side to create added interest.
Tall windows, like those featured on this Palmer and Krisel home, are another hallmark of 1960s design.
Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Orange
Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Orange
This Palmer and Krisel design was one of the original model homes in Paradise Palms. Famed architectural photographer Julius Shulman made it one of his subjects.
Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Bright Red
Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Bright Red
Some homes feature materials that were new and noteworthy at the time, such as this white decorative stone. The door on this residence was salvaged from an old school and painted a retro shade of orange.
Houzz Quiz: What Color Should Your Front Door Be?
Houzz Quiz: What Color Should Your Front Door Be?
Scripted house numbers were another popular midcentury feature, along with the bright teal blue color seen here on the entry doors.
Photo Flip: 77 Front Doors to Welcome You Home
Photo Flip: 77 Front Doors to Welcome You Home
While many of the front doors in the neighborhood today feature funky colors as an homage to the 1960s spirit and style, the original doors were probably in more muted or pastel tones, says Dave Cornoyer, Paradise Palms resident and city planner and owner of Paradise Midtown Realty Investment Group.
Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Yellow
Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Yellow
Two-story doors are another hallmark of mod desert design.
This Palmer and Krisel Hawaiian-style home most likely had a sliding glass door, with this solid door being added in the late ’60s. Cornoyer says the escutcheon in the middle of the door was discovered in the backyard by the current homeowner during remodeling.
Some homes feature ornate iron gates outside the front doors. Midcentury Las Vegas was plagued by mobsters and crime, and the gates added a sense of security as well as grandeur.
Double front doors were also common, such as these on one of the custom-built residences.
No detail was overlooked in midcentury design. Escutcheons — here, the metal protective plates around the door knobs — in starburst and other designs were popular accents.
Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Green
Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Green
Breeze block was also having a moment in the ’60s. Home builders used them to create privacy screens that were interesting and ornate.
Large light globes and glass-block windows add to the mod look of this exterior.
The vice president of the original Las Vegas Hilton, now the Westgate resort, once owned this house, which features a chunky stained-glass window design on bold red double doors.
More
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How to Choose a Front Door Color
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More
9 Daring Colors for Your Front Door
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Why We Love Midcentury Modern Design
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Huh? Is that a vague philosophical statement? Please elucidate.
Desperate and bored people gamble, the rest of us go the hard work and save-for-the-future route. Used to be the government protected us from our vices - the money to run the country has to come from somewhere so now they get the revenue from all our vices. It is acting more like the mob every day. If you don't help us achieve our agenda someone's going to get hurt.
No new, cool housing style trends - there are laws on the book about housing style uniformity and conformity - they are called "housing compatibility." Seems like a fairly arbitrary way to impose aesthetic values on the masses. Matchy matchy, the mode of the sentimental, untrained types.
"Committees can agree on a lot of things but they are invariably shades of brown and grey," has been my observation. Look at most any school, government, religious building or planned subdivision that is the result of overzealous steering committees and strictly profit driven developers (typical). Pretty much all great architecture was/is the result of one person's vision. Not allowed where I live - it doesn't fit in the box.