A belated post for the New York Times article on May 12th in the Escape section on Jen and David's Alexander.
The full article is on the New York Times web site but sadly without a photo (does anyone have a scanned version? If so, email it to me and I'll post it)
LIVING HERE |The 'Needs Work' House
Building Sweat Equity
AS TOLD TO AMY GUNDERSON
Published: May 12, 2006
WHO -- Jennifer Dorn, 41, an art
director from Los Angeles, shown with her husband, David, 40, a senior
vice president at a record company.
WHAT -- 3-bedroom house
WHERE -- Palm Springs, Calif.
My
husband and I bought a Modernist Alexander home two years ago. When
were looking for a midcentury house, so popular in Palm Springs these
days, we saw a range of places, including some that needed a lot of
work. Houses in pristine condition were as much as $200,000 more than
this place.
The work started right away because my husband
refused to stay in it the way it looked. The last owner had narrowed
the hallways and doorways. When the owner sold us this house he went to
live on a boat, and that was pretty much how the house felt. One former
owner had installed southwestern floor tiles, which were eventually
covered by black carpeting. The shower had a slant to it, so stepping
into it was like setting foot on a ski slope.
The interior was
taken down to the studs and the plumbing redone, which required digging
channels in the concrete. Now that the project is getting closer to
completion (we are about 85 percent done), any small things, from
installing light fixtures to painting, I do on the weekends. I replaced
all the windows because the old ones were single paned and I like the
idea of being energy efficient. The house was opened up so that it
flows into the backyard, where we put in a lap pool with a big nice
spa. I now also spend a lot of time landscaping.
When you live
in Los Angeles, you are either a beach person or a desert person. Most
owners out here shut their houses in the summer months, but I'm still
here in July. The desert is so magical. The air is clean and you can
see the stars. It has all the things that you don't get in L.A. As told
to Amy Gunderson
Okay, since MJ has threatened to de-list us from the Friday Fishwrap blogroll because of our lack of activity, I am hereby kicking this moribund blog back into gear; all other PS Swingers, I call upon you to do your duty as well! (You know who you are...)
