Issue 482 September 17th 2025

The Headlines

Mid-Century Modern Renovation Tour To Be Held Oct. 11

The tour, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 11, will highlight distinctive mid-century modern homes designed by renowned architect Alden B. Dow, planners said. Organizers with Alden B. Dow Home and Studio as well as Mid-Century Modern Midland said an architectural tour will showcase three renovated 1950s-era properties in Midland, Michigan.

Visitors can explore the house known as the Ashmun Residence, designed in 1951; the Sherk Residence, from 1954; and the Blackhurst Realty House, completed in 1959, organizers said.

Each property represents the architectural innovation of the 1950s and has undergone careful renovation to preserve its mid-century modern character, planners said.

The renovation tour will span from noon to 3 p.m., with tickets priced at $30 and available for purchase online. Pre-registration is required.

For more information, call Alden B. Dow Home and Studio at 1-866-315-7678.

Fall 2025 Desert Design Week Returns To The Valley

Desert Design Week is set to make its highly anticipated return this fall, bringing design, art, and architecture to Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona from October 8-15. Featuring a curated mix of immersive events, the series will showcase emerging and established artists and creatives across a variety of venues and disciplines.

The biannual event, founded by Ruth Price, first launched in October 2024 and gained momentum with its spring 2025 edition, which drew over 1,300 attendees to 13 diverse happenings. From pop-up art galleries and designer markets to architectural home tours and artist receptions, Desert Design Week has established itself as a destination for creative expression and design culture in the desert Southwest.

“We’ve seen an incredible response and have some special experiences planned for October’s event series,” Price said. “The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation will be opening the vault to share art from the personal Wright family collection for the first time.”

Open studio tours, panel discussions, art and design exhibitions, and more will inspire attendees. Among the highlights of the fall lineup are two special events at Taliesin West, hosted by the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. These will feature never-before-seen works from the family’s personal collection – an unprecedented opportunity for art and architecture enthusiasts.

Additional programming includes art exhibitions at Red Modern, Camelback Flower Shop, and Local Nomad, as well as an ikebana floral and tea tasting experience led by Amy Williams and ceramicist Betina Chow in her studio, The Bodega. Design discussions and studio visits will also play a central role.

Guests include nationally and internationally recognized names such as Molly Kidd, Studio SGT, and the team at Rose Uniacke, in a conversation hosted in partnership with Galerie Town. Wiseman & Gale Interiors will open its doors for a sensory design experience. Green Room Landscape will host a behind-the-scenes look at its process through a studio tour and talk. A selection of artist studio tours will round out the week.

With most events expected to sell out, attendees are encouraged to join the mailing list for early access and updates on new programming as it’s announced. Learn more at desertdesignweek.com.

David Lynch's LA Compound Asks $15M Months After His Death

The one-of-a-kind estate of the late and great American filmmaker David Lynch is available for $15 million.

Lynch spent decades assembling and designing his Hollywood Hills compound in Los Angeles, which hit the market this week almost eight months after his death at age 78. Photos of the 2.5-acre property reveal a creative sanctuary crafted in much the same style as Lynch’s iconic films — dreamlike environs and mid-century modern aesthetics come together in moody, yet mundane scenes of his daily life.

The eclectic listing, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is held by Marc Silver of The Agency. The hillside compound includes 10 beds and 11 baths across seven structures. The array includes a pink house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright’s son and a brutalist studio where “Mulholland Drive” was produced.

Lynch began assembling his hilltop hideaway in 1987 with the $560,000 acquisition of the Beverly Johnson House, the Journal reported. The pink home was designed by Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, in 1963.

Lynch apparently preferred the son, previously telling the Journal that Lloyd Wright was “more minimal. More pure. But just as beautiful.”

The three-bedroom, 2,000-square-foot residence exemplifies the Wright penchant for organic textures, bold geometric lines, walls of windows and effortless indoor-outdoor flow. Striking cement chevron patterns dot the home’s interiors and exteriors.

Although Lynch’s films and TV series made him a household name, the director was a similarly dedicated studio musician, painter, sculptor and furniture maker. He constructed workshops throughout the compound to host these hobbies. Some of Lynch’s own metalwork can be found throughout the compound, the Journal reported.

Silver told the outlet that he hopes a fan of Lynch will take an interest in the property.

The presence of two generations of Wright designs likely secures the property from total redevelopment, all but ensuring that the compound will always have a Lynchian touch.

Iconic House Designed By Frank Lloyd Wright's Son Is Listed for $2.5 Million

A historic home in Glendale, California—designed by Lloyd Wright, son of iconic architect Frank Lloyd Wright—is now on the market for $2.49 million. Built in 1926 for James Daniel Derby, the Derby House is striking, showcasing hand-cast concrete textile blocks, Navajo-inspired stonework, and agave-shaped wrought-iron railings.

Once adorned with gold-painted walls meant to reflect California’s sunlight, much of the home’s original opulence has faded. Still, its architectural significance remains strong. The listing, held by Brian Courville of Compass, emphasizes that the property needs restoration and a "thoughtful hand" to guide it into its next phase.

The home is now priced nearly $400,000 below its 2022 sale price of $2.88 million and far less than its earlier $3.3 million listing. Despite the needed renovations, it offers a rare opportunity for the right buyer to carry forward a piece of architectural history.

Through The Long Desert

Rizzoli Electa has released Through the Long Desert, a visually rich and groundbreaking book by Sarah Rovang that explores the surprising and profound connections between artist Georgia O’Keeffe and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Published in collaboration with the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the book reveals the pair’s shared love for the American desert, modernist ideals, and overlapping social circles.

The project began after Rovang attended a 2017 panel in Santa Fe, New Mexico where a discussion about the two icons sparked her decision to research and write the book. Over eight years, she conducted extensive archival research across the U.S., uncovering rare drawings, photographs, and letters that suggested a deeper friendship and mutual inspiration between O’Keeffe and Wright than previously known.

Despite limited time spent together, their connection was meaningful and influential, emphasizing the idea that powerful inspiration can come from afar. Rovang's book not only sheds light on the artistic kinship between two American legends but also celebrates the enduring influence of distant yet impactful relationships.

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