Mid-Century Mondays

Mid-Century Mondays

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Mid-Century Mondays
Albert Frey's Cree House
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Albert Frey's Cree House

You guessed it. Curated Mid-Century Modern Home Listings.

Austin Winfield's avatar
Austin Winfield
Dec 02, 2024
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Mid-Century Mondays
Mid-Century Mondays
Albert Frey's Cree House
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For most, California’s Coachella Valley is known for its eponymous music festival. As fun as dusty crowds, flower crowns, and overpriced water bottles sound, we’ll keep our focus on the region’s architectural gems.

Past issues have highlighted a number of iconic Palm Springs structures, including the Palm Springs City Hall (1952) designed by Albert Frey. Far lesser known is Frey’s Cree House.

Swiss-born architect Albert Frey was a student of pioneers Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, before making his way to America in 1928. He played a pivotal role in the development of Palm Springs and the ‘Desert Modernism’ movement. Frey’s work has received widespread praise and attention - The Cree House was largely overlooked though.

Sometimes called ‘the Forgotten Frey,’ the remote home had been privately owned with no public access or tours granted. Frey originally designed the home for Raymond Cree, a school superintendent who dabbled in real estate development. A rugged desert setting between Palm Springs and Catherdal City was selected, providing dramatic San Jacinto views. The concept is unmistakably Frey with a number of similarities to Frey’s own home (Frey House II) - thin steel columns, overhanding deck, fiberglass siding etc.

The home was restored, extensively photographed, and sold for $1,693,000 in 2022.

creehousetour

Photos by Lance Gerber

GEMS FOR SALE THIS WEEK

1600 Catalina Ave, Seal Beach, CA 90740

4123 S Cloverdale Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90008

3105 Armbrust Dr, Omaha, NE 68124

2262 Stradella Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90077

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