Lifestyle of the Mod and Famous

Langford house palm springs master bedroom — The bed with built-in tables was custom made by Midcentury LA, while the vintage desk was found at JP Denmark, both in the couple’s preferred rosewood. A pair of $25 chrome and distressed leather chairs came from a shop in Palm Springs, as did the vintage lamp.

Chase’s mod abodes (part 1 and part 2) have their fair share of celebrity history and owe some of the design credit to their previous owners. The modernist remodel was done by Frank Burton Wilson for owner Herschel Daugherty, who directed episodes of Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Wagon Train and other series. When Wilson visited the house in 2002, he shared stories of Bette Davis socializing there with Daugherty, occasions that included both alcohol consumption and sometimes drama.

The next owner was producer Harry Gittes—a name familiar to fans of Chinatown—who sold to the mod couple. The house has since been used for photo shoots and commercials, and they have a picture of Jack Nicholson attending a wedding there. Victor Mature, Warren Beatty, John Tesh and Connie Sellecca have visited as well, and if they haven’t already moved on, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan live nearby.

Langford house palm springs vintage contemporary bedroom — The contemporary bench is a BLVD, and the Ivory Coast and Mali masks were bought in New York. The midcentury dresser, left, was refinished in a darker stain to blend with its roommates, while the Modern Fan Co. Ball model keeps things stirred up.

Langford palm springs house bi-level table — A replica ’50s bi-level table from Studio W Interior’s Trend House has faux stingray leather surfaces that pivot.

Langford has a studio on the property, and the house functions as his defacto gallery, with artwork regularly rotating out the door to a buyer or show. He enjoys periodically rearranging their mix of vintage and new furniture, and suggests the same to his collectors. “After a while, take [a painting] to a spot where the light is different, or stash it away for a year. Art shouldn’t become like a dresser in a bedroom; when you revisit it after it’s been hidden or moved, you look at it with fresh eyes.”

While the condo is a bit more laid back and fun, the houses share a refined aesthetic and a edict against clutter, a mod must. When a rosewood credenza at the Palm Springs pad got the couple interested in other pieces made of the wood, that material also jumped to L.A. in the form of a custom dining table.

“The only real similarity in my mind is both homes are post and beam, and both have amazing vistas,” Langford muses. “From a finish perspective, they feel different.

Langford palm springs house bedroom — The master bedroom platform bed and nightstands are from a since-shuttered furniture store, while the ‘Atomic Essex’ painting has sold to a collector.

“In Mulholland, you’re constantly aware of where you are: You see the views, you hear the owls and coyotes at night, hike the trails and see the deer walk by the house every day. We climb down the hillside and work on the garden— we’re very much aware that we’re in the Santa Monica mountains. In Palm Springs, there’s egrets and herons and ducks and golfers going by—very PS—and palm trees and cactus everywhere. The local geography and ambience and spirit of the landscape need to permeate our homes.”