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mechanical aspects (air conditioning, plumbing and the like) and the
addition of a pool pavilion—mellow, spacious and ideal for entertaining.
Sitting on 2-plus acres, Kaufmann House stands out with its clean-
cut geometry, while natural materials, notably the Utah stone, keep
it connected to the earth. As a foundational piece of American archi-
tecture, the home endures as an early and exceptional prototype of
Desert Modernism—where the International Style of architecture was
transposed to warm settings. Rather than shrink from nature, Desert
Modernism embraced it: Inhabitants were freed from indoor-only living,
their lives invigorated by sunlit skies and warm days. "For those who
appreciate architecture," Bisignano says of the house, "it's like walk-
ing into a storybook."
In 1947, famed architectural photographer Julius Shulman shot a
twilight image of the new home—one of several notable images that
memorialized Kaufmann House in the minds of the public. (Rivaling
Shulman's is the colorful 1970 photo by Slim Aarons, Poolside Gossip.)
Decades later, in the late 90s, Mr. Harris convinced a then-retired Shul-
man to come to Palm Springs and re-photograph the newly restored
home, this time in color. Harris shared the images with Bisignano, who
had worked with the couple on two architectural homes in the South
Bay. Poring over the images, Bisignano marveled at the fine artistry of
the home, and at that moment, his passion for architecture was struck.
"I hope to represent many more homes," he remarks, "but there will
never be anything like Kaufmann House."
