I am sure you’ve heard about “that pink door” at least once or in general about the colorful doors in Palm Springs. If not, you might be surprised and ask yourself “How is it possible that some door became so famous?” I can assure you that one of the most popular Palm Springs attractions is simply a door tour. You will find almost a full color palette: yellow door, orange door, red door, pink door, blue door etc… Most of them are located in one area so it’s pretty simple to just drive around and capture some great shots. But it is also very important to remember that this is a residential area so be respectful of the homes and home owners and do not trespass!
Pink Door Background Story
It’s not clear when the phenomenon of famous pink door began. The door resembles a giant chocolate bar and is painted in bubblegum pink. The house originally was designed by successful Colombian interior designer and photographer Moises Esquenazi who owned the home from 2004 to 2008. Esquenazi and his partner Bryan Graybill renovated the house and painted the door pink thanks to Graybill’s mother who loved that color. The current owner decided to keep the pink door and even started an Instagram page dedicated to their house. A while ago visitors started snapping photos of themselves in front of the door and then posting them on Instagram under hashtag #thatpinkdoor that currently features more than 10K photos. As a result the location became viral and something of a media sensation making it one of the most popular photo destinations for Instagrammers in Palm Springs (and still going strong).
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The Dark Side of the Fame
Initially the owners enjoyed the attention that their house attracted but as more and more people flooded the neighborhood for a chance of that perfect shot, the attention turned into a major nuisance. Many people did not respect the owners’ privacy, trespassing onto the property and treating it as their own private playground. It became a site of professional fashion photoshoots, naked shoots, wedding announcements, engagements, low level celebrity promotions, or just regular people in outrageous outfits holding all kinds of props. In 2018, the owner decided to post “No Photography” and “No Trespassing” sign on the front lawn. Unfortunately, it did not do much to dissuade the crowds from breaking the rules.
Transition into Airbnb
Nowadays, there is an option to enjoy that pink door and the whole house as much as you want. It has become one of the most famous Palm Spring’s airbnbs. For approximately 1700 dollars per night, you and your 7 best friends can create lasting memories in this 5300 square-foot chic architectural wonder.
Location
The famous midcentury modern home is situated in a gorgeous residential area with wide streets in the Indian Canyons of Palm Springs. The entire neighborhood is truly pretty filled with incredibly designed houses and stunning landscapes you don’t want to miss. If you start driving around you will quickly realize that there are more colorful doors in the area. My attention was also attracted to the cute little gardens in front of these houses. You can spot some amazingly cut/ designed trees, plenty of different types of cactuses or some interesting art figures and small water pools. It is really easy to fall in love with this neighborhood and I did. I am constantly thinking of getting back there.
Photography Tips
If you decide to visit the area for the photo opportunity you need to consider the fact that the light might be a bit of a challenge over there. The houses are located on both sides of the street. If you want to catch the houses in a sun light that make the colors more bright some of the houses would better to photograph in the morning and some before sunset. Although the perfect time for photographing doors is about 2 hours before sunset when the city falls into an early shadow due to surrounding mountains making a nice hazy light. Under these conditions you will capture beautiful photos with all the details of the houses.
This is a fantastic and unexpected attraction in Palm Springs. I don’t think the owners mind if you take photos in a respectable manner.
Great overview of what it entails and the back story