California – The Doors of Palm Springs
With all the bachelorette parties, pool lounges, and yearly migration to the desert for Cochella one thing remained constant in social media photos: That Pink Door. I’m sure you’ve seen it, but to explain, That Pink Door is a darling light pink door at a Palm Spring residence. The allure was strong enough that we made a detour en route to Salvation Mountain, but maybe would should have kept driving. Continue reading for why we didn’t take pictures at That Pink Door and about the other doors we visited.
The Reason to Skip That Pink Door
When we arrived to That Pink Door, the street was empty. There were no cars around and no movement. We spotted That Pink Door and immediately understood the Instagram fame. The house is stunning – whitewashed, with two enormous agave (?) cacti framing a pink door. Out front were perfectly manicured lawns and a long narrow fountain in the middle of the walkway. It was visually impressive and close to the street – a dream shot to encapsulate the mid-century modern architecture of Palm Springs. But sitting right out front are 4 signs asking for no photography and no trespassing.
The no-photography signs stopped us cold. This was someone’s home. I remember That Pink Door had its own Instagram handle and following at one time, and it was tempting to ignore the signs and take pictures anyways. We debated at the end of the street, when we saw four girls getting out of their car and begin posing. Watching someone else do it, I realized that it was disrespectful to go against the owner’s wishes. Regardless of what it was before, this is how the owner’s felt and it was their private property. So, instead, we opted to find alternative doors.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 2 (out of 4) stars – was alright, but no desire to do it again.
- Intensity: Cute outfit with heeled sandals
- Location: Palm Springs, California
- Cost: Free
- Restrooms: None
Highlights:
- Admiring the mid-century modern architecture of Palm Springs.
Lowlights:
- Being a creeper
- Possibly invading someone’s privacy
The Doors of Palm Springs
As we aimlessly drove around the That Pink Door neighborhood with an uneasy feeling. We didn’t want to invade anyone’s privacy, but also loved the bright door colors and mid-century modern design of the homes. So, we decided it was an architectural tour and only took photos from the street.
We found so many delightful homes! And along the way, we discussed what about the architecture made one home “pop” over another. It was a journey that lead us from wanted the social proof of being in a location, to taking the time to see the differences in the homes and enjoying the safe neighborhood that included these doors.
My other favorite stop was the Palm Springs City Hall. If you want to feel encouraged to photograph something, the city hall has a low roof with three palm trees growing through a large circle. It is iconic and fun.
Final Thoughts
If you look at the #thatpinkdoor on instagram, you will likely see photos with the Private Property signs in corners of the lawn or the photograph framed/cropped/edited to take out the signs. It’s a sad state of affairs. First off that the owners feel so intruded on that they have to post the signs. Then that people still blatantly disregard the signs for social proof. I don’t blame them, but ultimately I am happy that I paused long enough to realize that it wasn’t worth the photo. There are so many other picturesque places in Palm Springs, you won’t need That Pink Door to prove your trip was incredible.
We went in search of doors on our way to the Salton Sea and Salvation Mountain. It made for an artistic, memorable road trip.
To what lengths have you seen people go to get a shot? Have they ignored signs? Put themselves in danger? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
