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The definitive story of the most ambitious and most glamorous midcentury modern house ever built in the United States: Sunnylands, the estate of Walter and Leonore Annenberg, in Rancho Mirage, California, now revised and expanded

About the Author

Janice Lyle, the Director of Sunnylands Center & Gardens, has been at the estate since 2008, when Leonore Annenberg was still alive. She has deeper knowledge of the house and its contents, and more access to the Annenbergs regarding Sunnylands, than any other nonfamily member. Lyle has lectured extensively on modern architecture and lived in one of Palm Springs' most famous midcentury houses, Frey House II. Her connections and contacts in the Palm Springs region are extensive: She was the Executive Director of the Palm Springs Art Museum for thirteen years, as well as the president of the California Association of Museums, and has served on many nonprofit boards, including United Way of the Desert.

Michael S. Smith is an American interior designer based in Santa Monica. He is responsible for the 2010 makeover of the Oval Office and furnished the private living quarters for President and Mrs. Obama. Michael Smith designed the interiors of the Sunnylands Visitors Center, emulating the aesthetic of the historic house, and the concepts of its original designers, William Hayes and Ted Graber. Michael Smith is a frequent visitor to the Palm Springs area, where he maintains a historic house in Rancho Mirage. Interiors photographer Mark Davidson is a Southern Californian native who is based in Palm Springs. He has shot assignments for Smithsonian, the Getty Museum, and The Hammer Museum.