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Illustration of exterior of multilevel shops in Palm Springs with desert flora like palm trees, cacti and bushes
(George Wylesol / For the Times)

17 groovy shops to add to your Palm Springs bucket list

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There’s a photograph of me from the early 1970s. I’m in the pool of California’s first Holiday Inn, now the Parker Palm Springs, gripping a yellow float with a proud smile on my face. I was happy because I had taught myself how to swim so that I could join my brothers who never left the pool, while my mother and father read poolside. Dinners were always at dimly lit Rat Pack-style restaurants where my mother drank Manhattans (my mother never drank Manhattans except in Palm Springs) and, much to my embarrassment, my wingtip-wearing father dined in his slippers.

Decades later, not much has changed in Palm Springs, except that the sun-soaked city feels livelier these days. On a recent visit, for instance, the shops running along Palm Canyon Drive were bustling with tourists, snowbirds and Southern Californians like myself. While Long Beach artist Dustin Gimbel installed his ceramic sculptures inside the Trina Turk shop, fortune tellers read palms at the crystals shop and a disc jockey spun tunes while kids had their faces painted at the Palm Springs Art Museum. (The enormous statue of Marilyn Monroe outside the museum was popular with selfie-taking tourists too, but my family found it depressing and sexist. For more on that, read my Times colleague Christopher Knight’s take).

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There are more shops to explore in nearby Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and Palm Desert, but for this particular shopping roundup, I focused on independent boutiques in downtown Palm Springs, where parking is free and easy, and nearly all of the stores are within walking distance of one another. From one-of-a-kind handcrafted ceramic lamps at the Shops at 1345 to hand-knit mohair sweaters at Market Market, it’s not hard to find something truly special inside one of these desert shops.

Here are 17 that stood out for me during two recent visits.

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Vintage antiques, lighting and a bicycle table in a shop display.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Antique Galleries of Palm Springs

Palm Springs Antique Store
I felt welcome immediately upon entering the Antique Galleries of Palm Springs as a friendly sales clerk said hello and explained the layout of the sprawling two-story antique emporium. “That’s Man’s Land,” he said jokingly as he pointed to a room filled with nautical goods, model ships and military items.

The 12,000-square-foot former industrial space is located a few miles from downtown Palm Springs and features about 35 vendors selling everything from vintage clothing and jewelry to furniture, lighting and ceramics. Even if you’re not looking to purchase anything, the retro items on two floors are fun to peruse. I came across an orange bicycle credenza bar ($1,350), a pair of orange flowered velvet couches from the 1970s ($650 to $950) and an emerald-green and gold free-standing dry bar ($1,895).

On a recent visit, the warm vibes extended to the exit — across the hall from a vintage Remington Standard typewriter ($599) — where baskets of locally grown lemons, oranges and grapefruit sat with a sign that read, “Free, please take one.”

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
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Inside of a boutique stationery store.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )

bobo Palm Springs

Riverside Stationery store
Angie Chua’s compact stationery store inside the Flannery Exchange stocks a wide selection of artisan journals, greeting cards and gifts by Chua’s bobo design studio, as well as POC, queer-owned and California-made brands.

The store was stocked with colored pens, wrapping paper sheets ($5 a piece), headwraps by Summersalt ($20), California-themed stickers, Poketo planners ($30) and National Parks Coloring Books and journals — perfect for parents who may need activities for kids during their trip to the Southern California desert.

Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays.
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Vintage furniture and art in a showroom.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Christopher Anthony

Palm Springs Antique Store
At Christopher Anthony, a shop specializing in Midcentury Modern furnishings — many of them newly reupholstered — it’s a treat to walk around and check out the art and handmade studio pottery by Southern California artists, among other items for sale. Located in the Uptown Design District, the showroom also offers pillows, including colorful patchwork woven silk pillows from Istanbul; a set of 64 orange-colored Hermès boxes ($2,800); and a variety of unique lighting, including a stunning pair of handpainted ceramic lamps with raised discs ($2,750). Anthony himself is friendly and quick to share interesting historical details on the pieces that catch your eye.

Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday as well as Wednesday through Saturday; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
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lamps, pillows, furniture in a home store.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )

Christopher Kennedy

Riverside Home store
If you’re someone who has oohed and aahed your way through one of interior designer Christopher Kennedy’s decorator show houses during Modernism Week, you’ll likely enjoy shopping his home decor picks at his Palm Springs boutique. (On Feb. 18 and 19, Kennedy will host a Midcentury Modern home tour benefiting the Palm Springs Animal Shelter.)

The heavily curated home store features furniture, including a fun assortment of swivel chairs ($1,300), lamps, pillows and gift options like candles, vases and ceramics.

Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
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A crystal shop
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Crystal Fantasy

Riverside Gift Store
This wouldn’t be a proper California shopping roundup without at least one crystal store, and this is a good one.

In addition to crystals, specialty tarot decks and a vast amount of incense, books and candles, Crystal Fantasy hosts several readings throughout the week including palm, angel and tarot consultations. On a recent visit, there were four readers in attendance, with walk-in sign-ups available at the front desk. The store also hosts sound baths and reiki circles both on and off-site.

Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
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A rack of colorful caftans and dresses inside a store.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

The Frippery

Riverside Vintage Store
Shop for vintage clothing and accessories perfect for poolside Palm Springs living, including colorful caftans, sundresses and maxidresses in Pucci-like (or real) prints. The tiny shop also carries sunglasses, straw bags and jewelry in addition to its own line of O’Pell caftans ($198) made from vintage fabrics.

Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Monday and Thursday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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A sofa and chair and art in a home store
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )

Grace Home Furnishings

Riverside Home store
Home stores can be off-putting to average shoppers, but Michael Ostrow and Roger Stoker’s Grace Home Furnishings is an inviting place where visitors can shop for furniture and accessories with staff available to offer decorating advice.

The showroom features a wide variety of Palm Springs-appropriate artworks as well as some classic furnishings that you can test out in person, including comfy sectionals available in different sizes, configurations and wood finishes ($8,495 to $8,980). For lower price-point options, the store also carries picture frames, ice buckets and pillows for gift-giving ideas with ice buckets starting at $80. (As a bonus, the interior designers, who also have a showroom in Brentwood, recently remodeled a vacation home in Palm Desert that will be open to the public during Modernism Week. Tickets are $35.)

Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
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A home store with colorful umbrellas and accessories
(Rum + Cole )

H3K Home+Design

Riverside Home store
At H3K Home+Design, owners Howard Hawkes and Kevin Kemper carry a wide variety of Midcentury Modern-inspired home furnishings and accessories that are well suited to California’s indoor/outdoor lifestyle.

The mix of contemporary home goods includes chaise lounges, furniture, an entire room filled with colorful throw pillows, striking patio umbrellas made with Sunbrella fabric, barware for poolside sips, and pet accessories. The store’s staff is friendly and helpful and quick to offer advice or demonstrate how something works without pushing you to purchase something. (As a bonus, the interior designers’ personal residence will be open to the public as part of Modernism Week 2023. Tickets are $35.)

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
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Three couches surround a round cocktail table with a sculpture on it in a large retail space.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Market Market

Palm Springs Clothing Store
At Mojave Flea founder James Morelos’ 40,000-square-foot Market Market, which opened in 2023 inside a former Stein Mart department store, the focus is on small independent labels and local makers from Joshua Tree, the Coachella Valley and Los Angeles.

These days, the roomy space has about 50 vendors selling new and vintage goods including clothing, furnishings, plants and art.

Among the one-of-a-kind items I spotted on a recent visit were a pair of Lawson Fenning lounge chairs ($2,900 a piece), Jens Risom chairs in mohair ($7,500), Milo Baughman lounge chairs ($3,750), handmade mohair cardigans by ReckLess ($746), caftans made from vintage silk kimonos ($1,250) and hand-dyed upcycled clothing by Kazmik Grace.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
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A trailer filled with jewelry, clothing in a shop.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )

Mojave Flea Trading Post Palm Springs

Riverside Clothing Store
The 10,000-square-foot Mojave Flea Trading Post in Palm Springs (founded by James Morelos, who recently opened Market Market about two miles away) offers goods by many independent California artists and makers including Dushyant, Love Faustine, Magill Los Angeles, All Roads in Yucca Valley, Prism Boutique in Long Beach, J Miller Ceramics and Los Angeles-based Ri-Ri-Ku.

Rounding out the nontraditional department store is the Palm Springs Bottle Shop, located at the back of the market, which carries wine, beer and specialty foods created by LGBTQ, BIPOC and women entrepreneurs and lovely grab-and-go floral arrangements by Hermano Flowers.

Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. A second trading post is located at 55727 Twentynine Palms Hwy. in Yucca Valley.
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Racks of colorful shirts and shorts
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )

Seaplane

Riverside Clothing Store
After years spent selling his shirts made from limited-edition fabric remnants at artisan fairs and Pride events, Schuyler Brown opened this small bricks-and-mortar store in 2017. The store is jam-packed with uplifting shirts in fun fabrics. There are even dress shirts hanging overhead from the ceiling for men and women, ranging from $150 to $250, as well as shorts and swim trunks for men.

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
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patterned jackets and prints inside the Shag Store
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

The Shag Store

Riverside Gift Store
In addition to its fine Midcentury Modern-inspired artworks, which depict modernist architecture, tiki gods and cocktail parties (they are hung salon-style like an art gallery), the Shag Store also offers affordably priced housewares, including towels, glassware, coasters, socks and tote bags.

Josh Agle, the artist popularly known as Shag, has collaborated with homeowner Brandon McBurney and designer John-Patrick Flynn to transform a Midcentury Modern pool home into a fully realized Shag painting for Modernism Week 2023. Tours on Feb. 18 and19 are sold out. Other date options are 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 20 and Feb. 24 through 26. $35.

Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
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Exterior of a pink midcentury building in Palm Springs.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

The Shops at 1345

Riverside Home store
Shop for clothing, art, handcrafted pottery and unique plants inside this classic Midcentury Modern building, which was designed by noted architect E. Stewart Williams, who helped shape the look of the city.

The design collective features 14 independent shops including vintage goods at L’indy California, colorful handmade pottery by Double M Pottery, and plants, succulents and pottery at the Back Yard PS. Additional boutiques offer fashion, art and housewares including Towne, Bowie & Co., Soukie Modern, Crater Studio, Talini Home, Baldo Creative, Cabana Eyewear, Modern Resale, FOS Palm Springs and James Bacchi Contemporary. There’s also an inviting outdoor space behind the building that features drought-tolerant landscaping ideas from the landscape designers at the Back Yard PS plant shop.

Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Thursday through Sunday.
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Clothing, ceramics, candles inside a store.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )

Thick as Thieves

Riverside Home store
Husband-and-wife owners Jeremy Smick and Samantha Caltagirone‘s charming boutique highlights housewares and apothecary goods made by many Southern California makers including PF Candle and the Joshua Tree Candle Co. in addition to cold-pressed soaps from Among the Flowers and fun Palm Springs T-shirts with distinctive graphics.

Along with housewares, books, children’s items and Turkish bath towels, the store also offers jewelry handmade in Palm Springs.

Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
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Colorful clothes in the Trina Turk store in Palm Springs.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times)

Trina Turk

Riverside Clothing Store
Los Angeles-based designer Trina Turk’s flagship store (there is a second desert location in Palm Desert in the El Paseo shopping district) has been a mainstay along Palm Canyon Drive since 2002, offering her signature playful prints inspired by California.

If Turk’s bright, patterned bathing suits, dresses and menswear for Mr. Turk are too bold, the boutique also carries an extensive selection of books, glassware, sheets and pillows and jigsaw puzzles for out-of-towners in need of a distraction.

Showroom bonus: a comfy built-in sofa for those who don’t like to shop but want to relax instead.

Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
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Clothing in the Wil Stiles store in Palm Springs.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )

Wil Stiles

Riverside Clothing Store
Husband-and-wife owners Wil Stiles and Molly Bondhus have curated a sunny selection of men’s and women’s clothing with a Palm Springs twist at their Uptown Design District shop. They carry their own line of polo shirts and limited-edition dress shirts for men in fun prints (flowers, squares, atoms and stripes) and a wide selection of swim trunks and breezy cotton shirts. The shop also sells dresses in flirty prints by THML and Compania Fantastica.

Open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
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The Palm Springs hip souvenir shop Windmill City Super #1.
(Lisa Boone / Los Angeles Times )

Windmill City Super #1

Riverside Gift Store
This hip souvenir shop from Glen and Ashley Coy, the husband-and-wife team behind Windmill City Screen Printing, offer droll T-shirts with bold graphics that you or your giftees will actually want to wear after you leave the desert.

In addition to the fun tees, hats, greeting cards and California-inspired screen prints including California poppies and Meyer lemons, the store highlights goods from California makers including Wonder Valley olive and body oils (Joshua Tree), Bradley Mountain candles and bandannas (San Diego) and body wash from Bathing Culture (San Francisco).

For parents traveling with children, the store offers a good selection of desert books such as “Why Oh Why Are Deserts Dry?” by Tish Rabe and the Hardy Boys’ “Mystery of the Desert Giant” by Franklin W. Dixon.

Open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday.
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