This remodel was a special one for us from the outset. Purchased from the original owner’s family—a family we have a personal connection with—we always thought of this as a home, not a project. We knew about the music recitals put on by the grandkids, Thanksgiving dinners that would bring everyone together, countless games, conversations, celebrations and 50 years of all of the special and mundane things people experience together. Designing a space that preserves that spirit and potential while updating every single square inch of a house is no small feat. So we took our time with this one to make sure we got it right, spending about 7 months planning, designing, and bringing it all to life in what became our most complex project to date.

For the exterior of the home, we were inspired by the lines and color palette of the Mid-century era architecture of Palm Springs, with muted whites and natural browns on rectilinear front elevations. The cedar paneling on the garage door breaks up the expanse of white and ties together the rebuilt fencing at either end of the house.

In designing the interior we were guided by a principle of promoting an organic flow between unique spaces, rather than separate, isolated spaces as in the original floor plan, and rather than an entirely open layout that is commonplace in modern design. The many custom millwork pieces—the patterned entry wall, the wood column, the sturdy guardrail, the basement divider shelves—make those transitions feel natural and inviting. All custom woodwork was built with solid green and white ash—classic American hardwoods—for consistency and integrity.

On this project we collaborated with our good friend, Steven Shafer, formerly of Wild West Workshop, on all things wood and design.  We also collaborated with Kraus USA for bathroom and kitchen hardware.