The Perfect Palette in a 1957 Twin Palms Home

The new owners of this 1957 Twin Palms home kept many of the existing features, enhancing them with vibrant prints and colors, as well as personal touches, in every space.

During a Modernism Week 2020 tour just before the pandemic, a “for sale by owner” sign placed in front of this 1957 Twin Palms, California, home caught the attention of its future owner and his fiancée. It was love at first sight for the couple, and they contacted their realtor and then quickly made a deal.

While the house was in relatively good shape, it was in need of a refresh and colorful makeover. The only problem? The new homeowner, a film and television producer living in Canada, was suddenly unable to travel to his newly acquired house.

MCM kitchen with white and pink tile Twin Palms — Existing cabinetry and lighting were kept in the kitchen and dining area, while a tile backsplash with pops of pink was added to echo the front exterior breeze block. “We love the walnut. We like that, as well as that it’s carried through in the bathrooms,” says the homeowner about the cabinetry.

The homeowners had partnered with Kevin Kemper and Howard Hawkes of H3K Design for a previous renovation on a 1960s home in Maui, Hawaii, and reached out to work with them again on this new project.

“We designed this virtually. We worked with H3K, who are local [to Palm Springs]. They are top-notch, and they would send us photos every week, as well as a video if we needed it,” says the homeowner.

The couple also utilized a 3D tour of the home to help make design choices without being present.

firepit turquiose and yellow string chairs — The same rocks used in the plant bed by the wall were put into the existing firepit and surrounding the olive tree. “My fiancé and I really like the desert feel, so it just made more sense with the cacti to have the rocks,” says the homeowner. Another set of circular concrete pavers mimics those by the barbeque area.

To Refresh a 1957 Twin Palms Home, Start with the Basics

The previous owner had purchased the home in 2013 after a significant and tasteful renovation had taken place. Because the house was in relatively good condition, the team set about refreshing the space for better functionality and to suit the tastes of the new homeowners.

“We had some basic stuff to do, such as refurbish the roof, along with some electrical and plumbing,” the homeowner explains. “Just to make everything work better, because it had been seven years since [anything had been done to the home].”

outdoor living room — Two Aperol “Spritz” posters inspired the color palette for this outdoor seating area, as well as for the entire backyard. To create an open space, the team removed a post that was previously located to the right side and then replaced the beam that goes across. “And we added the lights and the fan so people could have an area that’s away from the sun,” the homeowner explains.

After tackling the basics, the team replaced a wall-mounted AC unit in the main bedroom with an independent system that encompasses the primary bedroom, bathroom, desk area and laundry.

“The best part about a split system is that it gives you a lot more flexibility, and you can actually have a lot more control,” Kevin Kemper of H3K Design points out. “And the fact that you can actually do multiple rooms off one system is great.”

backyard Twin Palms neighborhood Palm Springs pool striped umbrellas — An abundance of greenery was growing against the brick part of the wall to the left. The new homeowners wanted a clean look, so they removed the plants that were there and put in desert-friendly cacti, as well as rocks in the plant bed. The pool was in great condition and needed no real updates.

They also created a barbeque/bar area in the backyard, as well as circular concrete pads that form a walkway through the grass. Existing carpet in the bedrooms was replaced by a similar poured terrazzo-type tile that was already in the main areas of the home, thus creating a seamless look via floors that are easy to clean.

open concept living room in Twin Palms — To the right, a custom TV stand was created with pegboard sliders to mirror the existing pegboard features throughout the home. The placement of the TV was also important to the homeowner: “I wanted the TV to basically be the same height as the fireplace,” he says.

Adding Personal Style

Inspired by the existing pegboard in the kitchen sliding cabinets and the guest bedroom closets, the new homeowner carried the look into other parts of the house. The primary bedroom (which was previously some kind of living room but had been converted to a bedroom during an earlier renovation) had an open closet.

“I had H3K and the construction [team] make pegboard doors to match so that all the closets are the same,” the homeowner says. The team also created a custom TV stand with the pegboard material for further continuity.

MCM kitchen and open concept living room Twin Palms home — “H3K went through and made sure everything was working properly, sliding properly and [was able to be] opened. [The team] also adjusted drawers,” says the homeowner. The existing pegboard was updated from a blue hue to white.

A Personal Palette

Knowing where to start is often a challenge when choosing a color palette. This couple utilized inspiration from artwork for several spaces in their home.

living room in Twin Palms mid century home Joybird couch and Flor rug — The Flor rug and blue Joybird couch were inspired by a previous article in *Atomic Ranch* magazine! “We didn’t want a big, bright rug; we wanted something that has some color that connected things together,” says the homeowner.

retro wallpaper in Twin Palms home — The homeowners wanted wallpaper in this guest bedroom but thought it would be too much against the Shag print on the opposite wall. Thanks to the home’s 3D virtual tour, they realized that the wall connecting to the living room would be the perfect spot for a pop of color and pattern that would connect the entire space. “It’s like a surprise when you come into the room,” says the homeowner.

Vintage Aperol “Spritz” posters in an outdoor seating area inspired a blue-and-yellow color scheme for the entire backyard. The homeowners are also tennis fans and designed one of the guest bedrooms and bathrooms around a vintage Wimbledon poster. In the main bedroom, Shag’s “The Imposters” was the springboard for the design, while his “The Party” sparked ideas for the front guest room.

The recent refresh added pops of vibrant color, pattern and increased overall efficiency, and the homeowner plans to utilize the space as a vacation rental when he’s not staying there.

sliding door with breeze block look in Twin Palms home — A sliding barn door that mimics the breeze block pattern was installed during a previous renovation. The color palette in this guest bedroom is inspired by Shag’s “The Party” print that hangs above the bed. To the right of the barn door is a vintage pink telephone that’s hooked up and working.

colorful wallpaper and pink upholstered bedframe in Twin Palms home — The pink found on the front exterior and kitchen accent tiles is echoed in this guest bedroom. “We found the wallpaper and then found this great rug that totally matched,” the homeowner explains. “We ordered the pink bed from Joybird and then built around that.”

master bathroom in Twin Palms home — In the primary bathroom, the shower area only needed a refresh. A new trim, spouts, towel racks and hangers were added, as well as wallpaper on the accent wall. The bathroom area was just separated by a piece of glass, so the team enclosed it by creating a wall and pocket door to create more privacy.

botanical wallpaper in Twin Palms home — This guest bathroom was refreshed with blinds, new handles, a mirror with touch side-lighting and vibrant, green wallpaper. The green theme carries over into the adjoining bedroom.

Looking toward the future, he notes that the couple might further refurbish the bathrooms to keep up with the demands on a rental home. But, for now, the homeowner is looking forward to enjoying the space, describing it as “designer chic” while “still [honoring] the home’s classic mid-century architecture.”

For more of H3K Design, don’t miss their advice on How to Get the Colors of Palm Springs Doors.

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