A Fun, Functional Colorful Krisel in Palm Springs

This 1958 colorful Krisel home in Palm Springs received a complete makeover that brings together contemporary and authentic Mid Century Modern design features, an inviting palette and playful details.

Respect and passion for MCM design are essential when remodeling a mid-century home.

When the homeowners of this Las Palmas Krisel gem in Palm Springs, California, decided to pull the trigger on a long-planned home remodel, they sought out experienced home builder Steven Shields of Shields Residential. The goal: to balance the work of the original designer with contemporary functionality. This meant a thorough overhaul of the interior and exterior of the house.

“It’s 100 percent brand-new,” Steven says. “We built everything—from a new sewer to a new roof system—with intentional respect for all that William Krisel created as our master template.”

For the interior design, Michelle Boudreau of Michelle Boudreau Design was brought in. She was able to bring the aesthetic vision to life in the colorful Krisel home. The result is a welcoming, vibrant take on Krisel’s original design that celebrates color, gathering and the best of Mid Century Modern design.

A New Vision for a Colorful Krisel

After years spent building production residential homes for a large homebuilder, Steven decided to take his expertise and center it around building and restoring homes with careful consideration of the needs of the homeowners.

“With a focus on giving them a real road map to a successful remastering of their mid-century treasures, we’ve been able to restore some truly amazing places in California’s Coachella Valley,” he says.

For the colorful Krisel project, the remodel process started with Steven creating a 3D model of the property and working with the homeowners to determine their wants and needs.

entryway in colorful Krisel home — In this bright and breezy entryway, natural light spills in through the window and glass doors, playing off the wood ceilings and terrazzo flooring. “It really highlights the incredible view of the mountains of Vista Las Palmas,” Steven says.

“We then proceeded to create a new layout that celebrates William Krisel’s vision—but in the context of the way they live their life in Palm Springs today,” he explains.

This involved reenvisioning the layout to meet the homeowners’ goals: They wanted four bedrooms, each with an en suite bathroom, and intentional, open spaces indoors and out for hosting.

“When we came to the home the first time, it was already beautiful, tastefully decorated and loved for years before,” Steven says. “The journey the clients embarked on was about creating something truly special.”

In addition to rebuilding everything from the ground up, Steven also expanded openings for sliding glass doors, thereby accentuating the mid-mod hallmark of indoor and outdoor connection, and extended room square footage for both function and style.

“These were major structural changes, but they were fun to navigate … with the hope that it seems as if it was always there from 1958,” he notes.

conversation area with multi colored chairs in Palm Springs Krisel home — Homeowners Mike and Sameer share their passion for Mid Century Modern design by hosting family and friends in their beautifully and respectfully renovated home. “They were incredible people for our team to serve,” Steven says.

Collected Cohesion in the Colorful Krisel

Once the layout and construction of the home were complete, Michelle Boudreau stepped in to give a warm, welcoming mid-mod style to the interior. The challenge was to make the interior design seamlessly bring together old and new with vintage and contemporary pieces, as well as functional features to accommodate modern living.

“I wanted to bring the clients’ vision to life with a calming, inviting vibe and layer in the interesting shapes and patterns in a cohesive way that threaded throughout the home,” she explains.

One of the consistent and standout features throughout the remodeled colorful Krisel home are the original tongue-and-groove ceilings.

“We enhanced them and pushed them further with respect and thoughtful consideration,” Michelle says.

“The owners wanted to embrace the original architecture and bring it to life with a modern, calm and inviting place to retreat and entertain guests.”

In addition to this original detail, Michelle worked to incorporate pieces from the clients’ collection.

“They had some amazing vintage furnishings for which they wanted me to find new ways to mix into the design,” she says.

The combination creates a seamless flow between past and present … all the while crafting a new, unique take on MCM style.

Dynamic Details

Getting the details right is always key to any successful home design.

For this project, Steven and Michelle worked with the homeowners to create a look and feel that borrows from hallmarks of MCM style while also creating a unique, personalized and cohesive design.

contemporary and modern furniture in Krisel living room — Cozy details and artistic features make the TV area in the living room both inviting and visually interesting. A vintage Saarinen tulip table and custom-upholstered Platner chairs are from the homeowners’ collection and are mixed in with contemporary pieces.

One of the ways they accomplished this was by using classic, hand-poured terrazzo as flooring throughout the entire home.

“For the many, many times we have discussed terrazzo floors with clients, homeowners Mike and Sameer were the first to commit thoroughly to this detail,” Steven says. “It brings unbelievable credibility to the finishes of the home.”

Additionally, Michelle’s palette choices create a theme in each space while also tying the entire home together with consistent colors. The abundance of glass walls and windows, in combination with reflective color choices, pushes the connection to include interior and exterior spaces.

room divider screen half circle pattern — “Custom decorative screens were designed to creatively divide the open areas in order to create comfortable seating areas and a nod to the Mid Century Modern era’s design details,” Michelle points out. “I used the circle as a thematic shape for the screen design, applying graphic dimension and semicircle cut-throughs to let the sunlight through.”

“The open-plan living room, dining room and kitchen are wrapped in a serene, neutral color palette, with a mixture of soft greens pulled from the outdoor landscape as a natural transition between the indoor and outdoor living,” Michelle says.

This continues into the four themed bedrooms, where the continuity of the terrazzo floors and gentle neutrals is balanced against bold colors, patterned wallpaper and pieces that shine with “atomic” flair.

“The homeowners really wanted a unique thematic approach for each guest room, so I chose a shape to pull through and developed an identity for each room, giving them a differentiating color palette for each and injecting surprise and delight for the guests to enjoy,” she says

brass finishes and tile walls in remodeled kitchen — The floor plan of the kitchen was expanded, and an additional sink and dishwashing station were added in order to fulfill the homeowners’ desire for a functional space for entertaining. Multiple light fixtures add interest and MCM character. “Lighting is like jewelry to me,” Michelle says. “They were selected because they have a common thread of brass finishes and round and curved shapes —common traits with a unique, interesting twist.”

orange bedroom with geometric wallpaper — Customization was key in the design for each room in Mike and Sameer’s home. In the orange guest bedroom, vibrant wallpaper sets the tone alongside retro details. “General lighting was forsaken throughout the house in lieu of area-specific decorative lighting,” Steven says.

wicker egg chair in Palm Springs Krisel home — A wicker egg chair adds texture next to a tulip side table. Large windows provide a connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.

pink bedroom with geometric wallpaper and bedrame — In the pink guest bedroom, Michelle utilized a bold geometric wallpaper to create a statement. A wall of windows provides ample views of the mountains, as well as an abundance of natural light.

green bedroom in Krisel home — This guest bathroom is a play on the quintessential Mid Century Modern “pink bathroom,” but with a more updated feel. A floating vanity and skylight add a contemporary feel, while terrazzo floors tie the space to the rest of the home.

blue mosaic tile floor to ceiling in Krisel home — Each guest bedroom has a matching, corresponding guest bathroom. Here, in the “capri suite,” the blue tile envelopes the space with a distinct coastal feel.

backyard with pool in Krisel Palm Springs home — Palm trees, views of San Jacinto and manicured walls of greenery enclose this poolside paradise—a hallmark of Palm Springs MCM homes.

Love Palm Springs MCM architecture? Don’t miss Modernism Week 2023! Find Atomic Ranch there at our Du Bois Talk & Tour in collaboration with H3K and a groovy talk and tour at the newly unveiled Shag House. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Mid Century Modern inspiration!