Tour a Midcentury Palm Springs Home With a ’70s Glam Makeover and Bonus Casita

Rachel Gallaher

October 18, 2024 at 8:00 a.m.·10 min read

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Buying anything with an “as is” sticker is a big gamble. Furniture might have a small dent or scratch, and clothing could be slightly damaged—if you’re lucky, it might be repairable. But what happens when the item with the condition warning is a house? Do you jump in with two feet and hope for no major surprises, or skip the risk and keep searching?

For one LA-based entertainment-industry couple with two daughters, buying a fixer-upper weekend home in Palm Springs had long been a dream. So when they saw the listing for a 1950s home designed by noted architect William Krisel, they immediately emailed Ashley Drost and Marie Trohman—close friends and the founders of interiors firm and AD PRO Directory member Proem Studio—to ask for an opinion. Could the house, chock-full of rundown interiors with dated finishes, be revived?

Formerly a wet bar added sometime in the past 30 years, a new atrium in the living room holds a Droog Rag Chair the clients previously owned. A Caviar Sconce by Chen Chen & Kai Williams hangs on the wall near a 12-foot Dracaena plant. Starting in the entryway, a small, stone-filled channel runs through part of the room—a nod to the many rock gardens found in the desert.

“When we first saw the home online, we were incredibly excited,” says the wife. “It was the exact style we had been searching for in our preferred neighborhood, but the dreaded words ‘selling as-is’ accompanied by the interior photos of a home left us feeling a bit nervous.”

Structurally, the home was in good shape with details worth saving, such as the original windows and ceiling beams. Some minor renovations had happened over the years—it was covered in gray porcelain floor tiles and worn carpet, and the kitchen and bathrooms had outmoded appliances, cabinetry, and fixtures—but it wasn’t anything that a good interior designer couldn’t refresh. “The clients bought the house at the end and asked us if we could help them bring it back to its original glory,” says Trohman, who notes that this was the firm’s first Palm Springs project.

Shop out the look of the house here⤵

Proem Studio was hired to rethink the interiors of this midcentury home designed by architect William Krisel. In the living room, there’s a balance between a laid-back California vibe and maximalist glam. Here, the designers paired a Christopher Farr rug designed by Studio Shamshiri with an iconic reupholstered Gianfranco Frattini Sesann sofa. Two types of vintage tables—a glass-topped Warren Platner and a pair of 1980s green marble side tables—are examples of successfully mixing furniture from different eras. The custom dark wood collage tiles by Peter Glassford create a dynamic façade on the chimney.

The house needed very little construction, but the walnut panels in the dining room were, according to Drost, “one of the biggest changes we made.” This room is the most midcentury in spirit, with a set of vintage Galvanitas S16 dining chairs and Trueing’s Elma Radial Chandelier. The dining table is custom-designed by Proem, the wood credenza is by Jeff Martin Joinery, and the art that hangs above it is Kurt Stell’s 2024 piece Residence Montparnasse. “We saw a project by Charles de Lisle that had a light blue dining table,” explains Drost of the inspiration, “but light blue didn’t work in this case. It wasn’t punchy enough, so we looked to the desert and landed on a warmer red color.” — The house needed very little construction, but the walnut panels in the dining room were, according to Drost, “one of the biggest changes we made.” This room is the most midcentury in spirit, with a set of vintage Galvanitas S16 dining chairs and Trueing’s Elma Radial Chandelier. The dining table is custom-designed by Proem, the wood credenza is by Jeff Martin Joinery, and the art that hangs above it is Kurt Stell’s 2024 piece *Residence Montparnasse*. “We saw a project by Charles de Lisle that had a light blue dining table,” explains Drost of the inspiration, “but light blue didn’t work in this case. It wasn’t punchy enough, so we looked to the desert and landed on a warmer red color.”
Art: Kurt Stell

“If it wasn’t for Ashley and Marie’s initial support and guidance, we honestly might not have gone out to see the house,” says the client, who, along with her husband, planned to use the property as a weekend getaway with their two daughters. “Upon seeing the home in person, we immediately knew it was the one. We also knew that the tiled floor and wet bar in the living room had to go ASAP!” As it turns out, removing the built-in wet bar was the only big construction move needed during the remodel. “We had a pretty light touch, as far as the architecture,” Drost explains. “We removed the wet bar and put in a skylight to make a little atrium in the living room.”

Two shades of Benjamin Moore green—Pistachio and Sweet Basil—play nice in the kitchen, where a pair of Rich Brilliant Willing Dimple sconces punctuate either side of the over-sink window.

At just over 2,000 square feet, the house, with its distinctive butterfly roof, has three bedrooms (a primary suite, one for the girls, and one for guests), an open living and dining area, and a separate kitchen. Out back is a generously sized pool and a bonus casita, which the designers turned into a game room and laundry area with an extra bathroom. “The casita is the entire family’s favorite part of the house,” says the client. “Not only is it aesthetically stunning—I still can’t get over the wood paneling—but it’s also extremely functional.”

Proem started the project working with Jim Morse of Dynamic Builders—he tackled the atrium conversion—but unfortunately, partway through the project, he passed away, and Drost and Trohman inherited the rest of his job. Despite the setback, the clients put total trust in the designers, opting to remain hands-off aside from providing some art and furniture they already owned.

Walnut tambour wall panels in the primary bedroom highlight the original clerestory windows. So as not to distract from hills peeking over the ledge, the designers kept furniture simple, topping the custom-designed dark walnut nightstands with vintage Laurel Mushroom table lamps.

Wall-to-wall carpeting in the primary bedroom was a risk—the homeowners weren’t sure about it until they saw it installed. On one side of the room, a 1958 Danish teak Cado wall unit by Poul Cadovius, holds books and trinkets, and an electric blue Angle Armchair by TRNK brings a color-contrasting moment.

“We essentially gave them free rein to explore and pitch ideas because honestly, we didn’t know where to start,” the homeowner says. “Our only request was for them to incorporate warm, earthy elements and character without being too maximalist. We also wanted to make the space conducive for hosting friends and family.”

Drost and Trohman leaned into a sexy midcentury look, taking inspiration from Slim Aarons’s photographs and late-series Mad Men sets. “You know when Don Draper starts going to California and getting into his ’70s lifestyle?” asks Trohman. “We were really inspired by those episodes.”

Combining contemporary pieces from independent designers (a credenza by Jeff Martin Joinery, sconces from Brendan Ravenhill, a bold, animal-esque rug by Studio Shamshiri) with a mix of midcentury pieces (an Eames LCW lounge chair, a 1958 Danish teak Cado wall unit by Poul Cadovius, a set of Galvanitas S16 dining chairs) and a few unexpected odds and ends (Droog’s early ’90s Rag Chair, a pair of 1980s green marble Italian side tables) keeps the interiors from veering into TV set territory while imbuing the home with an unmistakably laid-back yet sophisticated California vibe.

Bespoke details in the main living area layer in personality and take inspiration from the warmth of the desert. In the kitchen, where Drost and Trohman retained the original layout, the two-toned green scheme (Benjamin Moore’s Pistachio for the upper cabinets, and Sweet Basil for the lowers) is a fun surprise that picks up on the lush hedges and layered palm trees just outside the window. A stainless steel backsplash and laminate countertops are a durable wink to 1950s style.

A simple custom vanity and mushroom-toned tile keep the primary bathroom minimal and calming. “We weren’t trying to make this bathroom stand out,” says Trohman. “We tried to keep everything in there neutral and kid-friendly.” A Souda Echo 6 wall sconce in brass and a vintage Chinese Art Deco rug make things interesting without being too flashy.

The primary suite and the guest bedroom are both done up in warm desert neutrals, each with a distinctive wall treatment behind the bed: walnut tambour panels in the latter, and a windowpane patterned wallpaper by Calico in the former. Both rooms have rusty red wall-to-wall carpet, a move that the homeowners questioned at first but have grown to love. “They thought we were nuts,” says Drost. In the girls’ room, two twin beds sit against an ombre wall, where the designers used a pink-and-purple version of Calico’s Aurora wallpaper—the palette chosen by the girls. “If it’s pink or purple, they’ll love it,” their mother says. Here, the wall-to-wall carpet continues, complementing the wallpaper, which has the deep, blush tones of a dusky desert sunset.

The home has something for everyone, providing the family with an easy weekend escape they can all agree on. “Marie and Ashley struck the perfect balance between me and my husband’s differing design preferences,” says the client. “He tends to lean more minimalistic, while I tend to embrace the ‘more is more’ philosophy. They incorporated many patterns and textures to appease me without making it feel overwhelming and cluttered, which my husband greatly appreciates.” The biggest achievement of all? Creating a place where friends and family love to gather. Says the client, “We both appreciate spaces that foster connection and cultivate a sense of warmth.” That’s one element of this home they will keep “as is.”