A Midcentury Desert Home Is Reimagined as a Joy-Filled Escape for a Young Family

Designer Festa Radoni breathes new life into a 1956 Walter S. White house in Palm Desert, blending bold color and sun-drenched motifs.

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Mandi Keighran

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Concrete Collaborative

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The Dwell x Strands collection brings surfboard shapes and California surf culture to encaustic tiles.

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There’s no shortage of midcentury homes in Palm Desert, but this 1956 retreat—originally designed by modernist architect Walter S. White—stands out for its expressive renovation by Festa Radoni, founder and lead designer of Radoni Interiors. Working closely with Hill Construction and the project architect, Radoni transformed the 1,600-square-foot residence into a joyful weekend escape for a young family of four from La Jolla.

The home is currently used as a holiday retreat for a family of four—with two young children and a beloved dog—based in La Jolla, California. "It's become their go-to escape from the hustle of daily life," says interior designer Festa Radoni. "It’s a place where they can slow down, reconnect, and soak up the beauty of the desert."

"The goal was to preserve the soul of the original Walter S. White design while breathing new life into the home for a modern family," explains Radoni. That meant honoring the clerestory windows, expressive ceilings, and richly textured fireplace while reimagining the interiors with a vibrant, contemporary twist that respects the home’s midcentury roots—from the bright turquoise front door to the boldly patterned Concrete Collaborative tiles in the now-called "Sunshine Bathroom."

"The idea was to create a playful, textured environment that feels lighthearted and happy, something that instantly lifts your mood the moment you walk through that channeled turquoise door," says interior designer Festa Radoni. Wood and rattan furniture and accessories add to the relaxed holiday feeling of the home.

In the living room—affectionately dubbed the "Sunset Lounge"—curved orange velvet seating is reminiscent of the palette of desert skies, while the original fireplace takes center stage. As a natural focal point of the living space, the entire furniture layout is designed to revolve around it. The fireplace is flanked by two credenzas with bright orange, red, and pink patterned fronts—another nod to the dramatic sunsets Palm Desert is known for and the home’s origins.

"The fireplace is the one element in the home that was intentionally left untouched," she interior designer Festa Radoni. "Its simplicity speaks volumes, and the textured blockwork holds a beauty and history that we didn’t want to erase."

Each of the three bedrooms has its own en suite bathroom, plus an additional powder room off the main living area, but there’s nothing formulaic about the design. Instead of a consistent palette, Radoni approached each space as a world unto itself.

"Since this is a weekend escape, it felt like the perfect opportunity to break away from the expected," she explains. "I wanted each room to evoke a sense of surprise and delight, like you’re stepping into a new little world every time you turn a corner."

Bright turquoise and blues define one bedroom. The bold colors are balanced by a grey terrazzo floor and wood furniture.

Bright yellow defines one of the children‘s bedrooms, evoking the same palette as the "Sunshine Bathroom" and "Sunset Lounge."

The primary bedroom is known as the "Desert Cactus" room thanks to its nature-inspired palette that echoes the earthy tones of the surrounding landscape.

The "Sunshine Bathroom"—the en suite for the yellow bedroom—is another of Radoni’s favorite spaces, with cheerful yellow subway tiles and patterned tiles from Concrete Collaborative’s Strands x Dwell collection. The collection of encaustic patterned tiles, which draws from surfboard silhouettes and California surf culture, was a natural fit.

The Concrete Collaborative tiles are paired with bright yellow subway tiles. The encaustic pattern on the tiles—inspired by surf culture—is not a product of the glaze but of different colors of clay, making them highly durable.

"The tile does the most visually, in the best way possible," says Radoni. "It’s bold, it’s bright, it’s basically shouting, ‘I’m fabulous—look at me!’ But seriously, it brings such an instant mood lift."

Hexagonal tiles from the same Concrete Collaborative Strands x Dwell collection are used behind the vanity and toilet, filling every corner of the bathroom with sunshine hues. "It definitely takes the right client to embrace that level of statement," says Radoni. "So when we started discussing the overall vibe of the desert house, I immediately knew that Concrete Collaborative tiles would be the perfect fit."

Throughout the house, Radoni balanced the exuberance of color and pattern with thoughtful restraint—choosing when to let bold materials take the lead and when to step back. A new HVAC system, for example, was tucked discreetly into the low-ceilinged structure to offer a more comfortable interior environment without interrupting the flow of space.

The kitchen is ideal for casual family meals and entertaining, with a kitchen island that doubles as a breakfast bar. The metallic base of the stools elevates the golden hue of the wood cabinetry, while the patterned blue-and-white upholstery visually draws the eye to the blue of the pool and wall outside.

The home is exactly what Radoni and her clients hoped it would be: a laid-back, design-forward retreat that evokes the California sunshine. "The goal was to make the house feel alive and full of personality from the second you walk in," she says. "Using vibrant colors, fun patterns, and period-inspired pieces just felt like the right way to celebrate the home and where it’s located. It’s meant to feel like a breath of fresh air."