A Historic Palm Springs Rental Is Transformed With a Riot of Pattern and Color
Partner Story
Buying a home in Palm Springs was never part of the plan for LA-based interior designer Dani Dazey. When she came across a 1959 home by celebrated architect William Krisel, however, it was love at first sight. "I have deep ties in Palm Springs, so it just felt right," she recalls. "But it had to be a rental in order to still afford my rent in LA!" Once the sale went through, she set about transforming it into a kaleidoscopic ode to the 1970s—think boldly patterned tiles by Concrete Collaborative, a color-blocked kitchen, mural walls, cacti, and hanging plants.
The home was designed by William Krisel, a pioneering architect known for his midcentury modern residential design. The original structure was retained, and the original orange front door provided inspiration for the new interior scheme.
"As an interior designer, one of my favorite eras in design is the bold and beautiful ‘70s," says Dazey. "I love retro supergraphics and warm vintage color schemes. Palm Springs has always embraced bold color and design and we really leaned into that."
Dazey and her partner kept the original structure of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, which is typical of Krisel’s pioneering midcentury modern vision. The interior, however, was "pretty barren" with white walls and gray floors. Dazey took inspiration from the bright orange front door and created an interior scheme that evokes that retro Palm Springs aesthetic and is dominated by a warm orange, red, and yellow palette.
The open-plan living space features a bold orange palette, expressed in the tiled backsplash, the timber joinery, the furnishings, and the checkered floor tiles. "I love how many different playful surfaces and textures are going on, but that they somehow all work together," says interior designer Dani Dazey.
The living area opens out to the garden, which features an entertaining area with a fire pit, hot tub, and sun lounging deck surrounded by a cacti garden.
"We wanted to add more color, print, and Palm Springs quirky charm all around the house," says Dazey of her eclectic choices. "As a designer, I’m known for weaving together an array of statement standalone pieces in a way that makes them feel in unison and uniform."
Midcentury-inspired furniture and artwork—including a Flos Arco Lamp and a sunburst clock—evoke a playful retro vibe.
"One of my big ways of creating harmony in interiors is by replicating colors and themes throughout the space and having an anchor to tie them together," explains Dazey. "In this case, it’s color and midcentury modern inspiration."
The result is a joyful space that feels as though it’s been designed with wild abandon—but is actually carefully and cohesively considered. A prime example of this approach is the use of Concrete Collaborative tiles throughout the space. The Strands collection, which was developed in collaboration with Dwell and designed by architect Chris Deam, is used to create a patterned backsplash in the kitchen and for the floors of all three bedrooms.
Using the same tiles in different ways throughout the space creates a sense of harmony within the multifaceted interior. "I love the Concrete Collaborative collection as it has a fresh take on that midcentury modern feel," explains Dazey.
The Strands x Dwell collection by Concrete Collaborative has been used on the floors of the three bedrooms. "Each room has a different color scheme and feel, yet matches this tile perfectly," says Dazey. "Using the collection in multiple spaces and in different ways gives uniformity and harmony to the house."
The Strands x Dwell collection of tiles are inspired by Californian surf culture and are available in a range of bold, midcentury-inspired colors. The color is inlaid into each concrete tile using pigmented clay—rather than glaze—in a traditional process known as "encaustic" that creates a highly durable finish suitable for high-traffic zones.
The Strands x Dwell collection of encaustic concrete is available in five different patterns and a diverse palette of colors that can be mixed and matched to create a striking, seemingly random visual effect.
The kitchen is one of Dazey’s favorite parts of the renovation and it evokes the spirit of the original home. "The original kitchen was so cool and I was really sad to have to demolish a beautiful piece of history," she says. "I knew if I was going to build a new one, I had to do the original justice." To achieve this vision, she created a Mondrian-esque arrangement of color-blocked cabinetry and SMEG appliances in a palette of warm tones that matches the rest of the interior, complemented by a backsplash crafted from orange Concrete Collaborative tiles.
The kitchen originally featured vintage appliances, but they were no longer up to code and were replaced by SMEG appliances that blend into the renovated rental home. "I am obsessed with the orange SMEG fridge and the color-blocked Reform CPH cabinets we custom built around them," says Dazey. "We also color-blocked the appliances to match the eclectic retro feel."
Since the completion of the project, Dazey has used Concrete Collaborative tiles in nearly all of her projects. "I’ve been a fan of Concrete Collaborative from day one," she says. "They make the most beautiful and unique surfaces that can’t be found anywhere else. They are leaders of modern-day terrazzo, which is my favorite counter choice. I also love that there are unlimited color options and that they have a pattern built in."
The color-blocked cabinetry and bold appliances are balanced by a more neutral terrazzo countertop (also by Concrete Collaborative), white walls, and simple globe pendant lights.
The fun continues outside, where Dazey has landscaped the garden with cacti and other native flora and installed a fire pit, hot tub, sun loungers, and dining area in the same bold orange and red palette as the interior. The vibrant splashes of color are particularly striking against the arid, mountainous landscape that surrounds the architectural gem.
The orange hot tub echoes the interior palette and offers striking contrast against the desert landscape.
A sun deck with orange sun loungers set against the backdrop of a cactus garden completes the retro Palm Springs aesthetic.
"It’s such a special home and we feel lucky to be stewards of it and share it with others," says Dazey. "It came with such beautiful architecture, and we are so happy to add design elements to make it an even more magical experience. It’s been years in the making and this house really helped kick off my career as a designer. I owe it everything!"
Project Credits:
Architect: William Krisel
Appliances: SMEG
Photographer: Dazey Den / @danidazey
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