Before and After: Moroccan-Inspired Palm Springs Style
Escape to the 2018 Modernism Week showcase home, where jewel tones and graphic tile create a cool desert vibe
A number of midcentury architects, including William Krisel, Albert Frey, Richard Neutra and Hal Lacy, made their mark designing in the progressive desert landscape of Palm Springs, California. Lacy designed this year’s Modernism Week showcase house. Although the showcase home typically is a collaboration by a number of interior designers (each designing one room), this 1975 custom home was transformed entirely by Jackie Thomas and DeeAnn McCoy of Thomboy Properties, the home’s owners.
Palm Springs and Marrakech essentially share the same latitude, and Thomas and McCoy took their corner lot home and guesthouse, with tired finishes and a closed-off layout, and gave it a Moroccan-inspired makeover. Let’s take a look at the transformation.
Palm Springs and Marrakech essentially share the same latitude, and Thomas and McCoy took their corner lot home and guesthouse, with tired finishes and a closed-off layout, and gave it a Moroccan-inspired makeover. Let’s take a look at the transformation.
Landscape
Before. Pictured here are the previous pool, hardscaping and layout. The couple worked with Wendy Proud of Mountain States Wholesale Nursery in choosing the new native plants and landscape design.
Before. Pictured here are the previous pool, hardscaping and layout. The couple worked with Wendy Proud of Mountain States Wholesale Nursery in choosing the new native plants and landscape design.
After. Brightly colored furniture and several sitting and conversation areas dot the backyard. Rammell Construction updated the pool with Pebble Tec.
The medallions on both sides of the entry inspired Thomas and McCoy’s renovation. “We felt they had a wonderful Moroccan vibe while still being thoroughly modern,” Thomas says. “We used that inspiration throughout the interior — including the shower tiles and steps — and the exterior of the house, like the patterned tile on the rise of the steps, pool and elevated exterior surfaces.”
Courtyard
Thomboy Properties removed a once-enclosed patio off the master bedroom to create a continuous walkway. The entire exterior is painted in a bright white, White Picket Fence by Dunn-Edwards.
Thomboy Properties removed a once-enclosed patio off the master bedroom to create a continuous walkway. The entire exterior is painted in a bright white, White Picket Fence by Dunn-Edwards.
Living Room
Estrella is Spanish for “star,” and McCoy and Thomas nicknamed the house “Casa Estrella” after its street name, Via Estrella. The sunken living room is decorated with a few star motifs, including a vintage Curtis Jere sculpture, which acts as a focal point on the mantel, and a modern star-shaped chandelier.
The matching John Widdicomb sideboards hold various vintage items, including brass Stiffel table lamps and a Batman figurine from local shop Hedge.
Vintage Moroccan wedding blanket: Soukie Modern; three-piece sectional reupholstered in Bolero by Fabricut; chandelier: Zazu by Eurofase, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery; art by Balinese artist Suliyat Buamar
Estrella is Spanish for “star,” and McCoy and Thomas nicknamed the house “Casa Estrella” after its street name, Via Estrella. The sunken living room is decorated with a few star motifs, including a vintage Curtis Jere sculpture, which acts as a focal point on the mantel, and a modern star-shaped chandelier.
The matching John Widdicomb sideboards hold various vintage items, including brass Stiffel table lamps and a Batman figurine from local shop Hedge.
Vintage Moroccan wedding blanket: Soukie Modern; three-piece sectional reupholstered in Bolero by Fabricut; chandelier: Zazu by Eurofase, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery; art by Balinese artist Suliyat Buamar
After. Large slate floor tiles create a bold contrast with the freshly whitewashed walls and ceiling. “We pride ourselves on listening to the houses we renovate to see where they take us,” Thomas says. “We had to spend a fair bit of time listening and being in the space to decide which elements and features of the architecture we wanted to elevate and use as part of our design ethos.
“The shiplap in the living room felt very organic, so we wanted to continue that vibe with the neutral fabrics we selected for the sofas, the Moroccan wedding blanket and the floor coverings.”
Montauk black slate floor tile: Stonehouse Tile; tile setters: Rosales Stone and Tile; wall paint: Whisper, Dunn-Edwards; oil-rubbed bronze sliders: Western Window Systems, installed by Glass Masters; window coverings: Mark Levine
“The shiplap in the living room felt very organic, so we wanted to continue that vibe with the neutral fabrics we selected for the sofas, the Moroccan wedding blanket and the floor coverings.”
Montauk black slate floor tile: Stonehouse Tile; tile setters: Rosales Stone and Tile; wall paint: Whisper, Dunn-Edwards; oil-rubbed bronze sliders: Western Window Systems, installed by Glass Masters; window coverings: Mark Levine
After. The living room is now set off by graphic tile on the stair risers and the slate tile of the floor.
Interior door paint: Edge of Black, Dunn-Edwards
Interior door paint: Edge of Black, Dunn-Edwards
Architect Lacy added spectacular drama to the home with custom carved 10-foot-high double entry doors. McCoy and Thomas took the cream-colored doors and made them eye-popping with Dunn-Edwards’ Pink Dahlia on the exterior and Edge of Black on the interior.
Vintage Moroccan boucherouite rug: Soukie Modern
Vintage Moroccan boucherouite rug: Soukie Modern
After. The existing brick wall painted in a sophisticated dark gray serves as the backdrop for a custom abstract painting by Southern California artist Shawn Savage.
Wall and cabinet paint: Draw Your Sword, Dunn-Edwards; area rug: Canpana in Denim, Kane Carpet, Carpet Empire Plus; vintage Brutalist coffee table by Silas Seandel, The Art Room; vintage brass lamp: Hedge; vintage sectional reupholstered in Kravet Smart fabric
Wall and cabinet paint: Draw Your Sword, Dunn-Edwards; area rug: Canpana in Denim, Kane Carpet, Carpet Empire Plus; vintage Brutalist coffee table by Silas Seandel, The Art Room; vintage brass lamp: Hedge; vintage sectional reupholstered in Kravet Smart fabric
Dining Room
Bright light flows into the formal dining room, which previously felt dark and enclosed due to heavy window treatments. Thomboy Properties painted the existing brick wall in The Green Hour, the 2018 Dunn-Edwards Color of the Year. The hue adds intrigue in a space that was previously all neutral tones. A collection of colored vintage glass is displayed in the built-in shelves.
Area rug: Carpet Empire Plus; vintage Lightolier chandelier: Hedge; dining table: vintage Milo Baughman
Bright light flows into the formal dining room, which previously felt dark and enclosed due to heavy window treatments. Thomboy Properties painted the existing brick wall in The Green Hour, the 2018 Dunn-Edwards Color of the Year. The hue adds intrigue in a space that was previously all neutral tones. A collection of colored vintage glass is displayed in the built-in shelves.
Area rug: Carpet Empire Plus; vintage Lightolier chandelier: Hedge; dining table: vintage Milo Baughman
After. The sunken bar, adjacent to the living room, now features a wall cutout that opens to the kitchen.
Parker brass pendant sconces: Jonathan Adler
Parker brass pendant sconces: Jonathan Adler
After. The space is now bright and airy and features Thermador appliances. Patterned tiles on the wall continue the nod to Morocco.
Ceiling paint: White, Dunn-Edwards
Ceiling paint: White, Dunn-Edwards
The new wall cutout creates a sight line from the kitchen to the living room, bar area, dining room and media room.
After. The addition of several light sources turned the room into a warm and inviting space. Patterned wallpaper from Modern Home Design Showroom creates an accent wall behind the brass canopy bed. The vintage poufs at the foot of the bed inspired the room’s color palette of grays and pinks.
Alek upholstered canopy bed: Willa Arlo Interiors, Wayfair;
Mongolian lamb pillow covers in Rosette: West Elm; vintage Moroccan wedding blanket: Soukie Modern; vintage poufs: Mix-modern; Caysoh nightstands: Worlds Away; Parker pendant lights in brass: Jonathan Adler; see more brass pendant lights
Alek upholstered canopy bed: Willa Arlo Interiors, Wayfair;
Mongolian lamb pillow covers in Rosette: West Elm; vintage Moroccan wedding blanket: Soukie Modern; vintage poufs: Mix-modern; Caysoh nightstands: Worlds Away; Parker pendant lights in brass: Jonathan Adler; see more brass pendant lights
Wall paint: Faded Gray, Dunn-Edwards
After. The reconfigured bathroom features arabesque-patterned wall and floor tile. An atomic star chandelier hangs over the freestanding bathtub. Can lights replaced the 1970s fluorescent lighting.
Wall paint: Heirloom Shade, Dunn-Edwards
Wall paint: Heirloom Shade, Dunn-Edwards
A showstopping 45-square-foot walk-in shower featuring dual heads, a rain shower and thermostatic valves replaced the existing bathtub.
After. Pink and orange tones from the courtyard carry through to the guest house interior. The bright pink wall here is Pink Dahlia by Dunn-Edwards, echoing the home’s front door.
Wallpaper: Earn Your Stripes, York Wallcoverings, Modern Home Design Showroom; vintage Charles Hollis Jones lucite table: At-Hom; sconces: Meurice, Jonathan Adler
Wallpaper: Earn Your Stripes, York Wallcoverings, Modern Home Design Showroom; vintage Charles Hollis Jones lucite table: At-Hom; sconces: Meurice, Jonathan Adler
Pink upholstered bed: Wayfair; white and lucite nightstands: Mod Shop; table lamps: Lamps Plus; vintage metal George Nelson bench: At-Hom; accent pillows: custom
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2018 Modernism Week Showcase Home
Who lives here: Jackie Thomas and DeeAnn McCoy of Thomboy Properties
Location: Indian Canyons neighborhood of Palm Springs, California
Size: 4,931-square-foot (458-square-meter) main house with four bedrooms and four bathrooms, plus a 630-square-foot (59-square-meter) guest house with one bedroom and one bathroom
Year built: 1975
The home, configured around a central courtyard and pool, is ideal for entertaining. “The architecture of this custom home has forced us to push our creative and design talents to the limit,” Thomas says. The outdoor areas, including some of the plantings, have been reconfigured to create one large and cohesive space.
The concrete fire pit is custom, and surrounding it are vintage John Salterini chairs with new cushions covered in Trina Turk’s Soleil L.A. fabric. The vintage 1966 adjustable chaise lounge chairs are by Richard Schultz.