March 1, 2019

Palm Springs, Calif., is known worldwide for its mid-century modern architecture. Every February, the area highlights this heritage with Modernism Week, a celebration of the design, architecture, art, fashion and culture of that time period. Of the more than 350 events happening during the festival, one of the most popular features is the Modernism Week Show House: Christopher Kennedy Compound, presented in conjunction with Traditional Home and California Home + Design.

Located in the Indian Canyons neighborhood of Palm Springs and set on a golf course, this 1962 property is 3,600 square feet and features three bedrooms and three bathrooms plus an attached guest house. The refurbishment, led by local designer Christopher Kennedy, respects the modernist property’s architectural pedigree while updating it with modern products.

KBB magazine spoke with Kennedy to find out how he created a contemporary, luxurious and not overly retro kitchen design for the current homeowner.

CLICK HERE to view a gallery of the Modernism Show House kitchen.

GOALS
Kennedy: I wanted to open up and lighten the space. Of course, my design objective was to create a show-stopping kitchen that would honor the mid-century pedigree of the home but also incorporate modern technology and fit today’s lifestyle.

CHALLENGES
Kennedy: The 1962 kitchen was originally a long galley-style space. Previous owners had expanded the kitchen by incorporating a space that was formerly a golf cart garage. This allowed them to have a breakfast table, but it also created a somewhat awkward L-shaped room. Also, the previous owners had just recently completed a cosmetic update. By most standards, the kitchen was perfectly lovely. Of course, this is a show house – so our goal was to create something spectacular!

MATERIALS
Kennedy: I turned to my friends at BauBox for the cabinetry. I love what this “industry-disruptor” company is doing! It is European-style cabinetry done in a fraction of the time at a much lower cost, but the quality is off-the-charts fantastic. Their drawers are all high-gloss polished aluminum with a lovely textured bottom that feels like shagreen but is totally durable. Also, all their finishes are gorgeous and very much what my clients are asking for. I also selected a timeless white quartz  for the perimeter and a gray with some veining for the island, both from Corian. Appliances are all JennAir’s sexy new Noir Collection. With their slick black interiors, they really stole the show. Brizo provided the elegant  faucet. Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery provided all appliances and fixtures from their endless selection of luxury brands including JennAir, Brizo, Sonneman and more.

BEST PART
Kennedy: The finishing touch of the space is the 5-ft. by 10-ft. resin art panel created by artist Alex Turco, through Los Angeles manufacturer Rock Mill Stone + Tile. Turco created this artwork in our clients’ favorite colors – purple and green. Technically, it’s the backsplash, but it also is so much more!

The project is brought to life by Shields Residential construction, Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, Corian Design, JennAir, Brizo, LaCantina Doors, Dunn-Edwards paints, Crossville Tile, Rock Mill Stone and more than three dozen other local and national design resources.