Beautiful Axiom Desert House

Based on the Axiom 2110 and featuring the Turkel Design signature post-and-beam construction and an open great room breezing out to a private courtyard, the 2,080-square-foot Axiom Desert House draws from the lifestyle and culture of Palm Springs—seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor living while incorporating innovative and energy-efficient products and systems throughout.
axiom desert house 1Recently completed in February 2019, Axiom Desert House, Featured Home at this year’s Palm Springs Modernism Week—turns heads as a stunning, systems-built jewel that is now the private residence of designers Joel and Meelena Turkel, as well as a Living Lab for Turkel Design. The home’s open plan, indoor/outdoor flow, and thoughtful use of sustainable materials are a testament to modern prefab, celebrating transformative design that is simple, elegant, and replicable.
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axiom desert house 3axiom desert house 4Many cultures feature houses with rooms grouped around a private courtyard: this is a take on that venerable tradition. Passing through a flat-roofed entry, the space expands as you encounter a high, beamed ceiling, sloping upward to 12 feet. This is the great room – 40 feet in length, it opens directly onto the walled courtyard through glass panels that slide away into hidden pockets. An especially admired feature of the room is a 4-by-12-foot window-seat extending into and overlooking the courtyard. This too has operable glass panels that tuck away into pockets: a charming place to lie down—even sleep—“half-in, half-out.”

axiom desert house 5axiom desert house 6axiom desert house 7axiom desert house 8Master suites occupy both ends of this “L” shaped home, each with private access to the courtyard; an ideal arrangement for a shared vacation home, in town or out. While being careful to ensure privacy, the outward facing walls stop short of the overhanging roof, bringing in balancing light and capturing expansive outward views.
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A custom daybed in the living room becomes part of the outdoor furnishings when the Marvin lift and slide doors are open. (Click to view video)

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The children’s room features fold-away bunk beds and an Oslo Sofa wall bed system (not shown) by Resource Furniture

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Beautiful Mid-Century Modern Home

House stalking…and dreaming

House stalking is like a past time for me lately. Honestly, when I drive by a house I like I think about whether I could live in it and what it’s like inside, but it just seems so far out of reach these days, especially in the heart of Seattle. Property here is ridiculous if you’re wanting to live anywhere within the city limits. Sometimes I feel like I can barely afford life, let alone buying a home in the kind of up and coming area I’d want to be in.

One style I’m currently obsessed with is all things mid-century, I love the clean lines, modern style furniture, large widows and vaulted beamed ceilings. The problem being there are not too many good mid-century style homes in Seattle where bungalows rule. Palm Springs has the best examples, now if only I could find a way to plunk an Eichler home somewhere in Seattle, hmm.

This beauty is the Dr. Scholl’s estate in Palm Springs, CA, the epicenter for mid-century modern, is designed by Anshen+Allen. The entrance has an amazing colonnade and oversize atrium that leads straight into a round pool from the moment you step in the door. I love the front facade with minimal window lines, the privacy, the custom walnut Kerf cabinetry in the kitchen, vintage tiles and hand crafted walnut accent walls….mid-century doesn’t get any better than this. Now if only I had a spare $1.2 million and could tolerate the heat of Palm Springs.

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