Vintage Home Restorations – A 1950s Rampling ranch house in the old Las Palmas Historic District receives a respectful update in honor of its origins.
The Old Las Palmas neighborhood in Southern California is one of Palm Springs’ popular neighborhoods. In the 1920s, Hollywood movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, and Cary Grant flocked to this area in droves, snapping up the Spanish Colonial and modern homes set against the backdrop of the majestic San Jacinto Mountains.
Vintage Home Restorations
“Because it worked so well inside the house, the dining room remained mostly intact,” explains H3K’s Howard Hawks. The dining table and chairs are original and were designed specifically for this home by interior designer, color consultant and ceramic expert William Manker. He supervised most of the original decoration of the house.
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Currently, Las Palmas’ vintage offerings, from art galleries to tiki bars, along with its historic architecture, attract fans of mid-century modern. Properties in the area are enhanced and modernized with careful consideration of their past.
Few designers do this better than Howard Hawkes and Kevin Kemper, founders and partners of H3K Home + Design. They themselves are big fans of Old Las Palmas and Palm Springs.
Outdoor living is natural with such a beautiful backyard. In addition to working on the pool, Howard and Kevin replaced and redesigned the concrete layout and added an additional grilling and cover area. “The concrete incorporates a diagonal design inspired by one of the original drawings for the house by famed landscape designer Tommy Thompson.
“We love that Palm Springs has a small hometown vibe but is also quite cosmopolitan in the way its visitors and part-time residents come from all over the world,” says Howard. “One is never bored with the landscape, the weather and of course the architecture.”
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The U-shaped sofa curves deceptively around the fireplace in the living room and is the same style as the previous sofa that occupied this space. Howard and Kevin found a gorgeous fabric with an antique pattern that was the perfect color to anchor the room.
“We were hired to restore a 1950s rambling farmhouse and also create a new kitchen,” explains Kevin.
The clients wanted to be sensitive to the original design and features of the home, but they also wanted to modify it
Century lifestyle. H3K Home + Design was just the team with the spirit and vision to handle the renovation.
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Howard and Kevin met in college and have been together ever since. After a few years of pursuing various careers, they became active in home restoration and renovation in Santa Barbara, California.
In 2004, they purchased a house in Palm Springs and fell in love with the abundant examples of MCM architecture dotting the area. Soon after, they purchased a run-down MCM property that needed a little “love.” They restored it and resold it.
Bertoia-esque benches line the island and were chosen for their slight shape and size. They were specially ordered with seat and back cushions. The island has truly become the center of the house; It’s used to do everything from homework to food prep or setting up a huge two-sided buffet.
The bar features a Formica bar top, original to the house, as well as seating. They were all in such pristine condition that they were untouched. However, the glass partition wall was replaced in the 1990s, so Kevin and Howard chose to put in a more MCM-era glass style. “Not all of the squares in the divider have glass, which we did, because it allows you to peek into the backyard and pool when you walk in the front door,” Kevin points out.
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After receiving the bulk of the renovation, the kitchen is a masterpiece that combines functionality with an MCM aesthetic. Careful selections were made to give the kitchen an updated and subtle feel. “For example, the tiles look modern, but they also have a mid-century feel,” Howard says.
“It was a success!” Howard says. “We soon began working with clients who were in the process of renovating and renovating their homes.”
In honor of the original owner’s employee who lived here, this bedroom was named “Ernestine’s Room.” It was found in one of the casitas and serves as a guest cottage. It features a headboard that was moved from the master bedroom. (This headboard is its own piece of history: It was custom-designed for an old primary bedroom and has its own building plans designed by William Manker.)
Bright shades of blue envelope one of the bedrooms in the two-bedroom casita. It reflects the bright blue of the pool located just a few meters away. “We all decided that blue would be a soothing color to complement the pool right outside the door,” Howard says.
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Retaining the original materials as much as possible is an essential part of a respectful restoration. In this double bedroom, the original Formica table has been preserved.
In 2017, Howard and Kevin opened their flagship furnishings and home decor store in downtown Palm Springs, bringing their own “voice” to the MCM style in Palm Springs.
For this project, the house was a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation. It was originally owned by the client’s grandfather, and is proud of its rich history. He hired Edward Fickett to design it in 1952. It offers two bedrooms and three bathrooms in the main house and three additional bedrooms and three bathrooms in two surrounding cabins.
“We appreciate MCM architecture and design for its clean lines and enjoy the frequent use of organic materials paired with new synthetic or synthetic products and architectural elements,” Kevin notes.
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This private and comfortable twin bedroom is located within one of the two surrounding cabins. The room’s windows were replaced with similar ones, and a built-in desk with the original Formica “boomerang” top was placed on the other side.
The home’s original features served as a blueprint for the new plans and dictated many of the choices. An example of this is the fireplace in the living room, which is made of original terrazzo surrounded by original wood panels.
A bold palette balanced with warm wood accents and neutral colors that blend together expertly in every room throughout the home.
One of the biggest parts of the renovation was the kitchen. The original kitchen was large but separate from the house. A new one was created to be open to the dining room, pool and patio beyond, giving attractive glimpses of plants and water. The new dimensions allowed for the addition of a 60-inch-wide range and a 60-inch-wide refrigerator, making the kitchen a chef’s dream. Stunning trapezoidal porcelain tiles in tones of green and white were used, along with walnut cabinets (walnut was often used in mid-century furniture and cabinetry).
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Another area that showcases H3K Home + Design’s vision and attention is one of the bathrooms, which the team confirmed was sourced from historically accurate pieces. The bathroom is brand new and was created from the existing space near the back door and laundry area.
Soft pink sinks add a fun touch to the master bedroom’s en-suite bathroom. “We saved the original double vanity and added about 4 or 5 inches of height to make the sinks more user-friendly,” Howard explains. “In addition, we selected a new Formica countertop that would contrast and complement the pink sinks.”
“We renovated the low-profile solid brass address sign to the left of the front door,” says Howard. It was a pleasant surprise for homeowners to see that low voltage lighting technology was incorporated into this little identification sign that was added in 1952.
“The bathroom can be used as a guest bathroom, as well as a pool, with access to the outside,” Kevin points out. “Howard and I searched the Internet for the original Crane sink and faucet hardware.”
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Since the front of the house never had a “formal” entrance from the street, the only way to the front door was through the driveway. A new entrance has been created and is somewhat more massive and formal, providing a nicer appeal. “We created new, large concrete stones and incorporated the smaller, original stones into the new concrete to honor the original segmented path,” says Howard.
They found one in a suburb of Chicago and personally delivered it to Palm Springs via courier.
“Next, we sourced the original Crane sink stand and towel rack. It was brand new in the box from the early 1950s, which is a fun find! The original pieces are in the house,” says Howard.
The bounce-style pool was repainted and repainted, and the waterfall jacuzzi spa was removed. They replaced it with a new, separate Jacuzzi spa that mimics the look of a swimming pool. A long slatted wooden bench has been added for additional poolside seating.
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“The plants and ground cover were also inspired by the original landscape designed by Mr. Thompson,” notes Kevin. Kevin and Howard were able to salvage some of the original foliage, including a very old oleander tree, and of course several palm trees.
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