1955 Van Owen Estates Palmer & Krisel Home For Sale – Winnetka, CA

Located on a quiet cul-de-sac in Winnetka, CA is this Palmer & Krisel-designed home in Van Owen Estates relatively new to the market. With recent renovations, this home includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,242 square feet, sits on a 8,000 square-foot lot with a detached rear yard garage, and carries an asking price of $499,000.

Home 'pre-renovation' c. 2005

Thoroughly remodeled inside and out, the home doesn’t completely resemble it’s midcentury modern origins. The original full height four-pane windows on the front of the home have been swapped out in favor of smaller, waist-height vinyl replacements that take away the original character of the home. The yard surrounding the front of the home is mainly turf, with plantings at the base of the home and a large street tree providing curbside shade.

Kitchen, dining and entry

Kitchen and entry are united as one

The interior of the home has received a great room makeover, with the kitchen, living and dining opened to one another with no division or privacy between rooms. The entry now places visitors and guests in the kitchen, which is anchored by a large central island table accented with multiple pendant lights. Dark raised-panel cabinetry with stainless steel appliances are topped with quartz counters and accented by mosaic backsplashes.

Kitchen entry

Great room as viewed from entry

Living room addition

The open beamed vaulted ceilings are still in place, and have had drywall added over the original celotex panels, while four skylights add additional daylight to the room. The former living/dining room is now only used as a dining area, and an addition at the rear of the home now houses the living area. The original signature Krisel modernist fireplace has been boxed over, no longer anchoring the former living room.

Secondary bedroom 

Master bath

Master bedroom 

Only two of the bedrooms and one of the bathrooms are shown inside the home, and from what is shown, the bedrooms appear to remain in their original configurations. The master bedroom sits at the front of the home, while the secondary bedrooms sit towards the rear of the home. The bathroom shown has been renovated in the same design style as that found throughout the rest of the home.

There are no photos of the backyard shown, but Google maps tells us that the backyard two-car garage is accesses via an adjacent alley, a covered patio sits off of the living room addition, and the remainder of the yard consists mainly of turf.

While the home doesn’t embody its midcentury roots, the property has good bones, and could make a great restoration project.

Check out the full listing on Redfin.com here:  6739 Laramie Avenue

Or Realtor.com here:  6739 Laramie Avenue

College Glen Estates Palmer & Krisel Renovation Opportunity – San Diego, CA

New to the market is this 1960 Palmer & Krisel-designed home built by the Drogin Construction Company in San Diego’s College Glen Estates. With three bedrooms and two bathrooms in 1,153 square feet and a two car garage on a 6,400 square foot lot, the asking price on this home is an attractive $475,000.

Front of home 

Entry 

Home pre-flip, c. 2011

Once the victim of a flip in 2012, the home has seen its original clerestories stuccoed over, received a Victorian oval-windowed front door, and had its signature Krisel floor to ceiling front window cut in half. At one point before the 2012 flip the flat-roofed garage had a pitch, different from that found on the main structure of the home, added to it. The pitch survived the flip, and like the clerestory windows, was stuccoed over. The south-facing front yard is treeless, consisting mainly of a patch plot of turf, ready for a modernist water-conserving makeover.

Living and dining room 

Inside, the living and dining rooms sit at the rear of the home, while the three bedroom line the west side of the residence. The original open beamed vaulted ceilings are still in place throughout the home, and the floors have been covered in wood laminate.

Living room and kitchen

Living room 

Living room

Dining Room and kitchen 

Kitchen and entry hall beyond

Kitchen and dining room 

The living room overlooks the backyard through a large sliding glass door and nearly full-height windows, and is open to the adjacent dining room which sits at the northeast corner of the home. The galley kitchen lies between the dining room and entry hall, and is open to the dining area. The kitchen appears to have received it’s makeover during the 2012 flip, with raised panel cabinetry, granite counters, stainless steel appliances and elaborate crown molding.

Master bedroom 

Master bedroom 

Master bathroom 

Secondary bedroom 

Secondary bedroom 

Guest bath

The master bedroom sits at the rear of the home, with a pair of small windows overlooking the backyard. The master bath received its updates in 2012, with a granite topped raised panel vanity and travertine and glass mosaic shower surround. The secondary bedrooms lie at the side and front of the home, and the guest bath has received a makeover identical to that of the master bath.

Backyard patio 

Backyard and back of home

Backyard

The backyard backs up to a hillside, but retains a flat concrete patio off of the living room and a flat turf area surrounding the rear of the property. Mature native plantings line the hillside, giving it character and greenery.

The price is appealing for this community, and hopefully the new owner will move to put some of the modern back into this midcentury modern home.

Check out the full listing on Redfin.com here: 5466 Baja Drive

Or Zillow.com here: 5466 Baja Drive

El Camino Estates Palmer & Krisel Modified Butterfly Roof Home For Sale – Palm Springs, CA

Built in 1957 by the Alexander Construction Company is this modified Palmer & Krisel-designed butterfly-roofed home in El Camino Estates. Situated adjacent to the iconic Twin Palms Estates, this expanded home includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms in 2,171 square feet, a two-car garage and an in-ground pool all on a 10,400 square-foot lot with an asking price of $769,000.

Entry

Original elevation and floorplan

Set amid a sea of palm trees in lush green yard, the most glaring modification that this home has received is the presence of a large barrel vaulted addition located at where the center of the roof valley would have been located. The original two-car carport has been converted to a garage, the exterior of the home has received a lace stucco finish, while the entry sits recessed under the barrel-vaulted trellis where the original courtyard once stood.

Front doors and entry hall

Entry hall

Entering the home through a pair of single panel glass French doors, the barrel vaulted addition was crafted quite well and with an eye for detail, with an open beamed ceiling that mimics that found throughout the original portions of the home. Glass windows at the front and rear of the room, along with heavily planted adjacent areas, give the home a tropical, resort-like feel upon entering.

Dining and living rooms

Living and dining rooms

The original entry hall sits off to the side of the barrel vaulted entry, and leads into the original portions of the home, with rear-facing living room and front-oriented bedrooms. The living room retains much of its original charm, with Krisel’s signature modernist fireplace flanked by floor-to-ceiling walls of glass.

Kitchen and entry hall

Kitchen

The kitchen has been reconfigured in a U-shape, slightly more closed off to the original dining room than what would have been originally found while the former exterior wall has been opened to the barrel vaulted entry hall. Clean-lined wooden cabinetry topped with granite countertops fills the room, while glass mosaic tile backsplashes, pendant lights and stainless steel appliances finish the room.

Master bedroom 

Master bathroom 

Secondary bedroom 

Secondary bedroom 

Guest bath

Cabana

Cabana bath

The three bedrooms are in their original configurations, with the secondary bedrooms overlooking the flush front yard with mountain views through floor-to-ceiling windows and clerestories. The master bedroom offers front-facing clerestories with large sliding glass doors accessing a private side yard patio. Both the secondary bathroom and master bathroom have been updated, with newer fixtures and finishes that are clean-lined in form. A small cabana addition sits at the rear of the garage, and provides a third bathroom and multi-purpose room with wet bar.

Patio off of master bedroom

Back of home 

Back of home 

Pool and back yard

Pool and back of home 

The backyard maintains its original rectangular 15’ x 30’ swimming pool, with desert plantings surrounding the rear of the home. Small sundecks sit at either end of the pool, while tall privacy hedges and mature plantings line the perimeters of the yard.

This home presents an interesting opportunity to restore the original form which makes this Krisel elevation so special, or enjoy the uniqueness of the barrel vaulted room and enjoy it from the inside out. Either way, it’s a great home that offers a slice of paradise in a quiet Palm Springs neighborhood.  

Check out the full listing on Redfin.com here: 1986 South Yucca Place

Or Zillow.com here: 1986 South Yucca Place