Sleek 1958 Sunmor Palmer & Krisel For Sale – Palm Springs, CA

The Sunmor neighborhood in Palm Springs is a hotbed of sharp and sleek renovations and restorations, and this 1958 three bedroom, two bathroom 1,258 square-foot Krisel on a 9,500 square-foot lot is no exception. Built by the Alexander Construction Company, this home features a two-car garage with a sleek opaque door, while the exterior of this flat-roofed home has been tastefully restored and modified slightly in a way that stays true to the mid-century modern roots of the home, and has an asking price of $649,000.

The front façade of the home features Krisel’s signature sunflaps at the eaves, modified at the bedrooms window to include slats which let in additional light while still provide screening. The air conditioner enclosure at the front of the home has been modified to an opaque plexiglass, complementing the garage door in material and proportion.

Front Entry

Sunflaps over bedroom windows

True to this popular floorplan, as visitors enter the home they are immediately greeted by walls of glass that overlook the back yard. The interior is white on white, with white walls, open-beamed ceilings and floors, true to the Palm Springs roots of the home. There’s a signature Krisel fireplace in the living room, opposite the rear walls of glass, and the kitchen is open to the living areas, tucked off the dining room. The kitchen includes cherry Euro-style cabinets, composite counters, metal mosaic tile backsplashes and stainless steel appliances.

The bedrooms show nice and bright, all featuring great natural light, with the master including a sliding glass door accessing the backyard. Both the hall and master bathrooms contain walls of mosaic tile, cabinetry which matches that found in the kitchen, and a tub in the hall bath and stall shower in the master bath.

Living Room 

Dining Room & Entry

Out back the home features an in-ground Alexander 15 x 30-foot swimming pool with a built-in hot tub which overflows into the pool. There’s plenty of patio space to enjoy that great Palm Springs weather, along with small turf areas at each end of the pool. There’s also plenty of low maintenance desert landscape and privacy hedges at the sides of the yard. This home has been immaculately renovated and stays true to the mid-mod essence of the home, using materials that compliment and capture its architectural spirit.

Kitchen

Kitchen

Secondary Bedroom 

Master Bedroom 

Hall Bathroom 

Back yard

Back yard

Check out Redfin for the listing and additional photos: 206 North Leslie Circle

Or Zillow here: 206 North Leslie Circle

1957 Palmer & Krisel Living Conditioned Home Hits the Market – Northridge, CA

The Living Conditioned Homes in Northridge, California were a hit when they debuted in the late 1950s. These homes were advertised as 'homes that are keyed to good living, providing the greatest degree of comfort, livability, and convenience.' Or as Krisel more eloquently states, Living Conditioned was ‘advertising puffery.’ Either way one can’t argue that these are some of the cooler Palmer & Krisels found in the San Fernando Valley.

This 1957 Palmer & Krisel-designed home contains four bedrooms and three bathrooms in 1,965 square feet, on a 14,400 square-foot lot with a rear-loading driveway and the coveted mid-mod butterfly roofline. There’s some bad news – the home fronts on Devonshire Street, a four-lane arterial; it sides up to an alleyway which in turn sides up to a Mexican-food restaurant; the home has been ‘updated’; and the two-car carport has been converted into two bedrooms advertise as an ‘income opportunity.’Clearly neither the current owner nor the listing agent are aware of what they have on their hands. But for those die hard Krisel fans out there, this is a neat opportunity to own a Living Conditioned home and restore some of its great features.

The home features a striking façade with H-shadow block covering the chimney as well as both walls flanking the entryway. Other than some minor window replacement, the front façade doesn’t appear to have been altered much at all over the years. Inside the home, wood laminate floors have been installed along with chunky overly ornate baseboards. The kitchen has been ‘upgraded’ with oak cabinets, granite counters and stainless steel appliances.

'Upgraded' Kitchen and Dining Room

Kitchen and Dining

There aren’t many other pictures of the interior of the home, but from what we can tell the clerestories at the rear of the property are still intact, as are the signature rear wall of glass. Unfortunately those overlook a backyard of mostly dirt, however there are several small trees on site which do help add a green element in an otherwise dusty and undervalued yard. 

The one bedroom shown is fairly ornate and wallpapered, and the one bathroom shown is pretty plain, not what one expects to see in a midcentury modern home. This home has fantastic curb appeal, and there’s opportunity here to make the inside of the property match the mid-mod outside. We wish the lucky new owners the best with this one, and we can’t wait to see it become a successful rehab.

Master Bedroom

Back yard - Clerestories and floor-to-ceiling windows still intact on rear of home

Rear yard - carport conversion on the right

Check out the listing on Redfin: 18419 Devonshire Street

Or on Realtor.com: 18419 Devonshire Street

Lom Park Palmer & Krisel Hits the Market – Lompoc, CA

In the late 1950’s the architectural firm of Palmer & Krisel completed design work for a series of tract homes in the small town of Lompoc, California in Santa Barbara County. Dubbed the Lom Park homes, this medium-sized tract of homes sits just northeast of downtown Lompoc, built to fill the needs of the then-growing Vandenburg Air Force Base.

This 1959 Palmer & Krisel is 1,395 square feet and features three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a rear-yard two-car garage on a tidy 6,000 square-foot lot. This property has been recently flipped, having sold at a foreclosure auction in March 2015 for $196,100. After recent renovations the current asking price is $279,000.

As the garage is accessed via a rear alleyway, the front of the home is all yard, and has recently been converted from lawn to rock. A small slumpstone wall forms a private entry courtyard which contains a small grassy area, and is overlooked by the living room. The living room features walls of glass that overlook the front yard – a real rarity for Palmer & Krisels as most tend to have their living areas opening up to side or rear yards.

The living, hall, baths, entry and one secondary bedroom feature hardwood floors, while the kitchen and dining rooms feature new neutral tile with carpeting in the remaining two bedrooms. The kitchen has been updated, in a clean, simple manner that compliments the modern aesthetics of the home. The cabinetry is light, and topped with clean quartz counters and an undermount sink.

The baths are simple and clean, with perhaps the only oddball choices are the orverly-ornate framed mirror and the circa mid-2000’s glass vessel sink in the hall bath. An easy fix with a new mirror and either a low-profile raised sink or an undermount replacement. Not terrible, but surprising to see from a flipper who knew enough not to put in granite countertops in the kitchen. The front bedrooms feature those great Krisel clerestories, just like the living room.

Like most flipped homes, the backyard hasn’t been touched, and the skeleton of a long-gone tree has been left for the new owner to contend with. Most of the backyard is taken up by the garage and driveway, which otherwise contains a brick patio and a small grassy area. This is a pretty neat home at a relatively reasonable price, that has been renovated fairly well. If you’re looking for a small southern California town to call home, check this one out.

Living Room 

Living, Dining and Entry

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

Hall Bath

Here’s a link to the Redfin listing: 509 North Poppy Street

Or check out  Realtor.com: 509 North Poppy Street

1959 Point Loma Estates Palmer & Krisel For Sale – San Diego, CA

In centrally located Point Loma sits this 1959 Palmer & Krisel-designed home built by the Drogin Construction Company. This home offers a fairly rare elevation for the Point Loma Estates subdivision, as mostly homes have their gable ends fronting the street view, with a  gable-roofed garage, this one features the gables at the sides with a flat-roofed garage. This 2,338 square-foot home has been expanded from its modest footprint; however the additions remain relatively sensitive to the design of the home and aren’t detractors. Featuring five bedrooms and three bathrooms on an 8,900 square-foot lot with a view of Downtown San Diego and an asking price of $849,000.

This home has great curb appeal, with a tidy green San Diego front yard and a wonderful, unassuming elevation. The windows have been replaced with white vinyl sliders, which are considerably chunkier than the original aluminum-framed windows, and oftentimes many homeowners don’t realize that dual pane windows also come in aluminum. The garage door appears to have been updated around the same time as the windows and an upgrade to a flat-panel or opaque glass door would really take the curb appeal of this home up a notch.

Walking into this home visitors immediately enter the living room, which features a signature dramatic Krisel floating fireplace – a square-framed hearth, offset firebox opening and mosaic tile accent. Even more striking is the chimney and clerestory detail – the chimney sits on the outside of the home, yet the original crinkle-glass clerestory spans the entire living room wall and offers a unique, dramatic obscured view of the chimney. The living room feeds into the original dining room, which access the rear family room addition through an opening which would have originally been the back yard sliding glass door.

The family room addition features a butterfly roofline, and vaulted ceilings in the spirit of the original style of the home. The ceiling tiles definitely give away the era in which the addition was built, and the large sliders and clerestories defiantly carry forward the spirit of the home. There’s also some pretty nifty built-ins, and while not completely Krisel-esque they are definitely a wonderful mid-century feature. Even the door pulls on the built-ins are pretty cool.

The kitchen has been renovated, and surprisingly the cabinetry is actually quite similar to original mid-century styles. The granite counters throw things off a bit, and the kitchen remodel would potentially have been more successful  had one-inch mosaic tile complimenting that found in the living room fireplace been used for the backsplashes, to give the room a lighter, less-weighty look. A less busy countertop, such as a quartz composite or solid color, would have also been more complimentary to the architecture of the home.

The bathrooms have all been remodeled over the years; however the hall bathroom appears to have the original glass mosaic tile for the tub surround. The bedrooms are all light and bright, featuring those wonderful signature Krisel open-beamed ceilings. The master features a small deck accessed from a sliding glass door, along with large clerestories and a skylight to really let in some natural light. The backyard incorporates a large deck, and best of all has relatively unobstructed views of downtown.  The rear yard isn’t huge, but offers a nice spot of green turf for pets or kids.

San Diego real estate is pricey, and this five-bedroom gem is no exception. This move-in ready home is waiting for a new owner, and it won’t take much to make this mid-mod home a show stopper.

Front Entry

Living Room - Check out that fireplace!

Living and Dining Room view - wow, can't get enough of that fireplace

Family Room Addition - Not Krisel but great built-ins and clerestories

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom clerestories and skylight

Secondary Bedroom Views

Hall bath with original mosaic tile tub surround

Kitchen - Imagine how great a Nelson bubble lamp would look in there!

Check out Redfin for additional photos: 2913 Marquette Street

Or Realtor.com: 2913 Marquette Street

Stunning 1959 Palmer & Krisel Fixer For Sale in Vista Las Palmas – Palm Springs, CA

Situated in the desirable Vista Las Palmas neighborhood of Palm Springs, California sits this 1,600 square-foot three bedroom, two bathroom Palmer & Krisel-designed home. Situated on a 12,600 square-foot corner lot, this fixer has million-dollar views in a million-dollar neighborhood with an asking price of only $675,000.

For Krisel enthusiasts out there this home will look familiar – it’s the same model/floor plan as found in the iconic Twin Palms and El Camino Estates in south Palm Springs and built by the Alexander Construction Company. Houses like this offer us a unique opportunity to take a glance at the past and serve as a well-worn blank slate perfect for restoration.

Offering commanding south-facing mountain views, this home sits on a quiet street lined with other fantastic Palmer & Krisel-designed homes. The façade keeps the original form of the home, with original decorative screen block and two-car carport, along with original finishes and lines. The prior sale of this home occurred in 1977, at which time certain updates were performed, giving this home some unique added features.

Walking into the home through the 1970’s front door, the sidelight has been replaced with stained-glass accent window, featuring tropical parrots perched in a tree – we forgot how popular that style of window was in the 1970s. Inside the home there’s also a few more interesting 70’s updates, including the square light fixtures – found in sconces on the entry and kitchen walls, along with the track lighting in the kitchen area. There flooring has already been removed, and the concrete slab appears to be in good shape.

The kitchen appears to feature the original 1959 cabinet boxes with 1970’s updated door fronts replacing what would have been peg-board fronts. The trash compactor and cooktop are also from that time period, while the wall oven and sink seem to be relatively newer, but that hanging cabinetry is definitely original. The hall bath houses a 1970’s redone sunken roman tub, and the bedrooms feature some pretty interesting murals. The walls in this home are all in pretty rough shape – we’re not sure what went on here, perhaps some wall paper removal occurred, but the good news is that the original open beamed ceiling appear to be pretty fantastic from the photos.

In the backyard Palm Springs Krisel fans will immediately recognize the standard Alexander 15’ x 30’ swimming pool, which has had some embellishments added to the plaster surface. The fencing appears to be period, featuring both original alternating board and batten fence and basket weave fencing. The backyard wouldn’t be complete without one last 1970’s update – the in-ground mosaic-tiled hot tub, something you definitely don’t see every day. This is such a great find, we can’t wait to see what wonderful things the new owners will do with this home.

Front Yard View

Entry

Kitchen - Love Hanging Cabinet Detail

Kitchen

Master Bedroom

Back Yard Features Stunning Mountain Views

Private Mosaic 1970's Hot Tub

Check out the listing photos on Redfin here: 888 West Regal Drive

Or on Zillow here: 888 West Regal Drive

Million Dollar Monday: Kings Point Krisel Reimagined – Palm Springs, CA

Today’s Million Dollar Monday is a reimagined 1969 Willaim Krisel, AIA-designed home in the Kings Point development in south Palm Springs, California. With striking views, this three bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home holds 2,899 square feet with a two-car garage all with an asking price of $1,350,000.

It’s definitely the highest priced property in the Kings Point development; however this home has been taken down completely to the studs and rebuilt, making this property like new. The south-facing front yard has been taken down to minimalistic rock, and offers unobstructed mountain views. The bright blue doors lead visitors into the foyer, which in turn leads to the expansive sunken living room. Highlighted with crisp terrazzo floors and a dramatic raised ceiling letting in plenty of natural light through clerestories, the living room offers dramatic backyard views to the common area and mountains beyond. The signature Krisel fireplace survived the renovation, and features clean, strong vertical lines inside and classic Krisel-massing on the outside.

The kitchen has been updated and opened up to the dining room , featuring streamlined cabinetry, counters and appliances.  The white terrazzo floors carry through to the kitchen, and coupled with the white-on-white walls, cabinetry and counters, gives the home a classic Palm Springs vibe. The bedrooms feature a jute/sisal carpeting, and provide floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors leading to separate private patio space.  

The bathrooms have been recreated with a solid nod to mid-mod, featuring floating cabinets and under mounted sinks, along with large saucer door pulls. The backyard area is small, consisting mainly of patio space and shrubs planted to create a living privacy wall. This is a superb property  that provides a stellar example of a renovation done correctly. The price point may be a little steep, but essentially gives the new buyer the opportunity to own a brand-new Krisel without the hassle of overseeing an expensive and time-consuming restoration.

Front View of Home Looking Northwest

Open Back Yard Patio

Sunken Living Room

Kitchen

Sunken Living Room

Master Bedroom

Guest Bedroom

Check out the Redfin listing photos here: 900 Murray Canyon Drive

Or on Zillow here: 900 Murray Canyon Drive