Design Blogger’s Revamped Palm Springs Hacienda Is a Jewel-Toned Gem

It’s a scientific fact that scrolling through photos of homes on the market in Palm Springs can induce a severe case of dejá vu. The cause of this condition: the town’s preponderance of sharp-angled midcentury moderns that are blindingly white inside and out, apart from their front doors, which are typically either canary-yellow, fire-engine red, or peacock-blue. Standing out against the sea of white post-and-beams is this color-drenched hacienda in the city’s Sunrise Park tract, now on the market with an asking price of $1.259 million.

Built in 1957, the desert residence last came up for sale in July of 2021, and listing photos from that time show it to be what some might indelicately call “a hot mess.” After lingering on the market for a couple of months, it was acquired by photographer Jeff Mindell and his wife, Kelly Mindell, the lifestyle blogger behind the site Studio DIY. Following their purchase, Ms. Mindell embarked on a painstaking makeover of the house, a process that she documented on both her website and Instagram page.

Among the elements that helped transform the home from hideous to glamorous are new Saltillo tile floors, antique coffered and stenciled doors from Spain, a plethora of zellige tile, vintage and modern sconces and chandeliers, solar-powered skylights, and a paint palette of moody hues — yellow ochre, forest green, borscht pink, sapphire blue — in interesting combinations.

Concealed behind a thick wall and fronted by a pair of shaggy palm trees, the single-story dwelling contains three bedrooms and three baths within its 2,220 square feet. It’s also got a spacious living room with decorative fireplace, an open kitchen equipped with new appliances, butcher block countertops and a blue-tiled peninsula that seats six, a formal dining room, a separate laundry room, and wood-beamed ceilings throughout. One set of French doors — painted Yves Klein Blue — leads from the kitchen to the front courtyard, while multiple other sets of glass doors spill out to the backyard, which features a saltwater pool, lounge deck and covered dining area.

On a 10,454-square-foot lot, the property is listed with Eileen Lanza of Keller Williams Realty Larchmont. Per the listing, most of the home’s art, furniture and decorative accessories are also available for purchase outside of escrow.