Designer Damon Liss was hired to re‑imagine a 1967 single‑storey home in Palm Springs, blending its original mid‑century architecture with a bright contemporary art collection for a New York couple.
Renovation focused on colour and texture
According to the project brief, the owners “wanted something with a little more interest, a little more colour, a little more playfulness.” Liss, whose firm Damon Liss Design is known for sourcing vintage pieces worldwide, saw the brief as an opportunity to respect the house’s history while updating its interior. The renovation involved a “re‑skinning” rather than a full gut overhaul. New bathrooms, a modern kitchen, refreshed flooring and a fireplace were added, but the structural shell remained intact.
The design director, Ligia Pinto, chose a palette inspired by the surrounding desert. Custom on‑site poured terrazzo incorporates warm browns, dusty greens and ochres typical of the Coachella Valley. To balance the colourful tile, cabinetry was kept clean and linear, providing a visual counterweight.
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Art installations become architectural features
A stained‑glass window by artist Sarah Cain, titled “Desert Sky,” was installed in a den framed by deep purple walls. The piece was created especially for the space, allowing light to shift across the room as the sun moves. In the entryway, a concrete wall cast from molds of cereal boxes and juice bottles, designed by artist Mark Hagen, offers a playful nod to the classic Palm Springs breezeway screen.
Above the dining table, a sculpture by Moffat Takadiwa—assembled from discarded computer keyboard keys and toothbrush heads—adds a contemporary twist. The work sits among Joseph André Motte “Tongue” chairs, blending modern design with the home’s mid‑century roots. A ceramic light fixture by Bay Area artist Woody de Othello, shaped like a set of nostrils, hangs above the home office desk, a subtle joke the designers admit.
The clients arrived with a truckload of artworks, including pieces by Leilah Babirye, Salomón Huerta and Tony Feher, as well as works by regional artists Edie Fake and Jonathan Cross. The design team collaborated closely with the owners to integrate these pieces throughout the house, placing them alongside vintage furniture such as an Edward Wormley Janus sofa and Milo Baughman swivel chairs. “There isn’t a single star of the show,” Liss notes, emphasizing composition over hierarchy.
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Sunlight floods the living room.
The Palm Springs escape now offers sweeping desert views framed by a palette that reflects the surroundings, while interior spaces celebrate a wide range of contemporary art. The project demonstrates how careful material choices, thoughtful colour integration, and strategic placement of artworks can revitalize a mid‑century home without erasing its historic character.
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