Desert Retreat

Kim Duensing of Kim Duensing Projects, a full service design firm, reimagines a stripped-down minimalist house in Palm Springs as a layered, warm and welcoming winter retreat for a Connecticut-based couple

A Connecticut-based couple, who decamped to a rental in Palm Springs each fall when the weather on the east coast turned cold, had been searching for a place in the desert oasis to call their own. “One day, while out on a walk, they noticed a large spec project I was working on,” remembers designer Kim Duensing. “Being the extroverted, socially-inclined people that they are, they came through the gate and knocked on the door to take a look inside.” The couple and the designer kept in touch. “Years later, when they finally found the property they’d been hoping for, they reached out and asked if I would help them reimagine it.”

The home they’d found been torn down to the studs in anticipation of a full-scale remodel. While the couple loved the grounds and the setting, the proposed renovation, which imagined a traditional and very formal living space with sleek, minimalist interiors in a cool, gray-toned palette, didn’t reflect either their lifestyle or their aesthetic. “That’s quite the opposite vibe of my clients who are a colorful and lively couple that live expansively,” Duensing explains. “They love to host and entertain, and they wanted a home where they could truly relax and openly welcome guests. They love art and books and enjoy collecting vintage and storied treasures. Their design needed to incorporate layers of texture and unexpected, well-curated furnishings.” 

Duensing and her team completely reimagined the layout, originally designed to accommodate a family with a staff whose children were home-schooled. “We developed a ‘layering’ concept, connecting key spaces — kitchen, bedrooms and gathering lounges — to one another and the outdoors while maintaining privacy and zones for joyful messiness during entertaining,” says Duensing.

They divided the kitchen into two spaces, separated by a steel window wall inspired by an urban restaurant. Connected yet distinct, the design allows them to move fluidly while cooking and entertaining. “Together, they are joyful, expressive, and delightfully messy cooks,” Duensing shares. “The layered kitchen gives the couple a “stage” for the cooks to connect with guests and a place to gracefully hide the prep or mess.”

Duensing also brought this layered concept to the primary suite. “We created a flowing retreat that’s open on all sides and anchored by a single, freestanding wall,” she notes. “Every part of the space feels connected to the outdoors and sight lines to the views stretch through every side of the space.” Scott Shrader’s landscape design was adapted to fit the home’s vibrant new spirit.

“The result is a lively, unpretentious desert home, which they dubbed Casa Barona, that perfectly captures the West Coast ethos of living expansively and without pretense and a true reflection of my clients: open, layered and vibrant.” The clients are ecstatic. “I often hear from that their home feels better than they could have ever imagined.”

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