Published as:
Moroccan
MODERN
DeeAnn McCoy and Jackie Thomas—who together make up the renovation firm Thomboy Properties—recently acquired a 1974 house in Palm Springs by under-the-radar architect Hal Lacy that they now call home after a thoughtful reworking. “While it was obvious that the house had great bones, it needed everything,” Thomas says. “It still looked like a house trapped in 1974. The windows, sliders, kitchen and bathrooms were wonderfully original. And we say that lovingly because so much of what we often find ourselves doing is undoing poorly done renovations. On the occasion we get our hands on something that still reflects the architect’s original vision, it’s truly a gift.”
The first step was to integrate the home’s exterior into the land and environment, including the majestic San Jacinto Mountains cradling the edge of Palm Springs. They called upon Mountain States Wholesale Nursery for the landscaping, consisting of drought-resistant, desert-heat-friendly plants and trees. The otherwise cool white house got a hot pink door courtesy of Dunn-Edwards; the hue is repeated and paired with bright orange in the guest house. The team played off the open living room’s original slumpstone fire surround and shiplap walls and ceiling with a black slate floor, vintage furnishings, a graphite gray Corian Design countertop and atomic chandeliers from Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery. For the den, aka the Estrella Scotch Library, the vibe is cocktail chic, with a large abstract artwork by Shawn Savage. Additions from DXV and Thermador completed the update.
“One of the things we’ve learned about Hal during this process is how meticulous his attention to detail was,” says McCoy. “Everything about this house was well thought through and expertly executed—the flow inside and outside; the walled courtyard for privacy; the many atriums and skylights to provide natural light; the different elevations of the house; and the use of materials. Hal Lacy left no detail untouched.” McCoy and Thomas’s house will be open for select tours during Modernism Week, February 15–25. Thomboy Properties, thomboyinc.com, Modernism Week, modernismweek.com — EH
