Palm Beach meets Palm Springs in this groovy green and pink kitchen by designer Jen Samson.
Pink counter stools from Mercana stand out against an eye-catching wall covered in tiles sourced at Mission Tile West. The lights are Dutton Brown and the fixtures are by California Faucets. Photographed by Chad Mellon
Originally designed in 1964 by William Cody understudy Ira Johnson, this Indian Wells kitchen was in need of a major upgrade. Enter Laguna Beach interior designer Jen Samson—principal designer at Jen Samson Design (jensamsondesign.com)—who connected with her O.C.-based clients after they discovered her through social media and local referrals.
Samson looked toward famed society photographer Slim Aarons’ images for aesthetic inspo, along with the home’s surrounding rooms. “The overall style and theme for the kitchen was... [pulled] from both Palm Springs and Palm Beach,” explains Samson. “Bright, playful and sophisticated.” Her clients—a family of five—love to entertain, and had a specific list of musts pertaining to functionality and livability.
Samson incorporated appliances from Monogram into the design. Photographed by Chad Mellon
“We wanted to create a kitchen that pulled from the home’s color palette overall, primarily a mix of greens and various shades of pink, peach and coral with pops of brass and black,” Samson shares. “Because of the large gatherings of friends and family at this vacation home, we knew we needed to create a very open kitchen with all of the amenities needed to entertain. A large side-by-side refrigerator and freezer, double dishwashers, a coffee station and plenty of counter space was very important.” It was also essential to Samson and her clients that they stay true to the home’s original 1960s design.
This kitchen is a modern take on true midcentury style, pairing all of the amenities one has come to expect in luxury modern homes with the bright pops of color, playful patterns and undeniably chic aesthetic that was found in 1960s design in both Palm Springs and Palm Beach. –JEN SAMSON
Lacking in natural light, the kitchen was dark and completely closed off from the rest of the home. To remedy this, Samson and team—including David Wood of Big Wood Builders (bigwoodbuilders.com)—removed the wall adjacent to the now dining room, and added a large open passageway from the entrance of the home into the kitchen, which allowed light to flood in from two different directions. “Additionally, we added a skylight and built a large center island that would serve as additional counter space for dining and entertaining,” says Samson, who also reconfigured the layout for all of the appliances, making for an easy flow throughout the space.
White terrazzo flooring keeps the space’s midcentury feeling intact. Photographed by Chad Mellon
“Maintaining the ceiling’s very unique arched profile was important aesthetically, but we needed to add electrical for all ceiling lighting,” explains Samson. “This was accomplished by floating new wood over the existing tongue-and-groove ceiling, allowing for space for the electrical wiring in between, and then we stained the ceiling in a warm tone very similar to the original. From there, it was about adding personality and playfulness to the space.” Samson achieved this with the multihued green tile from Mission Tile West, laid out in a unique and dynamic pattern that, according to Samson, “feels entirely mod and modern at the same time.” The coral-toned pink counter stools from Mercana add a pop of color, as do vintage accessories like peach cranes and midcentury pottery.
“The obvious favorite moment of this kitchen for me is the tile,” says Samson. “The mix of the three green hues and the layout of the tile is so joyful! In vacation homes, our clients tend to be more open to us creating something out of the ordinary,” she adds. “This mindset allowed us to take greater risks in terms of color or pattern.” Samson also loves all of the personality-packed decor moments. “The vintage birds, pottery and other accessories like the bubble glassware and blush ceramic dishes add to the aesthetic of this midcentury home,” she says. “I always adore the homestretch of a project, when all of the small details come together. Whether they are collected or new, it’s the mix that makes this and any space feel unique and special to the property and to the homeowners.”
After some minor COVID-related delays, the project wrapped up after about nine months, and the homeowners couldn’t be happier. “They were beyond thrilled with the results,” Samson shares. “This kitchen is a modern take on true midcentury style, pairing all of the amenities one has come to expect in luxury modern homes with the bright pops of color, playful patterns and undeniably chic aesthetic that was found in 1960s design in both Palm Springs and Palm Beach.”
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