Sun’s Out, Fun’s Out

For her Palm Springs home, this designer had a blast with vintage and Mid-Century inspired styles.

Photos by •• Scott Van Dyke

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COLORFUL LIFE The Great Room features Kardiel’s Miranda 82" Fabric Sofas in Gris Bouclé and Platner 36" Coffee Table. The art is Joseph Katz and His Coat of Many Colors, by Dr. Seuss, based on the 1970 original acrylic on canvas board.

“This project was not for the faint of heart and took about two years,”

says Julien.

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IF YOU KNOW MID CENTURY MODERN, YOU’VE PROBABLY COME ACROSS THE WORK OF SALLY JULIEN. She’s the principal and founder of Modernous, a firm that specializes in the interior design and staging of Mid Century and other modern homes. Her work has been featured in publications such as Dwell, Atomic Ranch and Modernism. In her personal life, Julien is equally creative, and she has over the years lovingly restored several older properties, transforming them into whimsical and sophisticated homes. Julien splits her time between the Seattle area and Palm Springs, and we were lucky enough to get a tour of her new place in Palm Springs.

MYSTERY SOLVED The Scooby Doo-style secret door serves a design function. “You could see the laundry room from the living room, so we didn’t want to look into that,” says Julien. The solution was this door, which is on special hinges to bear the weight. Tilt her favorite book, Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, sideways, and the door opens. How cool is that?

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Opposite: COUPLE TIME Homeowners Sally Julien and Peter Loforte relaxing. Julien had always dreamed of having the lighting fixture at the top. The chandelier is a “85 Lamps,” by Droog. This page: A closer look at the Kardiel Miranda 82" Fabric Sofa in Gris Bouclé and Platner 36" Coffee Table in chrome.

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HUMOROUS TOUCH A jackalope presides over this room. Kardiel furniture includes a Womb Chair and Ottoman in Blanc Bouclé, Swell 32" Tray Coffee Table in Walnut and Architect 156" Fabric U-Sofa Sectional, Nuit Bouclé. Mid-Century 2-Pc. Orb Pillows in Monarch Velvet, Blanc Bouclé and Gris Bouclé.

“It’s a typical ranch home for 1936 but had very modern elements like all-brick construction reinforced with steel,” says Julien.

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The house has an interesting pedigree. It was the first home built in the historic Deepwell neighborhood of Palm Springs, and was designed by architect John Porter Clark (1905-1991). “It’s a typical ranch home for 1936 but had very modern elements like allbrick construction reinforced with steel,” says Julien. Over the years, the home had some wonky construction done to it so Julien and her partner, Peter Loforte, were in for remediation work when they bought the home.

For example, the kitchen, which was “super cut off, cramped, and had four doors coming in and out of it,” was opened up during the renovation, stealing some space from an area that had once been a maid’s room in the 1930s. “I love the kitchen now,” says Julien. “We cook a lot, and I spent a lot of time making sure that the kitchen worked for us and looked super sleek. The layout works really well now and there is tons of storage. All the appliances are basically hidden, which is one of my weird tics. We have a coffee station where you lift the lid to make your coffee and then close it back up again.”

Top: BOMBSHELL NEWS Looking down the bar toward the hidden coffee station, you can spot the World War II test bomb, used for target practice. The bright colors are not original. “Someone had it as décor in a restaurant in Seattle and painted it,” Julien says of its vintage origins. A smidgen of the original blue can be seen in a band around it.

Right: GRAB A SEAT Like this look? For something similar, shop for Kardiel’s Manta 40" Bar Stool.

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TO THE MOON! The rocket shaped liquor bottles are a lively addition to the home’s bar scene. “The vodka one was a gift but I’m a tequila drinker so I bought that one myself,” says Julien. The brick here is from the original structure; this was at one time an external wall.

“We cook a lot, and I spent a lot of time making sure that the kitchen worked for us and looked super sleek.”

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Left: LESS IS MORE Mies van der Rohe first designed the iconic Brno chair in 1930. Julien had her vintage Brno chairs reupholstered in black leather and they look new again. The table was custom-made by an artist on Etsy, and the base of the table is powder coated in a custom color to match the cabinetry. The unusual art serving as a centerpiece was discovered in a gallery in Michigan and is made from spent nitrous oxide canisters welded together.

Bottom: HOOP DREAMS “I am a bit obsessed with these Swedish hoop vases,” says Julien. She began researching them and discovered that Japanese versions also exist from the same era (1960s and early 1970s). The blue one in the back is a true score: It’s a prized Holmegaard Gulvase, by Otto Brauer for Holmegaard. Her collection also has a few modern vases mixed in because she liked the color.

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SERENE SANCTUARY “We decided this was going to be the master bedroom within five minutes of being in the house,” says Julien. “It’s very quiet and surrounded by greenery. In the winter, I’ll sit in the rocker and read with my feet next to the fire. I got the art in Seattle. I just buy what I like and don’t worry about it too much.”

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HIP HIP HOORAY The chair is by Danish architect and furniture designer Finn Juhl. Julien added a papier-mâché hippo head because … why not?

Two studios were added on the property, so that Julien and Loforte each have room to work. “This project was not for the faint of heart and took about two years with all the permitting involved,” says Julien. But the effort paid off, and with the home’s layout reimagined, Julien had a blast with the interior design. “Peter and I are like two teenagers who had enough money to make a house,” laughs Julien. “There was a pickleball court already here, and that had just been repainted. So, we figured, well, we need a mini golf course!” They even installed a secret passageway style door hidden in a bookshelf.

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Left: IN THE SWING OF THINGS “The hanging chair is a vintage piece I had recaned because I just loved it,” says Julien. “I filled it with a sheepskin so now it’s a great place to sit and look out onto the garden.” The round art on the floor is a teak root that an artisan polished into a ball shape.

Right: SURPRISING DETAILS In the pop-culture royalty powder room, the wallpaper is based off Andy Warhol’s Rorschach series. The photo on the wall shows David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed in London, 1972. It’s by legendary photographer Mick Rock. “I think a powder room should be fun, whimsical and different from the rest of the house,” advises Julien. “It’s mainly used by guests so it’s like a little present to them. Go with a little nod to something kind of crazy that is going on in your head.”

INDOOR/ OUTDOOR LIVING Loforte loves an outdoor shower, so Julien had one built for him. “I prefer mine indoors,” says Julien. With this design, everyone is happy (and squeaky clean).

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STAY AWHILE In this guest room, Julien wanted to create a space “that felt fresh and clean and simple and bright, maybe a bit like a hotel so you can settle in and enjoy.” The lamps are by Italian ceramic maker Bitossi, known for masterful, Mid Century ceramic work. The painting is vintage and from one of the couple’s favorite shops, Bon Vivant in Palm Springs. Oppposite: MID-MOD STYLE The chair is an Adrian Pearsall “Grasshopper” lounge chair and was originally upholstered in orange vinyl. The fixture is the Washington pendant light by Hudson Valley lighting. Steal this idea: The homeowners used leftover marble from the kitchen to top the desk here.

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