Dazey Desert House: A Mid-century Modern Colorful Paradise

08/04/2021 | Sara McLean |

Set within the desert oasis of Palm Springs, Calif. is Dazey Desert House, a William Krisel-designed, Mid-century Modern home that is a vivacious example of bold desert design. Artist, photographer and clothing designer Dani Nagel, owner and creative of Dazey LA, is a fearless proponent of colorful design, highlighted not only in her apparel company, Dazey LA, but also in her interior design work through Dazey Den.

First purchased as a vacation home in 2018, Nagel set out to design the space as a truly unique Airbnb desert oasis, wanting the guests to feel inspired and relaxed. Filled with unique vintage finds and a bold color
palette of sunny yellows, sky blues and citrus oranges, the transformation is a testament to the power of color.

Originally designed by William Krisel in 1959, the home features his signature butterfly roof, along with clerestory windows to let in the natural desert light. Tucked against the foot of the San Jacinto mountains, this three-bed, two-bath home is just minutes from downtown Palm Springs.

Over time, Nagel has infused her unique design touches throughout, adding a few key elements to add additional highpoints to each space and provide even more color treats for her guests. Clay tile flooring by @fireclaytile in Koi and Milky Way has been added throughout in a gorgeous, elongated checkerboard pattern. The pegboard kitchen cabinetry has been painted in a color block palette of orange, yellow and white. And one of the key highlights of the home is the gallery wall in the living room. Set over a lush red-pattern wallcovering by Hygge & West, a visual treat awaits visitors as the eyes gaze across an arrangement of incredible original art pieces, all by Nagel’s grandmother.

And in the lower right corner of the gallery in a place of honor hangs her grandmother’s self-portrait. As Nagel further explained in a recent interview, “She really captured herself. It’s almost like a signature at the bottom of her art wall,” stated Nagel. “Throughout her life, she always wanted more people to see her artwork, but she often hid out in her house and kept a lot of it there. I knew I had an audience, and I could, in her memory, really show the world her work.”

Dunn-Edwards Color Palette