PHOTOGRAPH BY LANCE GERBER
Designer Townsend Lloyd enlarged the window above the sink, which looks out to the mountains, while a peninsula faces views of the golf course. The faucet is by Dornbracht. Stools are by Roche Bobois.
Marrakesh Country Club
Palm Desert
Architects
Original: John Elgin Woolf
Redesign: Rod Youngson, Youngson Company, Palm Desert
Designer
: Townsend Lloyd, Townsend &
Co. Interiors, New York City
Connection to property
The home has been in the designer’s family for more than 30 years, passed down to the current owner. “I remember it well from my childhood, decorated entirely in pink-and-green coordinating patterns. It was charming in many ways. My great-grandparents were very formal. I remember dressing up and being on my best behavior around them. This project has been particularly special to me given my history and intimacy with the home.”
The “crisp, gallery-like feel” of this kitchen mirrors the rest of the Marrakesh Country Club home designed by Townsend Lloyd. Linear, free of clutter, and walls that welcome artwork were a few of the directives that spurred her design. On one side, she kept a large wall to define the kitchen. The opposite wall alternates between ample space for art and views.
Modern minimalism and seamless fluidity are byproducts of the details. An appliance garage conceals the toaster and coffee machine while keeping them within easy reach. Push-latch cabinets topped with KRION countertops are free of decorative hardware. Space-wise, a traditional island was out of the question. Instead, two peninsulas, one at each end, offer prep space, casual dining areas, a laptop landing zone, or an impromptu cocktail bar.
Lloyd extended the kitchen into the former breakfast room, knowing art would be placed above the new breakfast bar — a pair of works by the late artist Julie Speidel sourced from J. Willott Gallery on El Paseo.
“I love the efficiency of the Marrakesh homes,” Lloyd says. “They live very comfortably and privately. Woolf designed spaces that have truly stood the test of time, and it was fun to reimagine this one for modern-day living.”
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