After purchasing their first Palm Springs condo in 2005 — a William Krisel design in Canyon View Estates — then spotting it in an architecture book gifted to them by a good friend, something sparked for Jackie Thomas and DeeAnn McCoy.

“Architecture and design were always something that we had been individually interested in,” Thomas says. They’ve lived in and worked on homes from mountain modern to Edwardian and craftsman to post-modern. As they went down the proverbial rabbit hole that is midcentury, they found it to be something much more encompassing. “We’ve come to understand it’s not just an architectural style; it’s really a way of life.”

Perhaps it’s defined by time: more time for golf, relaxing, dining out, artistic endeavors, and catching up with neighbors. In midcentury design, as Thomas puts it, the beat slows down. So they left their “big jobs” in Portland to embark on a new adventure. Thomboy Properties began its first project in 2010. “The girls,” as they’re known around town, refer to their work as “semi-retirement,” although they have renovated 30 homes.

They don’t take on projects for homeowners. “No, ma’am, no,” Thomas says, shaking her head. “We don’t want to go down that road.” Yet they hold their homes to the highest standards. It’s a small town, reason Thomas and McCoy, and they will likely know or meet the future homeowners. The girls want people to boast about buying a Thomboy property. “And we want to get invited for a cocktail to see what they’ve done with it,” Thomas says.

The pair won the 2023 Residential Renovation Award from the Palm Springs Modern Committee, reflecting their guiding principles of preserving the architect’s intent and upgrading each home’s systems to ensure another 50 years of life. “Then we start making it shine and sparkle with fixtures, lights, and plumbing,” McCoy says. “It’s like having a new house,” Thomas adds, “but with great architectural bones.”

To be sure, Thomas enjoys meandering, thinking, ideating, and exploring what these houses could be. It’s her creative process. Thomas quips: “Dee always says, if she can’t find me, I’m off picking daisies.” McCoy tackles budgets and schedules, strategy, and vision. Both marry their past experiences in their present projects. Their running joke: “We settle our differences over happy hour.”

Despite the speed of renovations, the girls appreciate the relatively slower lifestyle, noting that they knew only few neighbors in Portland — a stark contrast to life here, where neighbors pop by unannounced. “Every day when we wake up, we look at each other and say, ‘It’s another great day at Thomboy Properties,’” Thomas says. A slower beat, indeed.