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Mid-Century Modern Reimagined
Originally designed by master architects Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison, this artfully preserved historic home is decked out in FLOR rugs.
Meet Wexler ‘54
For this year’s Modernism Week, we took a tour of Wexler ’54, a Mid-Century home recently renovated by Howard Hawkes and Kevin Kemper from H3K Home + Design. Located in beautiful Palm Springs, CA, Wexler ’54 is a stunning example of post and beam construction.
H3K set out to take this home back to its roots and create a space that supports modern-day living, all while using FLOR rugs to incorporate colors and patterns that Mid-Century Modern design is known for.
FLOR rugs really define different spaces in the open floor plans that we have in Palm Springs.
Howard Hawkes of H3K Home + Design
We’re not recreating 1954. We’re picking up some of the different elements of that period and bringing them in.
Kevin Kemper of H3K Home + Design
FLOR really checks off a lot of the boxes for what the client wants long-term, especially in terms of maintenance and durability.
Howard Hawkes of H3K Home + Design
Having a FLOR carpet is no different than having a piece of art on the wall.
Kevin Kemper of H3K Home + Design
A Chat With Howard and Kevin
As long-time Mid-Century Modern designers, Howard and Kevin were the perfect team for the current homeowners to turn to. We recently sat down with them to learn about the design, art, and architecture of Wexler ’54.
Tell us more about the original architects of this home.
Donald Wexler and Richard Harrison were a new modernist master architectural team in the early 1950s. They created designs that defined the desert modern lifestyle that we still see today. The amazing thing about this house is that it has these iconic Palm Springs features from the early period of their careers.
What inspired the renovation of the Wexler '54 home?
When the client met us about two years ago, [the house] was very contemporary, and [we’ve] always said that contemporary and Mid-Century Modern design flow well together. Now, it’s more of an “inspired by” 1954, picking up some of the different elements of that period so you feel like you’re walking back in time, yet you’re not walking into a museum.
Why was FLOR perfect for a Mid-Century Modern look?
FLOR captures the different materials, textures, and patterns often seen in Mid-Century Modern design. In a way, having a FLOR rug is no different than having a piece of art on the wall with all of the patterns, colors, and different things you can do with it.
How are FLOR rugs a good fit for your client’s lifestyle?
FLOR really checks off a lot of the boxes for what the client wants long-term, especially in terms of maintenance and durability. In Palm Springs, it’s an indoor/outdoor lifestyle. The sliding door is open, people run in and out all day long, and the last thing they want is to worry about any type of maintenance. FLOR was perfect in terms of making that happen.
What are some of the most unique parts of the space?
Back when the living room was built in 1954, the glass walls were staggering at that time. The room also has so much texture for having so few items and actual walls in the room other than the glass. There's Slumpstone, T1-11 paneling, drywall, tile, beams on the ceiling, and then, of course, you have the textures of the furniture and carpet that are punctuated by an original, custom-built, two-sided fireplace at the end of the room.
How does this home and its design create an artful living experience for its occupants?
Artful living celebrates things that are inspirational around you, like different patterns. Artful living is also taking risks and doing something beyond your comfort level, so rather than having a plain, ombre rug, you have something with a pattern. The amazing thing about FLOR is that you can take the solids and mix and match them to make patterns.
Mid-Century Modern,
Made For Today
Ready to create your own classic oasis? Visit FLOR’s Rug Buying Guide to make sure you choose the right size for your space and pick up some samples to find the perfect colors and styles to make your design dreams a reality.
Modernism Week celebrates and fosters appreciation of midcentury architecture and design, as well as contemporary thinking in these fields, by encouraging education, preservation and sustainable modern living as represented in the greater Palm Springs area.