A Playful Midcentury Modern Arizona Home With Kid-Friendly Features

California-based designer Karen Nepacena of Destination Eichler specializes in midcentury modern homes, so when a previous client relocated to a 1940s house in Phoenix, Arizona, they immediately asked her to help tackle a complete home renovation. "We had a great time collaborating on their first home, so being able to embark on a full project from start to finish was very exciting for me," Karen says.

This overhaul expanded the home's footprint from 1,360 square feet to almost 2,500, and added playful and kid-friendly elements for the client's growing family. However, since the home is located in a historic district, the owners faced the challenge of preserving the façade while creating more space. Working with an architect and structural engineers, the final plan maintained the original home's appearance, and instead added behind and below the home. Among the new additions? Nothing less than a dog-washing station and a children's playroom with an underwater view of the swimming pool.

Inside the home, Karen unleashed a playful and relaxed vibe by mixing colors, patterns and vintage finds. (Fun fact: Karen shares the owners' love of vintage, and even joined them on a vintage shopping expedition in Phoenix and Scottsdale on her first trip to discuss their renovation.)

The entrance immediately sets the tone, where a yellow door counters the white walls. Karen chose an Eames Hang-It-All coat rack for its color and functionality.

The kitchen presented another design challenge: "The galley kitchen layout was limited in square footage, so we had to make sure we maximized every inch of space," Karen says. Instead of the more common central island, she opted for a multifunctional peninsula layout in order to optimize seating, work space and storage. "The floating style of the upper cabinet helps keep the space feeling airy and not closed in," Karen adds. Another must? Easy access to cookbooks and kids’ books, hence the peninsula's clever bookshelf addition.

"I helped to design the homeowners' last kitchen in their former California home," Karen says, explaining how they wanted to go in a different direction with the new house. "That design had a more neutral palette, so for this home it was a goal to integrate color in a unique way," she says. And instead of limiting the fun to the kitchen, Karen used its color palette as inspiration, subtly repeating the colors throughout the home to provide continuity.