Tour Trixie Motel Designer Dani Dazey's Renovated Palm Springs Passion Project

Just a few hours' drive from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, designer Dani Dazey's desert home sits nestled between cactus gardens, doused in nostalgic colors. Now an Airbnb, the house got its humble beginning from an appreciation of retro, midcentury-modern style and deep designer roots. “I love Palm Springs," Dani says. "My mom was from Palm Springs, born and raised, my grandma and a lot of my relatives live and lived out here. [It's] known for design, specifically midcentury design, funky colors and prints. Palm Springs is full of personality."

“Owning a home was something that I was striving for for so many years," Dani says. "I saw this house and it was so cute and so special that I just fell in love with it right off the bat. [It] ended up being my first home. And it actually kind of launched my interior design career."

The gorgeous mountain scenery, desert gardens and, of course, a statement orange door gave Dani the push to purchase. But once the keys were in hand, she realized a few renovations were in store, starting with the living room. “The living room had amazing bones, but was all white walls and gray floors and had zero personality,” she says. “That was the first order of business.”

Dani outfitted the living room with her signature blend of bold colors and patterns. “I really leaned into the orange and I wanted it to feel rich with texture and with color," she explains. "People come visit this city wanting to experience that era, that architecture, that design. So I want to give it to them."

“I just love an accent wall — it can add so much fun and personality," Dani says. "And this wall is really special to me because all of this artwork is original artwork by my grandmother. She never got to see the house and she's been a huge inspiration to me as an artist and as a designer. It's sort of like a collaboration between my design and her artwork."

“One of the biggest changes we made in this house was the floors,” Dani recalls. “They were painted concrete, and they were painted gray — as if [they were] trying to be actual concrete. They were peeling and they were really difficult to clean and keep up with."

“Changing it out for tile was the best decision we ever made,” Dani continues. "It was a journey, but it was so worth it. And they’re the first thing people notice when they walk in — guests of all ages — just hearing their responses ... Design is an experience and I want to woo and wow people wherever I can."

Dani's dated dining nook was one of the first rooms guests would experience. So she brought the happy orange-and-white floor tiles into the sunny space.

Staged with crushed-velvet dining chairs, Dani committed to her 1970s-meets-midcentury theming. “It's just flooded with natural light," she says. "You get that Palm Spring sun, so it's just always the most magnificent light.”

“When we originally got the house, I loved the original kitchen,” Dani says. “It was a preserved, 1959 William Krisel pegboard kitchen." An American architect best known for pioneering the classic midcentury design aesthetic, Krisel greatly defined the sought-after Palm Springs look.

"All the old appliances were built into the cabinetry and we tried to preserve it as best as we could," Dani continues. "And I ended up painting the pegboard at one point.”

“We even had an oven guy come [to] see if he could fix it and he said, ‘I can't actually even turn this back on because it's been decommissioned by the city,'" Dani says. "So we were out of options at that point. At the end of the day, the kitchen needs to be a kitchen so we had to make a renovation.”

“It feels so ‘70s and fun,” Dani says. “The way the [new] cabinets have that midcentury feel and, of course, we [installed] all the amazing vintage-inspired appliances. I really tried to bring in other retro tones."

“People always think this is the original kitchen, but it's just a really good homage to it,” Dani continues. “If you use design right, and you use print and color right, you can really work with any color and make it look awesome.”

“Another really impactful change we made in this house is to change out all of the lighting fixtures,” Dani says. “There was essentially no overhead lighting so we had to have all of these put in.”

Dani's main bedroom features an office and guest space that's all connected. But the white walls and basic showroom vibes weren't exactly bold enough for her overall theme.

“Originally, we were thinking we were going to close it up, because it just made sense to have more bedrooms," Dani says.

"But then after spending a little bit of time here we decided we really liked how it felt, like this grand primary room," Dani continues. "And it also brings in light from this side of the house.”

“I feel like it's a really big departure from the rest of the house and it gives you a different experience as you walk in,” Dani says. "I love to create as many different moments and experiences as I can. And there really is a relaxing vibe in these rooms."

“As you can see, I bring in a lot more of the cool tones in this room,” Dani says. “And then I found some other pieces like the really cool velvet bed, the artwork on the wall and the vintage light fixture that bring in the orange, yellow and blue to make it all make sense.”

"The light makes such a statement [and] it’s so cool. And I think it just really gives it that fun Palm Springs midcentury feel."

“I also added this mural in recently and painted it myself," Dani says. "It’s like paint-by-numbers and such a fun way to tie in a lot of the different colors we have in this room."

“Nothing beats the feeling of working really hard and then seeing the finished result, especially when you do it yourself or do it by hand,” Dani says. “It’s just that much sweeter to enjoy the finished result.”

The guest room in Dani's desert home originally featured the same white wall aesthetic, but she turned to a classic Palm Springs color palette.

“It really leans into the yellow, and almost has like a little bit more of a Joshua Tree vibe than a Palm Springs vibe in here," Dani says. "It's a little more earthy."

“Our bathroom is a mix of the original design and some fun [new] touches,” Dani says. “We had a pedestal sink in here and your girl needs some storage, so we swapped it out."

“One of the coolest things we did was re-glaze this vintage, sunken tub," Dani continues. "And it's one of those details that we wanted to keep. You can't find a tub like this in this color. So re-glazing is an awesome option if you want to add some color."

"Just by painting, re-glazing and swapping things out, we were able to essentially create a totally different bathroom," Dani says.

“Nothing is ever finished," Dani says. "But it really feels like it's in such a good place and I'm so proud of where we've gotten it to. It just really feels like a place of self-expression, and taking people on a tour through my house feels like giving them a little peek into who I am.”