Much like the butterfly emerges from its cocoon, reminding us of life’s unceasing pattern of rebirth and renewal, so too has this mid-century modern style home been elegantly transformed for life in the new millennium.  With a butterfly roof and a timeless design that seamlessly fits into the natural landscape, the home represents one of the best examples of William Krisel’s work in the Twin Palms neighborhood.

Now that it has undergone an extensive restoration and modernization process, the home also reflects the vision of Markus Canter, a notable architectural designer.  “We’re proud about the way this turned out, because it reflects the culmination of many hours of work, years of research and planning,” said Canter, who traveled from his native Los Angeles on a weekly basis during the five-month renovation.

Canter has been vacationing in Palm Springs since his childhood.  He and his wife Cristie St. James purchased the home to have a place to relax and unwind with their family and friends.  “Cristie and I had our eye on this place for years,” laughed Canter. “I had long considered this Krisel home to be one of the best the Twin Palms area had to offer, since it is located on one of the best streets in the neighborhood and featured the most iconic and rare roofline.”

Canter should know. His design work is scattered throughout Greater Los Angeles, especially the Hollywood Hills and Sunset Strip areas.  A graduate of Occidental College, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, Canter is also a top-producing Realtor who is routinely sought out by clients interested in homes with architectural significance.

Though Canter has been hired to redesign numerous properties, this was the first project that he had the opportunity to let his design sensibilities run free on one of his own homes.  In fact, the entire renovation was custom designed to his exact details and preferences for materials and finishes.  Combining modern, man-made materials with organic, warm tones and hardwoods, Canter focused on ensuring that all of the details in the home were in harmony with its already balanced space and volume.

“An extensive renovation was never part of the plan,” said Canter, “however I had a vision of what the home could be and I loved it too much to pass on the chance of bringing it up to speed.  With the work that was done, especially to the kitchen and bathrooms, I think Mr. Krisel would agree that we have created an open, Zen-like space that also provides a high degree of functionality in the modern landscape.”

To accomplish his goal of producing a harmonious and clean structure aligned with the architect’s original intentions, Canter performed a thorough redesign of the interior, exterior and landscaping.  The result is tranquil, open space filled with sunlight.  Adding walnut wood accents brought about a sense of balance and warmth.

“Preserving the character of this home was very important to us,” notes Canter. “I’ve always had an affinity for Palm Springs and the beautiful modern architecture that’s prevalent to the area, especially the work of William Krisel.  It’s always been impressive and interesting to me that Twin Palms reflects his overarching idea for what an entire neighborhood should be, not just a single property.”

Beginning his work in the early 1950s, William Krisel is best known for the post-and-beam houses he built in collaboration with the Alexander Construction Company in Palm Springs.  With over 2,500 homes constructed in the northern Coachella Valley, he and the Alexander Construction Company made a profound and lasting alteration to the landscape.  The majority of the homes in the Twin Palms neighborhood average around 1,600 square feet and originally sold for about $29,000.

Though his ideas initially met with a great deal of resistance, Krisel’s ability to bring modern design to average people and focus on avoiding cookie-cutter rows of houses eventually earned him acclaim.  Applying his belief that the architect should be responsible for designing the entire property, not just the structure, his designs included a variety of rooflines, patterned brick, berms and walkways.

In keeping with Krisel’s ideas, Canter incorporated a beautiful landscape design with the structure’s clean lines and graceful architecture.  Guided by a focus on combining aesthetics with function, Canter utilized landscape design elements and locally-sourced plants with a tolerance for the intense weather that is synonymous to Palm Springs.

With a pool as the focal point and towering palm trees everywhere, Canter’s vision for the landscape design was quickly accepted and praised.  When he presented his artistic renderings for the master bathroom, however, he was surprised by the amount of resistance and skepticism he encountered.

“The original bathrooms were claustrophobic and not in keeping with what one would expect of a home of this caliber,” said Canter.

To align the master bedroom with the open, airy feel of the rest of the home, Canter removed all the walls that contained the small master bathroom.  Finding enough additional space to create a spacious walk-in shower with the feel of being outside was accomplished by enclosing an atrium that Krisel had positioned adjacent to the master bedroom.

By placing a massive skylight over the shower, which has glass walls and tile that extends to the ceiling, Canter transformed the master bedroom into a space that is both aesthetically pleasing and sexy.  “This design is not for everyone,” admitted Canter, laughing. “I can only imagine the resistance that Krisel would have encountered back in the ‘50s if he had used this design.”

Canter noted that his vision for the bathroom had simply not been done before with Alexander homes.  “I think a lot of the resistance I felt when I presented my drawings was a result of this being such a unique, out-of-the-box idea,” explained Canter, who worked exclusively with local contractors.  “The original master bedroom had such amazing value and light.  I wanted to realize the modern feel of the home without compromising its integrity or modernism.”

Now that it is complete, many of Canter’s visitors have commented that the master bedroom adds a distinctive finish to the home, with its combination of beauty and function.  He noted that, “I like to think that Krisel would approve of what we did to the bathroom—how it is open and bright and feels much larger than it is, which is in keeping with the theme of the rest of the home.”

Canter explained that he was initially motivated to purchase the home by its iconic butterfly roofline.  “The butterfly roof is really the best possible use of space, since it allows for so much natural light and views that extend to the ceiling,” said Canter. “It is also one of the most aerodynamic and therefore durable designs in existence, which makes it especially appealing considering the winds that affect Palm Springs on an almost daily basis.”

Possibly the most efficient design for the Palm Springs climate and landscape, the butterfly roof is formed by two adjacent gables sloping inward.  The result is a roofline that angles upward, to capture rainfall and allow for large expanses of glass.

“One of my favorite things about this home is that you can sit in the living room and take in views of two mountain ranges towering above. Cristie and I had a fascination with it for a long time because of the way the roofline makes it simultaneously beautiful yet striking from the curb,” said Canter, who started in the design field at the age of 21 as a production designer for major film projects.

Canter added that he purchased the home with a goal of providing his friends and family with an opportunity to immerse themselves into the beauty and experience of Krisel’s designs, as well as to create a clean, modern Zen space for the body and mind to unwind.

“It was essential to us that we preserve the character and style of the original property, but it was also vital to ensure the home was transformed to meet the demands of modern life.  Now that it is finally done and I can stop driving back and forth to meet with contractors, I have to say that I feel more at home here than I do in Los Angeles,” said Canter.  "Whereas we work in LA, we feel that Palm Springs is our home."

Canter explained that he could hardly imagine a better place to spend time with his family than Palm Springs.  He added that, “With some of the most pristine hiking and recreational opportunities in the nation located nearby, plus the chance to experience a number of world-class options for shopping and fine dining all in the same day, Palm Springs offers an incredibly rewarding lifestyle.  When this home became available, we were thrilled about the idea of buying it and the prospect of enjoying such a beautiful and architecturally significant home with our friends and family.”