Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

A Luminous Palm Springs Kitchen Fosters Easy Indoor/Outdoor Living

A Luminous Palm Springs Kitchen Fosters Easy Indoor/Outdoor Living

A manifestation of exquisite, thoughtful design, the kitchen in the prefabricated Axiom Desert House embodies rich indoor/outdoor connections, enabling a superb setting for memorable entertaining.

After having built over 100 prefabricated homes for various clients across the globe, Joel and Meelena Turkel’s latest project has held significant meaning for the couple, as they’ve spent the last two years diligently working on their own prefab family residence. Yet now that the 2,110-square-foot abode has been completed (and was recently featured at Palm Springs Modernism Week), the couple-founders of the celebrated firm Turkel Design-are finally able to start settling in.



While Joel and Meelena Turkel of Turkel Design have spent the last decade redefining the possibilities of prefab for clients worldwide, they recently flipped the switch and completed their very own net-zero prefabricated residence. Here is a look inside their new home, the Axiom Desert House.

"We just crossed a major milestone," Joel explains. "For the last year and a half, our two young daughters have referred to this place as ‘the site.’ However, the other day when I told them I was going to the site, one of them looks at me and says, ‘No Daddy, you’re going to the house.’ So that was a big moment for Meelena and me—realizing that our children have now recognized that this is going to be our new home."



Along with intentionally designing all the spaces to minimize visual clutter, Joel and Meelena also prioritized light as a material to encapsulate a modern, airy aesthetic.

One of the spaces the husband-and-wife team are most looking forward to spending time in is the kitchen. "There’s no doubt one of our favorite spots in this house will be the kitchen island," Meelena states. "Joel loves to cook, while being part of the action, and of course, the kids and I love to eat whatever he cooks," she jokingly adds. "So I envision us all sitting at the counter, enjoying that time together."

"Yes, the island will be one big communal table," Joel adds. "We’ve designed it to be at a scale that will allow everyone to gather around comfortably and share in the experience."



Once the time came to choose appliances, the couple relied heavily on Dacor. "It was really important for us to create an environment where we could control the noise, and so having appliances that are whisper-quiet-you literally cannot tell when the dishwasher is on-was a huge plus for us," states Joel.

When it came to selecting appliances, the dynamic duo heavily relied on Dacor for expertise. "Throughout the years, we’ve found that Dacor has a very robust and reliable appliance line with a great track-record and a wonderful team that stands behind them," Joel notes. "And as a designer, the appliances just have this incredible understated elegance to them, which fits very well with the design objectives of this home, as well as in many of the homes for our clients."



"I love to cook with the kids, but something that’s crucial for me when having them in the kitchen is to be able to pinpoint control," explains Joel. "One of the things I love most about the Dacor induction cooktop is its response rate. The rate at which you can bring things up to a temperature is fantastic. Second to none is the clean-up. It’s reassuring to know the cooktop quickly cools down to allow me to clean it shortly thereafter.

"We worked really hard to keep the visual clutter to a minimum in this home, which is why most of our cabinetry in the kitchen is push-to-open," adds Meelena. "So, it was wonderful to see that the Dacor refrigerator and freezer have that feature as well."

Another appliance component the couple appreciates is the fridge’s interior camera. "What I love about the camera in the fridge is that it’s highly functional and not just a gimmick," notes Joel. "How many times have you gone to the store and purchased things because you forgot you had it? In my mind, this is a beautiful, simple feature that allows you to use less and waste less-while also wasting less time."



"One of the things I like most about the Dacor combination-oven is the multi-functional capabilities," explains Joel. "Within one relatively small appliance, we have a conventional oven, with steam assist, and then we have a convection oven that’s also a microwave."

Along with cultivating a vast, multidimensional kitchen at the heart of the home, the couple have also designed the energy efficient area to foster a seamless indoor/outdoor connection-epitomizing the Palm Springs lifestyle while also supporting activity. "We’ve used the space intentionally to encourage play," explains Meelena. "From the pool, bocce court, and ping-pong table, to the small area of grass where the girls can practice their cartwheels and somersaults, these are all spaces that I hope our children can play in and enjoy while being outdoors and active."



"Cooking is a family undertaking," notes Meelena. "It’s something that you do socially, so having these gorgeous appliances certainly makes us want to use them, entertain, and create memorable experiences with loved ones in this house."

"We’re really excited to finally be able to move in with our kids and just be here together," concludes Joel. "After building homes for clients all around the world, I’m really looking forward to one of them finally being a part of our family."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
×