Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 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
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×