Art of the Home: A Home Redesign Showcases Art

These designers found creative ways to showcase their art collection in their mid-century-inspired home redesign.

Most new homeowners don’t consider the placement of artwork until after the remodeling and redesign work have been completed. However, the homeowners who also redesigned this late-1970s modern build made the placement of their art collection a primary consideration early on in the process.

Homeowners/designers Dick Burkett (standing) and Russ Uthe are active members of the Palm Springs community. Dick is the co-founder of the Palm Springs Architectural Alliance—an organization that collaborates with city officials to preserve the city’s architectural legacy—and has developed a new architectural degree program for the new College of the Desert’s Palm Springs campus. Russ works to ensure the local golf courses are not impacted by development.

rear patio breeze block fence ceramic tile — Italian ceramic tile flooring extends from the main house to the rear patio. Solid concrete cubes on wheels provide extra seating. Round metal tables were placed in front of the cubes. The concrete breeze blocks were original to the late-1970s home. The chairs around the table are from Design Within Reach. The pedestal for the glass-topped table was a custom piece from the designers’ showroom in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. They later had a glass top made for it.

Dick Burkett and Russ Uthe, owners of Richard Russell Design, have an extensive art collection and wanted to create spaces that would showcase the art.

media room Wassily chair from the 1920s — This view of the living room looking toward the media room features a Wassily chair from the 1920s—a classical piece designed before the mid-century that blends well with MCM décor.

“The placement of the art collection is always of prime concern for us anytime we are looking at purchasing a new home,” Burkett says. “We have lived in numerous parts of the United States and Mexico and have traveled overseas, so art became a passion to collect along the way. This home is our 20^th in a series of residences we have owned that spanned various architectural styles, including this project, which features late-1970s modern architecture.”

dining room with framed painting as focal point — In the dining area, a contemporary Italian table is paired with simple, gray, Italian leather chairs and a Philippe Starck “Ghost” chair. This room’s art features a painting of a boy on a tightrope, which the designers purchased from a gallery in Philadelphia. The console under the painting is a custom 1970s acrylic piece. Outside the window is a gorgeous view of the San Jacinto Mountains.

There were some obstacles on the road to the redesign that they needed to knock down on the way to completing their dream home.

“When we purchased the home, there were popcorn ceilings and strong-colored walls to deal with. We added recessed lighting to capture the mood and specialty lighting to highlight the art,” Burkett explains.

The designers were involved in the home’s remodel, as well as the redesign.

Kitchen with sculptural abstract human figures — This view looking toward the nook area of the kitchen shows sleek, white cabinets that appear to fade away. The color scheme is neutral, with medium gray on the front of the bar and also on the wall where the painting is in order to showcase the art. A storage area is cleverly hidden behind the painting. The base of the bar is made of drywall; the countertop is Caesarstone gray.

“Russ and I were totally involved and directed every aspect of the remodel,” Burkett says. “Our goal was to maintain the integrity of the architecture while readapting and updating the interiors somewhat.”

They created a detailed floor plan to ensure that their home’s redesign showcased each piece of art.

nook extension of kitchen with art two framed charcoal sketches — The nook extension of the kitchen showcases two significant pieces of art—charcoal sketches made prior to paintings for the mural in the United Nations. They are placed in the computer area above a simple desk and a Knoll Furniture Company chair designed by Jackson Pollack in the 1920s to 1930s.

“Prior to any work being done, we created a to-scale floor plan for the furniture and lighting for the art placement, which is key for a successful design,” Burkett notes.

Unique Features of the Home Remodel

A charming architectural feature attracted the designers to the neighborhood.

“After looking at several condominiums on the south end of Palm Springs (California), we zeroed in on Mesquite Canyon Estates, which we found to be an excellent transition from a freestanding home to a condominium,” Burkett says. “We were quite taken with the ‘lollipop’ street lighting, which was the tipping point for our decision.”

long white kitchen cabinets in Palm Springs — The kitchen’s cabinetry was kept simple and minimal. A mirrored backsplash—a very MCM touch—keeps the space open, light, sleek and airy. The floor is a continuation of the Italian porcelain tile in a warm-gray tone.

The 2,150-square-foot home has two bedrooms, two baths and a media room.

“When we observed there were three distinct roof lines—a double gable, a single gable and a raised flat roof—we wondered who the architect was, because this feature had been used on many other mid-century, multi-family complexes,” Burkett says. “The architect-of-record is David Christian, whose main body of work was commercial. The expansion of Temple Isaiah and Las Casuelas Terraza in Palm Springs are two well-known examples. He worked for [prominent Palm Springs architects] Donald Wexler and Hugh Kaptur early in his career. Our research indicates that many of his later projects were international and that he founded one of the largest architectural and interior design firms in the area. Of utmost importance to us were the almost-15-foot-high ceilings in the living room and the generous spaces in the kitchen and nook.”

home redesign Palm Springs with red womb chair — In the primary bedroom, a red Saarinen “womb” chair is the star of the show, and a red, custom-made steel sculpture relating to it is found outside the window. A Marlene Dietrich painting is another piece of art in the room. The designers’ vision was to keep the room primarily gray and white; red is used as a strong accent color throughout the home. Placing gray near red is not as stark as a white background would be.

bedroom with microphotography art — The designers’ vision for the primary bedroom was for it to be a quiet, serene refuge. The simplicity of the bed and the gray carpet create the ambiance. The nightstands were custom-made, and homeowner/designer Russ Uthe created the microphotography of matchbooks.

While the original floor plan was kept intact, there were a few modifications to the interiors: In the guest room, a large walk-in closet was converted to a home office, and an 8-foot-wide alcove was repurposed as a closet. A linen closet in the hall was converted into a display case for an international pottery collection. To accommodate a major piece of art, a storage area in the kitchen was drywalled.

Creating the Canvas for the Home Design Showcasing Art

After the remodeling stage was completed, the room redesigns could begin.

“The ambiance we chose for the interiors was an eclectic approach—a blend of bold, geometric, original Oriental rugs, classical and mid-century pieces, modern and a touch of the 1970s. Special attention was given to blending the texture of materials to create interest. The intention was for the environment to possess a touch of low-key, sophisticated elegance through careful editing.”

home redesign showcasing art guest bedroom/office — “In the guest bedroom/office, the alcove was originally a closet, and the closet was originally an alcove, so we flipped them,” Burkett explains. The art pieces on the ledges in the computer area are photographic studies of different cultures.

abstract art in primary bathroom — The primary bath was completely gutted to move the toilet to another area. In addition, the shower was originally a raised tub. Italian porcelain tile runs up from the floor to the walls, and a horizontal mosaic strip three-quarters of the way up the wall adds a simple design. The geometric designs in the painting by a South American artist is an abstract view of the human body.

The color palette was also carefully considered so that it would respectfully reflect the period’s architecture.

“We are thrilled that the homeowners association did paint scrapings and referenced vintage photos to determine the original exterior colors. This returns the enclave to be true to its roots,” Burkett points out. “To provide a neutral background for the art collection, we chose a warm white for the walls and medium-gray Italian porcelain floor tiles for the interior palette.”

Incorporating Mid-Century Art into the Home’s Redesign

Here, designers Dick Burkett and Russ Uthe discuss how they incorporated their art collection into a mid-century design:

A dark area rug anchors the living room’s seating area. The two floor lamps are by Boyd Lighting. The showcased painting here has soft colors with a bit of warmth on a neutral canvas that lets the rug have the attention. Three of the walls feature clerestory windows.

Wall space. “One of the things we always must be concerned about is adequate wall space to accommodate some large pieces of art we have collected over the years,” Dick Burkett notes.
Scale sensibility. Burkett explains, “The scale of the pieces and the rooms in which they were to be installed were coordinated with the furniture, taking into account color combinations and subject matter. A gallery effect was used in the workspace area for a cultural mix of portrait photography from Costa Rica and Mexico, along with a ‘mola,’ which is a handmade textile of traditional women’s clothing of indigenous people from Panama, Central America and Colombia.”
Delightful greeting. “The aluminum abstract sculpture in the foyer was chosen as a way to greet our guests—and for our own delight!” Burkett points out.
Eye rest. It’s important not to fill every square inch of wall space with art in order to have room to “breathe.” Let a beautiful exterior view be the art for the room in some cases.

For more ideas on showcasing art in your home, see Showcase Your Artwork With A MCM Gallery Wall. If you love Palm Springs and modernism, get ready for this year’s Modernism Week. Atomic Ranch will be there! And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Atomic Ranch articles and ideas!