Desert Wonderland: Holiday Decor for a Palm Springs Home

A Palm Springs bungalow in the famed Racquet Club Cottages West keeps its period-authentic cool and becomes a desert wonderland for the holidays.

Palm Springs may not spring right to mind when you think of the holidays, but this William Cody designed bungalow becomes a desert wonderland come Christmastime. First, though, the house itself deserves its own story.

From the moment George Geary and Neil Bonner set eyes on the dazzling two-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow in the historic Racquet Club Cottages West complex in Palm Springs, California, they knew it was destined to become theirs. “We fell in love with the complex when we went on a Modernism tour seven years ago,” says Neil, designer and owner of The Ivy Guild, a silk floral and plant wholesaler. “We knew we would eventually love to own a Mid-Century home in Palm Springs.”

Palm Springs desert wonderland home — The open floor plan, which flows from living room to dining room to kitchen, lends itself well to the darker wood furnishings, which are softened by lighter pieces. The cement floor was stamped, finished and glazed to look like terrazzo tile. “It looks great and is easy to clean,” Neil Bonner says. “We soften it with patterned area rugs.”

living room with flocked Christmas tree in Palm Springs — “We love that the space has tons of windows,”Neil says. “It still feels private and quiet. But the way it’s laid out is bright and beautiful.” The TV sits atop a c. 1960 Scandinavian cabinet from Europe that belonged to Neil’s parents.

When the couple visited the area in 2020 ready to buy, they returned to the complex. “It was the first home we saw. We walked in and knew, ‘This is it,’” says George, a certified culinary professional, author and food historian. “We saw a bunch of houses and we just kept coming back to this one.” But there was a snag. The home hadn’t been formerly listed, and it was scheduled to be staged and shown.

George and Neil wrote a letter to the owners to plead their case for the property. “We wrote about preservation and how we wanted to keep it original,” George says. This was especially important since it was the only unit in the community that stayed true to the structure’s original footprint.

holiday baking made with adapted vintage recipes — George scoured newspapers from 1955 through 1962 to find period-authentic Christmas-cookie recipes. Shown here are Cookie Jam Pockets, Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies, Mamie Eisenhower Chocolate Fudge and Pecan Nut Snowballs. “I had to rework them to include today’s ingredients,” George says. The cake platters are all from Mosser Glass in Ohio, which has been in business since the early 1960s. “I love all American-made things,” George says.

“The original bungalows consisted of one bedroom and one bathroom,” Neil explains. When the units went up for sale, people would buy two adjacent units and combine them into one, altering the floorplans to fully integrate the space. In the case of George and Neil’s unit, the previous owners combined two units, but didn’t radically alter the floorplan. “That’s why there are two bathrooms and two sets of air conditioning units,” Neil says. “Ours is the only original floorplan that didn’t remove one of the bathrooms.”

The previous owners accepted George and Neil’s offer, and they closed on the property in July 2020.

Palm Springs patio with blue patio furniture — Except for a few new plantings, Neil and George made minimal changes to the walled-in patio. With its classic wooden furnishings and vibrant cushion colors, which George had custom made, the outdoor space feels like a direct extension of the indoor space, made more seamless by the floor-to-ceiling windows.

desert wonderland home in Palm Springs — Upon seeing this space decked out in the colors of a Mid Century Modern desert Christmas, one can almost imagine a holiday gathering some 60 years ago, laden with celebrities amid the din of laughter, the tinkling of glasses and Frank Sinatra crooning holiday standards on the record player.

Historical Gem

Built in 1960 by renowned architect William F. Cody, the complex features 37 units and, up until the ’70s, was part of the famous Racquet Club Hotel: a resort where Hollywood’s elite gathered to see and be seen. Celebrities were known to rent the bungalows and lounge poolside under the desert sun. But over time, the property started to deteriorate.

“It went through a time when it was in bad repair, but a former president of the HOA did a lot to restore it and people took more pride in the property,” Neil says. “It went through a renaissance. We got it after a great deal of the work was already done.” Today, the gated property, which includes lush landscaping, a meandering brook and the recently renovated original pool, is listed as a Palm Springs Historic District Designation. “The previous owners were very much into keeping things historical,” George says. “It was in pretty good shape.”

desert wonderland in MCM Palm Springs home — The white tabletop of the wood dinette set prevents colorful place settings from getting lost. It also helps add balance to the darker woods and complements the light-hued walls and flooring.

kitchen in Palm Springs MCM home — George and Neil made upgrades to the small galley kitchen, but the cabinets are holdovers from the previous occupants. The style works for the interior aesthetic and is ideal for the space as a rental. Otherwise, George says, “It’s a gourmet kitchen” with all the modern conveniences.

desert wonderland decor — A Mid Century Modern-style chandelier helps anchor the dining table and chairs directly below. For the centerpiece, Neil chose bright, vibrant colors. “Christmas is a fantasy time,” he says. “I wanted the centerpieces to be glitzy kitschy.”

botanical patterened accent wall in Palm Springs primary bedroom — An accent wall adorned in patterned paper in the primary bedroom underscores the mid-century vibe in the space.

view outside in Palm Springs home — Designed by celebrated architect William F. Cody, the gated Racquet Club Cottages West community in Palm Springs, California, features many of Cody’s signature elements, including floor-to-ceiling glass windows, concrete block walls and cantilever overhangs. The HOA maintains the exterior grounds, which were designed by landscape architect Philip A. Shipley, who worked with many celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Walt Disney and others. An original exterior door located in the primary bedroom indicates that this part of the house was its own unit when the complex was first constructed.

Desert Wonderland: A Mid-Century Christmas

Even during the holiday season, the couple stays faithful to the mid-century vibe in their décor. “We chose a flocked Christmas tree because that was popular during the ’50s and ’60s,” Neil says. “I chose bright colors: turquoise, purple, green and pink.” The pops of color from the tree combined with Neil’s vibrant centerpieces and George’s era-appropriate cookies infuse the space with all the trappings of a perfect desert Christmas, while paying homage to this dwelling’s history.

Murphy bed and mini tree in desert wonderland home — A Murphy bed offers a playful space-saving element in the guest bedroom. Muted tones of white and gray reflect natural light from the vertical corner window. A succulent tabletop display pays homage to the desert clime.

bathroom in William Cody MCM Palm Springs home — George and Neil gutted both bathrooms but did not alter the floorplan of either. Patterned tile and a floating decorative shelf add visual interest while complementing the clean lines of the sink, light-ing sconces and mirror.

For more information about George Geary, visit georgegeary.com.
For more information about Neil Bonner, visit ivyguild.com.

Get George’s 1950s holiday cookie recipes here.

For another MCM take on warm weather holiday decorating, see On Christmas Island: A Tropical Holiday Decor Twist. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for more Atomic Ranch articles and ideas!