Maybe it’s the San Jacinto Mountains standing sentry over the city. Maybe the nostalgic romance of a well-timed martini or two in the afternoon. Or it could simply be the design vibe, retro, glamorous, somehow simultaneously laidback, and with a rebellious edge. Whatever it is, there’s something about Palm Springs that’s been seducing lovers of design for decades.
Palm Springs style is like the friend who wears sunglasses indoors, and somehow pulls it off. There’s a confidence to it, a breeziness. And, here at the largest online upholstery store, we’re smitten. Palm Springs interior design is the kind of vibe that helps your home feel like a vacation you never have to check out of. Let’s check-in to that today, shall we?
What’s Palm Springs Style? Curated High Design, That’s Casually Cool
Palm Springs design is a minimal-ish style that manages to still feel indulgent. With open layouts, clean lines, and a decidedly “less is more” approach, it offers a sense of permission to do things differently.
With all love and respect to New Orleans, Palm Springs has its own laissez le bon temps rouler vibe going. Palm Springs’ good times get rollin’ with a color palette that positively pops, while still coming in cool to beat the heat. Here turquoise blues, sunwashed-corals, cactus greens, and sandy neutrals breathe deep amidst airy cloud whites.
The decor vibe has a casual, but curated feel. Like someone gathered your absolute favorite things, personal knick-knacks, and treasured bits, and arranged them for a photoshoot for Architectural Digest. Palm Springs design is all that and more.
Beyond its mid-century modern go-tos, it’s about personal touches, vibrant colors, playful patterns, sculptural furniture, and a delight in mixing high design with all things playful and delicious — unapologetically. Rules? What rules?
Why Palm Springs Design’s Effortless Cool Feels So Good
Some styles have a worldview all their own. For Palm Springs, it’s optimism. Furniture is comfortable but not frumpy, colors are joyful but not juvenile, and everything luxuriates in lounging, hosting friends, and revelling in the gift of being alive.
But this isn’t just a “special occasion” style. It’s versatile enough for real life. For instance, feel free to embrace the shapes and lines but opt for more neutral color fabrics, like an ash gray jacquard, golden tweed, or off-white tweed. Flipside, load up on bold colors and patterns, like rust orange microsuede, turquoise velvet, and a palm leaves pattern in sunny yellow and white for your playful playground.
The Palm Springs “feel” is born of a willingness to suspend disbelief and lean into the alluring fantasy that is Palm Springs design, whispering, “You could be lounging on a chaise by the pool, jazzy notes spinning on the turntable spilling from your elegant indoors, and a tray of icy beverages on the way.” Who’s hating on that?
Style Swagger Toolkit: Bringing Palm Springs Style Into Your Home
Whether you come home to a ranch house in Omaha or a fifth-floor walk up in Philly, you can be greeted by some Palm Springs vibes. Here’s a road atlas to get you on your way:
- Light and airy.
For painting, the best canvas is a blank canvas. Get your Palm Springs vibe rolling with foundational tones for your walls that evoke a sense of expansiveness, like white or warmer tones like a sandy neutral or pale peach instead.
Now, the light bounces around and fabrics like a ruby red chenille, sage green crepe fabric, a sky blue plush velvet, and petal pink linen truly sing.
- Shapely furniture.
Steer away from bulky furniture to enhance the expansiveness. Go with curvy silhouettes, interesting angles, and slender legs instead. Think quintessentially mid-century pieces like Eames loungers or Saarinen tulip tables. We mention the “big-name” ones to help you visualize the sculptural vibe, but you do you.
Upholster in fabrics you love to make that piece a showpiece, like dining room chairs in coral and white herringbone brocade with seagreen faux silk curtains — showtime!
- Layered in colors.
Hmmm. Can I do a citrus-hued armchair in a leaf green tropical leaves botanical pattern? Yes. Will a sofa in a lime green damask be a mistake? Nope. If you love it, it works.
Palm springs design is all about color. Aim for a saturated, but soft and joyful look. Pair your bright fabrics with neutrals to help your room feel more fresh, instead of frenetic.
- Popping with patterns.
Patterns came to play in Palm Springs. The secret is sticking with a common thread, like a consistent scale of pattern or a repeated color. From there, stripes, tropical prints, geometrics, and more — all fair game.
So feel free to pair a high-contrast blue and green chevron fabric with something textured and subtle like beach beige chenille, and perhaps throw in an unexpected classic like Hampton blue stripe linen.
- Touchably textured.
The most iconic Palm Springs interiors celebrated dramatic textures. Think terrazzo, rattan, and woven wallhangings.
Fabrics add a modern stamp with textures like a nubby ivory white Crypton boucle ottoman perched in front of an ocean blue plush velvet armchair, both nestled beside a mid-century sofa with a chaise in butter yellow chenille.
Touchable fabrics invite sitting, staying, sipping something cold, and making some new memories.
- Personal, playful art and objects.
Palm Springs design certainly features vintage pieces you know, like a cool neon sign, vintage cocktail set, maybe a ceramic bust wearing sunglasses by your turntable. But mix classic touches in with things that are classic you.
Decorate with your history, your personal adventures or aspirations. All serving as decor and conversation starters, too. Draw attention to your favorites by stationing an accent piece nearby, like luxe lounger ready for lounging in charcoal gray leather or faux leather.
Get The Palm Springs Look In Your Home, Without Breaking The Bank
Let’s look at some budget quick-tips to channel your inner Sinatra — Palm Springs style-wise — without Frank’s bank account:
- Nice ‘n’ Easy (Go small.): Start with a can of paint and reset the canvas like we talked about earlier. And then reupholster pieces you have or reimagine some vintage finds, like with a red striped woven blend and mint green tropical floral watercolor print — instant Palm Springs swagger.
- The World On A String (Go bigger.): Invest in a key foundational piece or accent showpiece, like a sofa in shadow blue corded chenille and armchair in nectarine vegan microsuede. Then play with decorative accents and artsy finds as they strike your fancy.
- Fly Me To The Moon (All in.): Shift your home’s vibe with mid-century furniture in teal tweed, terracotta textured velvet, and canary yellow plain velvet. Add curtains in contemporary teardrop brocade in orange, red, beige, green, and teal. The works.
Opening your curtains, adjusting your throw pillows, and settling into your sofa — all rich with colors and patterns— you’re reminded that Palm Springs’ style isn’t just a vibe, it’s a state of mind.
And we’re here to help you get the right fabrics in the right places so you can be in your favorite state of mind anytime you want to be. Give us a call today.
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