When Calgarians look to trade snow for palm trees, their search typically ends at one of two desert cities. For Kevin Mullen, his wife and their two toddlers, the metropolitan Phoenix—with its pro basketball, baseball and hockey teams—simply did not compete with his personal passion for golf. A winter home in Palm Springs made more sense. Here, in the posh locale of Indian Wells (Bill Gates is rumoured to be a neighbour), Mullen staked his claim beside the lush, manicured, links-style 18-hole course.

Leisure-wise, Mullen was ready to tee off; yet when he took over the 3,800-square-foot house (which also has a generous 1,800 square feet of outdoor living space) from his mother, who moved a three-wood distance away, he realized the tired architecture needed an update. For the owner of Calgary-based Empire Kitchen and Bath, a one-stop shop for luxury renovations, a home makeover was a given.

With the help of longtime friend and collaborator, Calgary interior design star James McIntyre of design group McIntyre Bills, Mullen embraced the first challenge: to modernize the 1981 floor plan. Recalls McIntyre: “We removed the arbitrary angles and created a more modern, geometric space.” This meant knocking down the triangular fireplace, the sunken bar, the corner tub and asymmetrical walls. “Buh-bye, out the door!” McIntyre says cheerfully.

Then they tackled the kitchen. Where there used to be a U-shaped cooking area there now stands a built-in teak storage wall that houses an espresso machine and shelving unit; a custom-built fridge and dishwasher are cleverly camouflaged in the same teak panelling the clean, appliance-free look that’s overtaking industrial chic as the leading kitchen trend today. The centre of the room also contains a hefty five-by-10-foot CeasarStone quartz countertop prep island, which functions (over the more formal dining room) as the home’s central hub and preferred eating area.

Up next, a foyer facelift. “You would literally open the front door and you were in the living room,” says McIntyre. A little bit of creative millwork, more custom cabinetry and the desired sense of “passive discovery” was born, with the living room’s features subtly revealing themselves to visitors. A new entertainment panel has shelves to showcase art, with a middle section that unobtrusively frames the 42-inch plasma TV. “Now when you enter, you can walk a little bit and discover, ‘Oh, there’s the bar; Oh, there’s the living room.’ That’s so much better than it used to be, when you would stand at the entrance and see everything,” says McIntyre.

To direct sunshine into the formerly cavernous space, an important part of the transformation involved changing the interior footprint by opening up the long, north-facing wall, which strings together the entrance, living room, dining room and kitchen. Large windows were added, as well as two sets of sliding doors, giving the family and their guests a view of the mountains. Flowing, floor-to-ceiling drapes visually connect the rooms and soften any harsh interior lines.

While the Mullens’ place in Calgary is more traditional, the family’s home in the desert is very much a product of the surroundings—that is, a strong local legacy of mid-20th century modern design. Explaining the exuberant local aesthetic, McIntyre says, “The desert, with the sun, the heat, just doesn’t suit a cozy, warm style.”

The climate also had an impact on the decor palette. “There is almost too much light, so I created an absence of colour. I borrowed sandy tones and rocky textures from the desert. It was also a great way to connect the outdoor and indoor spaces. The rich teak lounge chairs and the dark rattan furniture reminded me of the cabinetry on the inside,” McIntyre says.

The design of the 20-by-40-foot pool and the large outdoor space was equally important for the family, which spends considerable time al fresco. Mullen and McIntyre created party central by incorporating an exterior dining table for eight, a second breakfast nook just outside the master’s suite, a kitchen-side bar with stools, a full-size sectional, and a lounge area with two large parasols and four chaise lounges.

Then, of course, there is the surrounding golf course. “We often entertain family, friends and acquaintances. It’s nice to get away to a beautiful home with the added bonus of year-round golf just outside our door.” And, Mullen points out, it’s a short flight, ensuring quick winter trips to the ultimate 19th hole.

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