London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×