Woodland Hills Palmer and Krisel home, now reimagined, seeks $995K

Before becoming synonymous with Palm Springs modernism, the architectural firm of Don Saxon Palmer and William Krisel and the developer George Alexander collaborated on Corbin Palms, a Woodland Hills postwar tract of 287 homes.

One of those properties is now on the market for $995,000.

“Everybody knows the Palm Springs Alexanders, but this is the original … with Palmer and Krisel,” co-listing agent Brian Linder of The Value of Architecture at Compass says in an Instagram video tour.

Designed by Palmer and Krisel and built by the Alexander Construction Co. in 1954, the residence spans 1,980 square feet with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. Records show the property last sold to a married couple for $750,000 in August 2020.

The couple remodeled the home to modernize it while preserving its original character, including the post-and-beam construction, vaulted wood ceilings and indoor-outdoor flow.

Inside, the open-plan living space encompasses the newly opened-up kitchen. A center island accommodates bar seating for four in the culinary space, which features a white tile backsplash, custom white oak cabinetry, floating shelves, quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances.

Polished concrete floors extend throughout the interior, brightened by clerestory windows.

A minimalist fireplace with an integrated shelving niche anchors the living room. Wood-slat privacy screens define the entryway and the open archway between the living and dining areas.

Outside, French doors open to a swimming pool, barbecue island and dining terrace framed by flagstone paving, mature citrus trees and lush tropical foliage.

Linder shares the listing with Rick Grahn, also of The Value of Architecture at Compass.

Alexander partnered with the architectural firm for the first time in 1954 to build affordable family homes in Corbin Palms. So no two homes looked alike, the architects thoughtfully varied the home elevations and exterior paint schemes.

With their low-slung, sweeping roofline and open interiors, the original sales brochure marketed the tract’s four-bedroom (or three-bedroom and a den) layouts as “contemporary modern Bermuda-type homes,” priced from $14,950 to $16,250.

Following the project’s success, the builder and architects regrouped to produce 2,500 tract homes in Palm Springs, a boom that helped nearly double the desert city’s size.