Plains to Palms
This year, spring break started with a southern migration from Palm Springs, CA, to Chandler, AZ, to see two of Trever Hill Design’s latest projects. Our first stop lands in sunny California, lounging poolside in the desert at Trever Hill and Jesse Masterson’s mid-century modern home. Our second stop arrives in Arizona’s Ocotillo Golf Course, where we tour the warm southern abode of Steve and Alison Dye, owners of Fargo’s Off the Wall Advertising agency. Commuting from the Midwest to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and California, Hill’s design sense knows no bounds.
BY TRACY NICHOLSON | PHOTOS BY TRISTAN SCHMOLDT MEDIA
TREVER HILL & JESSE MASTERSON: PALM SPRINGS, CA
Trever Hill, Trever Hill Design
In North & Nest’s first issue, Trever Hill and Jesse Masterson gave us a glimpse inside the renovation of their mid-century modern Casselton, ND, home. In our third issue, we trekked to the shores of Dead Lake to see the couple’s Airbnb getaway. In the sixth issue, we’ve taken flight to see their newest home in Palm Springs, CA, less than an hour from Joshua Tree National Park.
After selling their Minnesota Airbnb last summer, Trever and Jesse set their sights on Hollywood’s historic playground, an often-visited desert oasis known for its authentic mid-century modern architecture, vibrant arts scene, and spectacular mountain ranges. In Palm Springs, they found their 1977 getaway, settling into the Sonoran Desert in December 2024.
While Trever Hill Design (THD) is still managing many Midwest projects, several Midwestern snowbirds have recruited his talents cross-country, taking him to the hot spots of California and Arizona. Palm Springs has become Trever’s southern landing spot, where he can quickly commute to projects in Chandler, Scottsdale, San Diego, Laguna Beach, and Newport Beach, all just two to four hours away. While he jet-sets, Jesse and their two dogs have planted roots in Palm Springs, enjoying the warmth year-round while working remotely for THD.
Palm Springs is an iconic destination for historic mid-century modern design, the same architectural elements Trever and Jesse were drawn to in their Casselton, ND, home. Instead of prairies and farmland, this home is all about outdoor desert living that captures exquisite mountain range views.
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Trever and Jesse’s Palm Springs home had already undergone a renovation prior to moving in, so this personal project was primarily focused on integrating meaningful artwork, furnishings, and decor while keeping the design cost minimal.
DAKOTA DESERT DESIGN
“All of our art is one-of-a-kind, and many pieces have Fargo ties. The pottery pieces are a mix of California and North Dakota artists,” said Hill. “It’s incredible how furniture, decor, and local art can make any space your own.”
In Palm Springs, poolside presence is a prominent part of the desert lifestyle, yet Trever and Jesse infused subtle Midwest sentiment. “In the backyard, we made sure to have multiple spaces for guests,” said Hill. “The firepit chairs are the same color, brand, and design as the chairs that surround our fireplace in Casselton.”
Branching from the main living area, their goal was to build on a blend of organic materials and tones that reflect the region’s landscape. “We wanted to preserve that feeling of mid-century modern design, using natural colors and materials, but also incorporate the feeling of Joshua Tree, which is in view from the home,” said Hill. “Although the home is in Palm Springs, many don’t realize that one of the mountain ranges is actually Joshua Tree National Park.”
Trever and Jesse have proven that Midwest-born pieces can find a home anywhere, including several meaningful pieces passed down from Trever’s late mom. “I think the idea behind crafting a ‘curated’ space is that you should always be able to see and feel the homeowners’ personality,” added Hill.
Much of the decor is either vintage mid-century modern or vintage Midwest, both equally capturing the nostalgia of Palm Springs’ past as the 1940s Hollywood backdrop of countless westerns.
PALM SPRINGS PRIMARY
“Nearly every piece of furniture and decor was leftover items we had in the basement or pieces that were damaged and were unable to sell at our Curated Home store in Fargo,” explained Hill. “The only items we needed to purchase new were for this primary bedroom, including the bed and nightstands.”
Each of the home’s three bedrooms feature a custom mod wallcovering by THD, including a lifelike Atacama cactus wall mural.
“We live in the best of two beautiful worlds — dramatically different yet familiar in meaningful ways. We’re both from North Dakota, so we can appreciate the vastness of a desert sunrise, as well as a new, elevated perspective — whether in the Badlands of Western North Dakota or the mountain ranges of Palm Springs.”
STEVE & ALISON DYE: CHANDLER, AZ
Traveling from Palm Springs to Chandler, AZ, Trever Hill Design embarked on another southern sanctuary with Steve and Alison Dye, owners of Fargo’s Off the Wall Advertising. This renovation project, located in a sought-after neighborhood on the Ocotillo Golf Course, marks the family’s fourth endeavor with Trever.
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“What started as a winter vacation home is now turning into a home to hang their hats as these ease into the early retirement years, which is the reason they decided to renovate now,” explained Hill. “Their youngest is off to college, and their business is running smoothly with incredible employees, so they are finally able to work remotely a little more. With a Fargo home and a lake home, this third home is where they plan to spend more time in the winter, so we planned accordingly to have the renovation wrapped up before next year.”
Chandler’s Ocotillo Golf Course is a prime retirement and vacation destination, known for its 27 holes of championship golf, lush fairways, scenic waterfalls, and beautiful lakeside settings. The Dye’s home is within the gated island at the center of the course, offering sweeping views of the green.
The couple’s original plan for the home was to secure a home in the development, and then wait for a larger home to come up for sale. “The area has increased in value so much since they purchased,” said Hill. “They knew if they wanted to be in the area again, it would be priced out of their budget. They loved everything about the home, except for the fact that it needed an additional bedroom to suit the family.”
When they saw how a similar home had converted a front office into a bedroom, it sparked inspiration for another renovation with Trever Hill Design. “One of the major benefits of repeat clients is that I’ve already gotten to know them really well, so I can jump directly into the design direction,” explained Hill.
“When you’ve already built the relationship and trust, you can focus directly on the function and needs of the people in that space.”
PAR FOR THE COURSE
Touching every surface of the home, Trever helped the Dyes redefine space, starting with the addition of walls at the entryway to create a much-needed guest bedroom.
The great room, which once had an office, was reconfigured into another bedroom plus an entertaining space, complete with a sleek built-in bar, living room seating, shelving features, and a fireplace. “The goal of the renovation was to make it look like it was always part of the home from the beginning,” said Hill. “Nick (Kossick) at Hebron told us about this new fireplace, and we were the first to get it ordered, so they simply shipped it to us. Even the tile throughout the home and herringbone on the fireplace was from Fargo’s McArthur Tile. We ended up using a lot of Fargo sources, shipping materials directly to the house.”
LUXE LIVING
To overhaul the home with repainted kitchen cabinets, a new dryvit Finesse finish oven hood, and coordinating built-in cabinetry and hardware throughout, Trever worked with Fargo native, now Arizona contractor, Jason Whaley, of Luxe Cabinetry + Design. Jason started last spring and completed the work before fall, just in time for a winter getaway on the green. While Luxe fabricated the home’s countertops, Trever sourced them through San Diego’s MSI Corporate. He also worked closely with McArthur Tile’s Shantel Fagerholt to source and ship the home’s tile.
“The goal was to not only freshen the space but also to create a better use of space for their family and friends to gather,” said Hill. “Every area was refreshed, including the pool bath, girls’ bath, and all bedrooms. We added so much dimension and character with tile, wall coverings, and flooring.”
Throughout the home, all furnishings and wallcoverings were sourced by Trever Hill Design and Curated Home by THD. Lighting was chosen from a variety of sources, including Crate & Barrel, Trever Hill Design, and Arteriors.
“We have had the pleasure of working with Trever Hill Design on four different projects, and each experience has been nothing short of amazing. He has an incredible ability to understand exactly what we want, listening carefully to our needs and preferences before adding his exceptional design talent. His vision and creativity consistently exceed our expectations, and we could not be happier with how this project turned out. Trever is not just a designer but a trusted friend and our go-to for all things design.”
- Steve and Alison Dye
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Trever Hill Design
701.388.6687
TreverHillDesign@gmail.com
treverhilldesign.com
@treverhilldesign
Curated Home by THD
2633 55th St. S. Suite 120, Fargo
701.715.3077
curatedbythd.com
@curatedhomebyth