Casa Bella

Desert Modern and Dark Skies: A Mojave Desert Hideaway in Landers with a Pool

Etched into the landscape on a gravelly plot dotted with prickly mesquite, spiky shrubs and cacti, this desert modern getaway features a pool, shaded outdoor dining area, fire pit, grill, outdoor shower and hot tub. The property’s secluded and unobstructed location offers 360-degree views of the surrounding mountain range, and the home’s interiors by LA-based interior architect Mervé Krenzke continue the sand-, granite- and rose-hued theme inside.

The in-ground pool with a built-in spa is 15’ x 25’, and there are swinging cane chairs, hammocks and a bocce court for easygoing down time on the patio or in the shade of a palo verde tree. The yard is fully fenced.

Layout

Indoors: 3 queen bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 1 bathroom with a soaking tub and separate shower, living room with patio access, open-plan kitchen/dining/living

Outdoors: Covered patio, shaded outdoor dining, pool with hot tub and sun loungers, bocce court, fire pit with seating, hammocks, swinging chairs

Around

Located in Landers, a Mojave desert community near the better known outposts of Joshua Tree, Pioneertown and Yucca Valley, the house is about eight minutes to Integratron, a local, dome-shaped landmark known for its healing and rejuvenating properties via sound baths and energy healing sessions. Another local landmark is Giant Rock, a freestanding, seven-story boulder covering almost 6,000 square feet, made famous in the 1930s when a gold prospector dug a home beneath it, then died there in an explosion a decade later. The giant rock hosts UFO believer conventions to this day and is believed to harness unique energies.

Visitors to the area come for the low-key recreation and wellness therapies. Ask about massages and spa treatments, guided hikes, yoga and Pilates, stargazing tours, horseback riding, and guided desert flora and fauna expeditions. The region is famed for its scenic, arid hiking trails, fat tire bike paths, and its abundance of rock-climbing opportunities for all levels. Joshua Tree town’s main drag is dotted with vegan, organic and veggie cafes, tiny grocers, coffee shops, and old-school diners, while nightlife centers around roadhouses and saloons, the latter with live music and an eclectic, hippie-meets-biker-meets-Vanlife outdoorsy crowd.

The Mojave Desert is home to Joshua Tree National Park, retro glam Palm Springs and the artistic playground of the Coachella Valley, but there’s also Hollywood remnant Pioneertown, once a Wild West movie set, and a smattering of small gritty outposts in the desert. Arts and crafts by local makers range from apothecaries offering hydrating creams and cosmetic potions, to natural dye and handsewn boutiques, to rock and crystal shops. Art options range from the Noah Purifoy Foundation, a found and repurposed art installation in the wild, to the questionably World Famous Crochet Museum (a tiny installation behind Joshua Tree's unmissable Art Queen store), to sleek modernist and contemporary showplaces in Palm Springs.

Location

Landers, Mojave Desert, California, US. Nearest airports: Indio/Palm Springs (35 miles), Ontario/San Bernardino (75 miles), Burbank (115 miles)

Best time to visit

Year round