Poppy Ranch

Magical Minimalist Memories Created Here

A designer oasis in the desert near Joshua Tree, this newly constructed modern villa for rent in California reveals the happy marriage of cool Nordic styling and serene Japanese-inspired minimalism. Created to be a gathering place—an uncontrived, easygoing spot to share good times with family and friends, it’s got killer desert and mountain views, tranquil monastic bedrooms, and a sun-soaked pool for cooling off, surrounded by a generous outdoor terrace, plus food prep stations both indoors and out. Because everyone always gathers in the kitchen.

Clean-lined and bright white, its shape slightly reminiscent of a classic Amish barn, this angular, pitch-roofed outpost in the California desert is all about bringing together community. It was built from the ground up by its owner who hoped to replicate the kind of low-key, friendly get-together space she so loved in childhood. 

Bedrooms and bathrooms were created for deep sleep and relaxation, with wide sliding doors offering unobstructed views out across the Joshua Trees, cacti and sagebrush. The big glass doors continue in the home’s central living room, leading to the outdoor terrace with its glinting lap pool and spa, outdoor dining area and cushy lounge space. It's the perfect spot for observing the subtle desert wildlife—lizards, rabbits, hawks, and passing coyotes, and if you’re lucky, the cute feathered, crowned heads of the resident quail family as they teeter by.

AROUND

This new villa for rent in California has no immediate neighbors and occupies a relatively secluded slice of the rugged Mojave desert. Surrounded by sand and scrub, it offers an inspiring place to take in this wild, arid world, an area of the California desert that’s home to hip Joshua Tree National Park, retro glam Palm Springs and the new-age artistic playground of the Coachella Valley. 

Pioneertown itself is a Hollywood remnant, a Wild West movie set-turned-rugged desert community, home to funky, gritty residents who find inspiration in the boulder- and cacti-studded landscape. It offers a handful of galleries and roadhouses, including the famous Pappy and Harriet’s Palace. 

Outdoor adventures are abundant in the area, though not for the faint of heart. Hiking, mountain biking and rock-climbing are abundant in and around Joshua Tree National Park and the Yucca Valley, and day trips to the cooler landscapes of the San Jacinto mountains, or Indian Canyon and/or Palm Canyon are easy drives away. Golf courses, restaurants, bars, and classic architecture fill the mid-century modern oasis of Palm Springs, also located an easy drive from the home.

LOCATION

Pioneertown, California, USA. Nearest airport: Palm Springs (50 minutes)

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Year round