Tera Haus

Japanese Minimalism Meets the Mojave Desert

With its spare interiors inspired by Japanese minimalism and its wild desert setting on five cacti-and-boulder-strewn acres in California’s Mojave Desert, this designer villa has appeared in the pages of Dwell magazine. A great retreat for architecture lovers seeking a diversion from the area’s more typical Desert Modernism, this contemporary home was designed by MAPA Architecture and Interlude Studio to honor the intersection of Japanese minimalism and Brutalist styling.

Offering two queen-sized bedrooms, a single bath with a walk-in rain shower, and a day-bed lined swimming pool that doubles as a stargazing station by night, the home offers desert and mountain views for miles and a fully enclosed yard, plus sheltered parking. Interiors are stark and sleek, with an abundance of white, wood, polished concrete and rooms of floor-to-ceiling glass.

Additional features

Pets are allowed for an additional fee, and the home is a quick 10-minute drive to downtown Joshua Tree with the iconic National Park entrance only a little bit further up the road. If guests wish for the swimming pool to be heated, there is an additional $200 daily fee for the pool heating service, prearranged and payable prior to arrival.

Around

Located in the rolling hills separating Joshua Tree and the Yucca Valley in California’s rugged Mojave Desert, the home sits on 5-acres and is strikingly solitary, some 15 minutes from Joshua Tree National Park and about 10 minutes to the town of Joshua Tree. Endless desert surrounds the house, a landscape of spiny scrub brush and cactus, dotted with Joshua trees and giant yucca. Wildlife roam freely here, and chances are you’ll glimpse coyote, jackrabbits, quail and roadrunners.

Retro glam Palm Springs and the new-age artistic playground of the Coachella Valley are the area’s best-known spots besides Joshua Tree National Park, an otherworldly park of Flintstone-sized boulders and spindly trees that’s a popular playground for rock climbers, hikers, mountain bikers and photographers. Nearby Pioneertown is a historic Hollywood remnant, a Wild West movie set turned rugged desert community that’s home to a handful of galleries and roadhouses, including the famous Pappy and Harriet’s Palace.

Golf courses, restaurants, bars, and classic architecture fill the mid-century modern oasis of Palm Springs, located an easy drive away. The poster child of the Desert Modernism movement, Palm Springs’ iconic strip is dotted with vintage boutiques, hip concept stores, and a multitude of cafes and cocktail bars. Other day trips include the cooler landscapes of the San Jacinto mountains, and Indian or Palm Canyon. By night, take in the awe-inspiring cosmic masterpiece overhead from the star-gazing/sunbeds around the gleaming pool.

Location

Nearest airport: Indio/Palm Springs (1 hour)

Best time to visit

Year-round, though summers can reach very high temperatures