Inside the silky skin cooling joy of an 8 foot by 3 foot deep galvanized metal “cowboy spa”. You’ll find it right next to the “where have you been all my life” hammock, just inches away from your icy beers and come-to-mama margaritas. The cowboy spa’s just one of the surprises luring you back into innocence and abandon at the most decadently delicious vacation resorts in the heart of cacti and coyote land. Joshua Tree Oasis is where the coolest vacationers go to be cool. True. Surrounded by stunning beauty inside and out, you get to enjoy the heat and magic of the desert while plunging carefree into one gi-normous watering trough and leaving all cares, aches, and baggage far away. This is pure fun in the sun and cool off time in the outside tub, the huge, bubbling Jacuzzi or kicking back cool as a cucumber inside the resort—your entire being refreshed by the modern AC and humidifying swamp cooling system. It could be a sweltering 110 in the shade, but you’ll be dancing naked inside to the tune of 65 or 55 degrees or whatever you choose to feel the coolest. So c’mon and soak up some summer time fun at Joshua Tree Oasis—where the Mediterranean meets the Mojave—and childhood is just a “double dog dare you” plunge away.

Cara-Wilson Granat

It’s not surprising that Gino and Troy preferred an earthier palette-tone when they designed the interior of Joshua Tree and other residences dotted throughout this desert region. Once again, the objective was to pull the outside into each room so that the feeling of walking inside and outside is like breathing in and out; it’s seamless, peaceful, flowing.

“We used cool colors for the walls,” Gino said. “Avocados, oranges, colors matching the many lichen-covered rocks surrounding Joshua Tree.” “That’s again, our `outside-inside’ philosophy of using the natural beauty you see from every vantage point here in the desert and then adapting it to the interior design,” Troy added. So if you look around at the walls, ceilings, tiling, all of it you’ll notice the pure whites from the sand, the soft orange hues from the oxidizing iron, the black, lava basalt. And then there’s that bright touch of turquoise in the kitchen to add an uplift as well as another element of beauty and comfort. “Oh, we’re open to working with our clients and can give them even an `opium-den’ look, whatever that is!” Gino laughs. But if they want bright red doors and walls and Buddhas everywhere, you can be sure that these two geniuses will weave the look into something never seen before or since. “We just encourage people to gather all their old family dishes and photos, funky tools and dime store `jewels’ and look at them in a different light as works of art rather than something to throwaway. You’ll never know how much fun—and everlasting the impression you create.” Troy said. Usually the look you’re looking for is right before your eyes—whether it’s in your attic or outside your window. Nature already has her own, exquisite color palette. And if you’re lucky enough to work alongside two amazing artists like Gino Dreese and Troy Williams you can gather what is already there and create truly living masterpieces. After all, it’s not what you look at, it’s what you see.

Cara Wilson-Granat

There are times when words cannot express the senses of a certain time period.  This is one of those AWESOME time periods in our life…our week at JTO!

From the moment we arrived, walked up the path to the house, the birds, the landscape – we walked into this Oasis with beautiful music playing, was so dream like, the beauty of it all – the land, the wild life, the unique house, awesome stargazing & so much more, cannot be put into a small note of appreciation.  Every sight & sound here provides a reminder of where we are and how fortunate we are.  It is redundant what others write – but THANK YOU – we appreciate that you offer JTO.  To be one to open your mind, heart & home like this is wonderful. May you and your family continue to be enriched by this beautiful space of earth.  Thank you for opening it up to fellow human beings who look for the beauty and a safe place to stay in JT.

P.S. – We have to add, one morning at 7am we looked out at the patio & saw “Bob” the Bobcat!! He walked up around the fire pit, looked up towards us, saw us and ran to the hills.  OUTSTANDING!

Peace, “love” & Great Energies,

Nadine & Kirsh

(Celebrated their Anniversary)

One of the most compelling aspects to this exquisite desert retreat is the fact that the outside and inside feel seamless. Look again and you’ll notice that as funky as some of the elements they’ve chosen to be imbedded within the walls and fireplace and nooks and corners outside and inside— from terra cotta heads and tea cups, to watch fobs and coins, the “unfunky”, natural materials they’ve picked are true to the pure desert landscape. You won’t find river rock or Sedona rock here. They would look fake and out of synch. So the granite and lava rock and basalt are soothing to experience because they are indigenous to the area. There’s nothing jarring or discordant about them because there’s a purity to everything. The outside and inside truly flow together. The designers said that they equally consider how the home is affected by seasonal changes and what kind of ongoing maintenance might be required.

“Every window offers its own scene—a view that’s like a work of art in and of itself,” Gino explains. “That’s our goal for every place we design,” Troy affirms. “…if we’re working with a place that has hills or fences close to the home we create as much breathing space, as much dimension as we can. We take a minimalist approach and work closely with the owners—so every pond, every fountain, every piece of sculpture all need to be true to what you see from the outside looking in and vice-versa. If it’s too frenetic, too busy and jars your senses from peace and tranquility, then it’s not a good fit.” Unless the home owner has requested a wild and upside-down look and feel, they both laugh. They can make that happen, too. But, thankfully, not in Joshua Tree Oasis which is peace personified—thanks to the beauty of the desert and the brilliant visionaries who love and honor it, Gino and Troy.

TO BE CONTINUED: Next week—“Choosing from Nature’s Palette-Pleasing Colors”

-Cara Wilson Granat

On our first full day, the driving rain actually afforded us the opportunity to enjoy the home more fully, watching through the large windows as the low clouds and rain rolled through the pass providing some great photos.

The snow that sat at a fairly low level on the surrounding mountains the next day or two was interesting as our past trips to Joshua Tree at earlier times in the year did not have any snow and were warmer. We hiked in the park the other 3 days once again reveling in the unique place that is the low desert.

We were also rewarded on Wednesday with an early morning visit from 2 bobcats who spent about 15 minutes walking around the perimeter of the house looking at us while we talked to them & took their photos. What a great thing it is to have them around; you are fortunate. Thank you for bottle of wine which complemented one of our dinners.

So, again thank you and I suspect that there’s a strong possibility that we will be requesting another stay.

David & Laura