What was it that caught your eyes? Was it the muted hues of light from walls to ceilings blending into the smooth tiling everywhere? Was it the finely crafted details—the warmth of wood and stone? The massive fireplace which echoed the panorama of craggy landscaping beyond the outside deck?

Or was it the little surprises of art tucked here and there amidst this five-star vacation desert retreat–the multi-colored shards of glass, shells, stones and bullet-ridden cans offering their own kind of rusted, battered beauty?

Did you take in the weathered religious icons and the wall of bottles designed to capture a dazzling show of sunshine and moonlight? This exquisite hideaway of Joshua Tree Oasis is like a living, breathing collage of colors and vibrancy—a tapestry of sensuality and serenity like none other.  But the mastery behind the orchestration of interior and exterior design was created by two artistic geniuses.

Meet Gino Dreese and Troy Williams, Joshua Tree Oasis and Sorriso da Terra designers.

Successful landscape architects, Gino and Troy have been creative business partners for well over 25-years, designing for homes throughout the country. World-travelers, the two artists find that there isn’t one thing but rather many things that capture their imagination when choosing the perfect container for a burst of wild desert cacti—such as a horse trough or an ancient cement mixer.

Their love of life and ability to find humor and whimsy in just about everything they see is what they have integrated into the magic of Joshua Tree Oasis. Old cartoons and magazine ads from the 40s and 50s somehow artistically work in synch with time-worn cowboy hats and ropes. Nothing makes sense and everything works together in this amalgamation of sensory play.

What is their secret? Gino and Troy simply laugh.

“There is no secret. We are open to everything. If we like it, we pick it up and use it. We always collect stuff. Someone else might think it’s junk. We see it as part of a big picture and most of the time it works.”

Gino and Troy help us see the “stones” that time and others have tossed away and these two “collectors” have gathered back for us to appreciate and see as nothing but beauty—with a smile.

TO BE CONTINUED… Next time, Gino and Troy talk about, “The Outside-In and Vice-Versa.”

Cara Wilson-Granat

…CONTINUED FROM PART II

It was her last night at Joshua Tree Oasis—a hidden gem in the heart of the Mojave Desert. She’d never felt such serenity—and longing. Why did she have to leave this magical place? And what in the world was he doing in Dubai when she was here in this luxurious wildlife refuge—a vacation retreat that was the ultimate in romance and sensuality?

She buttoned her cozy down jacket as the evening air began its chilly debut. Snuggling into the blue rocker on the porch, she lulled herself back and forth into a farewell lullabye as a covey of quail zip-zipped across the path disappearing behind tableaus of cacti and a large sleeping iguana. Glancing at the matching empty blue rocker next to her the familiar ache returned. What in the world was he doing in Dubai?

Actually, he wondered that, too, as he rubbed his bleary eyes prepared for what looked like miles of corridor from his plane at the Dubai Airport to the awaiting taxis beyond. Hordes of sleeping travelers splayed out on the floor as he worked to step over and around them. The humidity even at 3 a.m. turned his shirt into a sheet of drench. The low hum of civilization—those that were awake—spoke in a background combo of Arabic, Urdu and Hindi. How in the world would he find her? He stopped to scan setting his bag beside him. “Can I help you?” Someone was speaking to him in his language. He turned and found himself startled. She was beautiful and from her voice he thought she might be British. “Yes,” she smiled back, showing a stunning set of sparkling white teeth. “I have come here to find my fortune. I model during the day and am a taxi driver at night. Are you heading for downtown? Let me take you there…” And suddenly, life was beginning to look up. “Miss Britain” would be taking him on a tour he just somehow had a feeling he would never forget. He shoved his Blackberry into his pocket unaware of his assistant’s urgent text to him until much later, “Turn around. You’ve got the wrong desert. She’s in Joshua Tree Oasis.”

“Forget about him,” she told herself as the last of the Joshua Tree Oasis day gathered in shadows around her. “If he really loved me he would have traveled to find me. He would be here.” That’s when she saw someone coming up the road. Grabbing her binoculars she focused in. A man on a horse? What the…? Racing for the front door, she heard him shout out, “Wait! I don’t want to scare you, but I saw your kitchen light and could use some help. My camper just broke down and my horse was freaking out. She gets scared easily. Would you mind calling roadside assistance? I’ll wait outside the gate. Not to worry.” Her breathing calming at last, she finally met his smile and assured him that she would call for help right away. As he tipped his cowboy hat in thanks she suddenly felt like she was in some kind of Gary Cooper movie. And damn didn’t he look very Gary Cooperish at that. The guy was gorgeous. “Uhhh…would you like a cup of coffee while you wait? I could even fill a bowl of water for your horse.” Did she say that out loud? He turned his shiny palomino around and faced her. “Lady, that’s the nicest offer I’ve had in a whole bunch of time. I’d—we’d—be most grateful.” Maybe she could call and find out if she could book a few more days at Joshua Tree Oasis. This desert hideaway was more like dessert for the soul. And it was looking more delicious by the minute.(TO BE CONTINUED…)

-Cara Wilson-Granat

The pulse of the city was pounding in her veins. She didn’t know where she began and it left off. The waves of drama hit her daily and she knew one thing only. She was drowning. She needed to get as far away from this madding crowd as possible. And especially from him—the man she loved too much. It was hopeless. He would always be there and she would always be on the other side of here.

Theirs was the whole star-crossed-lover thing and she had to go. A friend of a friend alerted her to an oasis far away in the desert somewhere. It was supposed to be one of the most hidden, extraordinary vacation retreats in the world called, Joshua Tree Oasis. Packing her bags, she decided at the last minute to bring her lap top and finally begin writing the novel that was playing itself in her head. Maybe that was how she could rid herself of him and the city—all of it. Call it mental Metamucil. She needed a cleansing and fast.

Renting a car straight from the Palm Springs airport, she wondered how she had gotten to this strange place. Bumping up the dusty road passed tucked away fences and signs and secretive indications of civilization she began to have second thoughts. Maybe she had been too impulsive in her dash to nowhere. And then she saw the large gate with the buffalo’s skull and horns and words atop it, Joshua Tree Oasis. She had arrived. But where? Soon she was there in a haven as beautiful and alluring as a small Taj Mahal—not the size, but the essence. This was like something created by someone in love. The soft hues and warm tiles, rustic mixed with Southwest, embracing, safe, sensual. She lit a fire and poured herself a cognac and stood on the deck taking it all in. A kestrel circled high above surfing the brief, warm currents. A jack rabbit bound across the desert scrub, springing in and out of the meadows of mesquite and sagebrush. Far in the distance she could decipher a lone coyote loping along the huge granite outcroppings. She could be on Mars this was all so remote from the world she temporarily left behind. The smell of sage and symphony of silence embraced her senses. She looked at her lap top and turned away. The novel would wait. Joshua Tree Oasis had begun to take hold. Easing into the welcoming outdoor Jacuzzi, the soothing bubbling water began lulling her into a rare state of vulnerability. She felt each muscle let go as she watched the nature show surrounding her. The sun-setting sky began streaking a kaleidoscope of brilliant colors she never even knew existed as she caught sight of the spiky Joshua trees, yucca plants and brazen cacti puncturing the descending dusk. The ache she felt for him overcame her at last. Why aren’t you here?   (TO BE CONTINUED…)

Cara Wilson-Granat