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

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From the teensy boulders, infinite wildlife, praying Joshua Trees, to cookie “choco-graham” mountains, breathtaking skylines, and a child’s first climbing ascent …Joshua Tree Oasis is the place that “lens” itself to all!

The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern east Mexico, including most of the continental United States. The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semi-desert, urban edge, forest edges and swampland environments. It persists in much of its original range and populations are healthy.