Joshua Tree is a sight to behold, with its twisted trees, unique rock formations and breathtaking desert vistas. Emma Caulfield couldn’t agree more. That’s why she moved her family to a newly built home in the California desert, completed this past spring.
Architect Ben Uyeda conceptualized the early planning stages for the three-bedroom, two-bath residence, which includes a separate ADU for the client’s mother. Then, he stepped back to let interior designer David Brian Sanders, a longtime friend of the clients, realize the vision.
“Joshua Tree really dictated the mood of the house,” Sanders explains. “The landscape is so powerful that we never wanted the interiors to compete with it. We kept the palette warm and restrained, using natural materials, tactile textiles and sculptural forms so that the eye is continually drawn back outside.”
An expansive picture window in the kitchen, the designer’s and owner’s favorite feature, frames the desert like a piece of art. Warm, understated cabinetry lets the view take center stage, while a Fireclay Tile backsplash adds “a more graphic layer.” A La Bastille range hood provides a sculptural focal point, and XPEL solar control window film helps manage heat and glare without sacrificing natural light.
“David managed to create something that feels very designed but never feels disconnected from where we are,” Caulfield says. “We didn’t want anything overly decorated or precious. We wanted a home that felt relaxed, personal and beautiful, but where our family could actually live.” She also appreciates how the ADU gives her mother her own space while keeping her close to the family.
“Emma and Mark wanted something visually calm and elevated, but it still had to function as a real family home,” Sanders says. “We tried to balance restraint with warmth and personality, whether through the textiles, natural woods, artwork or more graphic moments like the tile.” Products from Caesarstone, Fireclay Tile and Duravit helped achieve that balance.
The designer and clients also wanted the landscape, created by The Modernist Landscapes, to feel like a natural extension of the desert and the home. Blu Haus Design helped turn the pool area into a statement piece. “There was a collaborative effort to make sure the architecture, landscape and outdoor living spaces all felt connected,” Sanders says, “and that the house sat comfortably within its setting.”
Interior photography by Joe Schmelzer; Exterior photography by John Anthony Sutton.
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