A 1950s Desert Homestead is Given New Life with a Complete Outdoor Transformation

San Francisco transplants Brian LaFaille and Lindsay Anderson of Stay With Terra headed to the California desert in pursuit of a simpler life focused on design, architecture, and hospitality after spending 10+ years in the tech industry. They found their 1950s homestead cabin in late 2021 and immediately got to work, planning and designing to give this diamond in the desert a necessary polish to bring it back to its former glory. 

“We knew we had a diamond in the rough if only we could maintain our commitment and focus long enough to see the project through to the other side.”

As one of the original homes built in downtown Joshua Tree, long before the national park was officially formed, this home had a lot of history inside and out. Most recently it was the home to a junk artist who made the half-acre yard a storage space. After sifting through what might be a junk artist’s treasure – countless empty wine bottles, broken glass, an 8-foot wooden wagon wheel, a geodesic climbing dome, empty buried caskets and appliances – they saw the potential. So, they turned to Yardzen to bring their outdoor vision to life. 

Brian and Lindsay first partnered with Yardzen to design the landscape for their Airbnb property in Yucca Valley, California, (you can even book your own visit by heading to Stay With Terra!) creating an easy-to-care for yard with a sunken fire pit and shaded pergola for outdoor entertaining. For this Joshua Tree project, Brian and Lindsay drew inspiration from across the globe, including Ruth Bancroft’s garden in Northern California, dining under the stars in the olive groves of Puglia, and outdoor spas in Mexico and Arizona, they were ready to partner with Yardzen once again to begin the process of designing their new dream yard. “We didn’t consider any other options because we loved the creativity, professionalism, and communication of the Yardzen team in helping shape our vision. We loved the ability to work with our designer ona iterations to fit within our design aesthetic and the space constraints within the yard itself. The mockups were images we came back to with our landscaper, hardscaper, architect, and builder nearly every time we met with them.” 

The ultimate goal was for their yard to feel cohesive in style but create different “rooms” within the lot – a fire pit circle, back patio dining and lounging, a sauna for wellness, and an outdoor tub and shower area for freshening up. Brian and Lindsay’s designer landed on a desert oasis design that incorporated these key spaces, surrounded by a walkable cactus garden, and layered in materials like terra cotta, rich woods and composite decking, and large landscape rocks to honor the surrounding landscape. 

Just like they did with their first Yardzen project, Brian and Lindsay leveraged their new designs as the overarching vision for each space, keeping their build team from David Building Co. and other contractors on site on the same page throughout the installation process. “With so many people involved in the project, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger design. However, Yardzen gave us the north star which we kept coming back to about what we envisioned the space looking like.” 

After 8 months of demolition, clean up, and construction for both the inside and outside of the home, the former junkyard was transformed into the ultimate backyard paradise for Brian, Lindsay, and their two dogs Yuma and Kai. The firepit and sauna are both favorite additions, enabling the family and their friends to take advantage of the nearly 300 days of sunshine in Joshua Tree each year. “The ability to live outdoors and enjoy the beautiful weather with an outdoor sauna, tub, and shower allows us to take advantage of that beautiful desert sunshine year round. Being next to the firepit with our dogs while they’re able to explore the cactus garden is a highlight; we have a lot of wildlife that flows through the back yard and we can sit for hours watching the hummingbirds perched on our San Pedro cactus, or watch the families of quails roam by.” 

Another priority for this landscape design was to have year-round access to their favorite wellness amenities. The outdoor tub and shower are cleverly hidden away within a slatted wood and render wall, adding privacy without compromising the opportunity to connect with the surroundings. 

Brian and Lindsay shared that “showering outside in the sunshine, or taking a hot bath under the stars allows us to feel more connected to nature. Further, we love having both hot and cold water features – in the summer we can rinse off in a refreshing shower or dip into a cold plunge. In the winter, we can warm up in the sauna and then soak in a heated tub.”

Just a few steps away is the perfect outdoor sauna for even more relaxation and healing!

We asked Brian and Lindsay for any advice they would share with fellow homeowners kicking off their outdoor renovations – 

“Before putting shovels in the ground, really spend time in your backyard thinking about what rooms you want to build, and what location makes the most sense. Bring camping chairs and sit in various places throughout the yard. After we spent 6 months cleaning out the backyard, we spent a few hours just sitting in various areas of the yard to get a sense of where each feature should go. This process allowed us to make note of important aspects of the experience – everything from overall sun exposure to how the light moves across the yard throughout the day, to what the view is, and how much privacy you’re afforded for each of the different amenities we were considering. Visualizing the way you want to feel in various spaces is the most effective way of ensuring that you nail it all.”

Let our design experts take your loose ideas and form them into a solid plan of action to help you create your dream space! 

Yardzen’s award-winning online landscaping design is tailored to clients across all fifty states in the U.S.. Our design process begins with understanding your space, your aesthetic preferences, and a discussion of your budget and vision to minimize surprises when it comes time to build.

Our top-notch designers then develop a personalized vision for your yard, shared through 3D renderings, 2D plan drawings, and plant and material lists. Your design will capture the look, feel, and function you are hoping for, all while keeping costs within range.

You can also take advantage of our curated and vetted network of contractors to find the right local partner to install your designs. Not only that, but your Yardzen team will be with you every step of the way, answering questions you have about construction, reviewing your quotes and estimates from contractors, and we even offer an estimate match guarantee to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck. 

Ready to level up the landscaping of your front yard, backyard, or other outdoor space? Explore our design packages today!