A Thoughtful Design in Harmony with Nature
Ryan Leidner Architecture, the San Francisco-based firm, has unveiled a stunning wood-and-stucco desert home and studio located in Southern California’s High Desert. This project, designed for painter Heather Day and creative director Chase McBride, combines mid-century Eichler home principles with southwestern art influences, creating a harmonious blend of architecture and landscape.
Nestled near the Joshua Tree National Park, this house was constructed on a previously undeveloped desert site. The design process sought to respect the surrounding environment while providing expansive views of the desert.
Studio founder Ryan Leidner shared, “We sought to respect the landscape with the design of the house, maintaining a compact footprint while still enjoying the sense of expansiveness one feels in the desert.”
He further described the journey to the property, saying, “In order to get to the property you drive several miles down an unpaved, sandy road through the desert, seeing the occasional home or trailer along the way. And then you take a final turn, and the house begins to emerge from behind a rock outcropping. What you see is this white line in the landscape, and it feels just so surprising, and I think beautiful.”
Inspired by Mid-Century Modern and Artist Studios
The design draws heavily on the clean, logical structure of mid-century Eichler homes, which the team had previously renovated. An exposed post-and-beam structure with regular spacing informs the room layouts, contributing to the home’s seamless integration with its desert setting.
The architecture also takes cues from artist studios, including those of Georgia O’Keeffe, Willem and Elaine de Kooning, and the personal residence of Mexican architect Luis Barragán. These influences can be seen in the simplicity and functionality of the space.
The home features a rectangular wood frame that steps down to match the natural rocky slope of the land. The structure is covered in a white plaster stucco exterior, which ensures the house can endure the harsh climate and weather fluctuations typical of the desert region.
“Initially, we explored using a neutral tone plaster with the thought that it would blend in with the desert landscape,” the team explained. “But as we studied that option further, we realized that it actually took away from the architecture and the landscape. Having more of a contrast in tone helped to highlight the beauty of the surroundings.”
A Space to Reflect and Connect with the Landscape
On one side of the house, a solid white wall extends the length of the structure, with double doors and sidelights aligning symmetrically across from another set of doors on the opposite side. The nearly symmetrical design continues with a spacious central porch and elevated deck, accessed through floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors.
Large windows adorn the house, bringing abundant natural light into the bedrooms and artist studio, while wooden roof trusses extend slightly beyond the walls to provide shade to the glazed openings.
On both ends of the home, clerestory windows, framed by slender vertical wooden bands, provide further light and ventilation, contributing to the home’s airy feel.
Inside, the heart of the house is the open-plan living area, where the kitchen, dining, and living room flow into one another, highlighted by exposed wood ceilings, white walls, and concrete flooring. A short hallway leads to the bedroom and bathroom, while the opposite side of the main room transitions into the expansive studio space.
Resident Heather Day expressed her connection to the house and its surroundings: “Living here has helped both of us slow down and savor each day. The way the windows frame the rugged landscape that seems to change throughout the day or with each season makes us feel closer to land. It’s like an ever-evolving painting outside.”
Ryan Leidner Architecture has previously worked on several notable renovations, including a 1940s home in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights, where they added a bridge over the front garden, and a 1960s Eichler house in Silicon Valley, from which they drew inspiration for this desert project.