This unusual off-grid home is inspired by its dramatic high desert setting outside California’s Pioneertown.
Located in Road Runner Rut, the 2023 dwelling is a modern take on the cabin, built with timber on a 10-acre site bordering the Sand to Snow National Monument in Pipes Canyon. Its tawny wooden walls blend into the boulders and arid hillside surrounding the desert property, studded with Joshua trees and ancient rock formations.
Volumes are crowned by angular Corten steel roofs to weather into the landscape further and pay homage to the 1800s homesteads that dotted the surrounding area, especially in the mining town of Bodie.
The minimalist, modern rustic aesthetic continues inside, where rooms have soaring ceilings crossed by rugged beams salvaged from an aircraft hangar in Southern California. Cedar wall planks contrast polished concrete flooring, and large black steel-framed picture windows and glass doors open onto the outdoor terrace. Pendant lamps were reclaimed from a tank factory in Pennsylvania, jibing with the industrial vibe of the steel elements, while other antique doors are imported from India.
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
Image: Berlyn Photography
There’s nothing rustic about the kitchen, however, which has a colossal island topped by Quartzide plus a ton of built-in storage via glossy white cabinets and a separate pantry with stainless steel appliances and fridges. Two bedrooms have their own bathrooms and access to individual patios with incredible desert vistas.
Separate from the house is a finished 2-car garage with HVAC, meaning it could be used as additional living space, a home studio or a gym. Off-grid capabilities come via private solar power, septic system, and high-volume water well – all concealed.
Keith Markovitz of TTK Represents of Compass & Clayton Baldwin of Kinetic Properties holds the listing for 1653 Road Runner Rut Rd, which is asking for $4.2m.
Pioneertown is less than a 10-minute drive from Road Runner Rut and was founded in 1946 by a group of Hollywood investors, including ‘King of the cowboys’, Roy Rogers, as an Old-West style town and movie set. It backdropped a string of Westerns, and while it’s no longer used much as a filming location, the community has become a sought-after destination for its luxe spas, boutiques and events.
