Meet the SF Designers Behind The Joshua Tree House, the Desert Getaway of Our Dreams

Nestled in the stark desert landscape, amid jagged rock formations and sculptural cacti, are the highly sought after Airbnb havens known as the Joshua Tree House, a 1949 hacienda, and the Joshua Tree Casita, a two-bedroom home built in 1958. Both near the west entrance of Joshua Tree National Park, these homes offer artistic decor, vast desert views, and hot tub stargazing. The owners, San Francisco-based husband-and-wife designers Sara and Rich Combs, who moved to San Francisco in 2008 without ever having set foot in California, have transformed these spaces into stylish getaways.

The Joshua Tree House came to be after a one-night stay on a cross-country road trip in 2014. Sara and Rich fell in love with the area and decided they wanted to have a place to retreat, so they bought their first home there the following year. After putting it up on Airbnb and creating an Instagram account, it became wildly successful with a growing list of influencers who have stayed overnight, including New Darlings and Rocky Barnes. In 2016, they decided to buy their second home, the Joshua Tree Casita, which can also be rented on Airbnb.

"Everything we've curated for the House and the Casita is meant to encourage being present, from grinding and pouring your own slow-drip coffee to listening to an entire record on vinyl," says Sara. "Our goal is to have our guests appreciate the process rather than instant satisfaction. It's a place to reflect, reset, and create."

See the full interview at 7x7.