The Modern Wolfden

Home Away From Home

An Austrian design-couple created a laid-back getaway for their family, friends and like-minded people who love the desert.

Just two and a half hours away from Los Angeles, is where busy Californians come to relax. Once you pass the Low Desert, Palm Springs and all its neighboring cities, you get to the High Desert with its little charming towns like Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree and Twenty Nine Palms which have become a magnet for bohemian, funky and artsy people who are looking for an escape from the city, a hideaway promising spiritual bonds and slower-paced pleasures.
About 5 miles north of 29 Palms Highway you find yourself in another world, sometimes it seems even like another planet. Pioneertown is a secluded, peaceful town defined by the beauty of its barren landscape, massive boulders, striking Joshua trees and charming Wild West architecture. And it’s of course also the home of Pappy & Harriet’s, one of the most famous restaurants and music venues in the desert. Once you have entered the area, you fall under the spell of the magic landscape and the epic blue sky that hits you like a hammer - you cannot stop staring or taking pictures. This is what happened to Austrian architect Wolfgang Pichler and his wife Connie when they first visited the High Desert in 2017. Although they were only on vacation and still lived in Austria, they fell so much for the area that they decided to buy a property. The building was basically a wreck filled with old, ugly furniture and trash but the location was good and it was a house in California after all.

Some months later the couple and their kids moved to LA and started the adventure of building a life in the States. One of their first projects became, as they called it first, the Desert House. After a remodeling period of about six months, the final result was renamed The Modern Wolfden, an effortless cool showcase of the couple’s work but also a part-time home and an Airbnb rental. As the past homeowners had buried most of the original architecture in a very unprofessional and cheap way and changed the floorplan multiple times, they had to bring it to studs, due to the very bad condition of all the materials and the work done, which, on the other hand, also meant that they had the chance to create something new that would live up to their style and standard. Influenced by famous Mid-Century architects like Neutra and Schindler, who were also Austrians and definitely characterized Californian architecture, the couple’s vision was to build a compact structure which would afford uninterrupted views of the scenery outside in order to understand the desert itself and to co-exist with its rhythm and inhabitants. In the morning, when the family enjoys their breakfast on the covered southern patio, they witness families of quails and hares running around and looking for food, while flocks of different birds cruise over their heads. Once in a while a coyote casually walks down their driveway. “Instead of turning on Discovery Channel, you can just sit here and watch your natural pet zoo” says Connie.

The two-bedroom and two-and-a-half-bathroom structure is characterized by floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors, and furnishings that are a mix of Wolfgang’s own designs, individual pieces collected all over the world and art that reflects the spirit of Western movies and classic movies in general. The design-couple used to own their own outdoor furniture company in Europe and focuses on blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Rather than imposing themselves on natural environments or neighborhoods, they aim to blend in and become part of the picture. “Although the house is very modern, which is still somewhat unusual for this rustic area, it is not a foreign element as we stuck to the original house form and only used authentic materials” explains Wolfgang. “We tried to spill the interior into the outdoors in order to enhance the emphasis of a holistic living.” Accordingly, the house that only covers 1,200 sq.ft., seems to be so much bigger than it actually is, as the concrete tiles of the living area continue on the front patio as well as the back patio, before they merge into a huge concrete terrace, which gives it a monolithic look. It is really hard to distinguish the outdoors from the indoor living space. Hence, the house gets its personality, and an abundance of sunlight, from its connection to its natural environment and the full-height openings that flood the house with light all day long.

All of the aesthetic choices were directed by the couple who both grew up in country houses in rural Austria, filled with different kinds of European, traditional art and hand-crafted furniture. It was important to them that the house is modern and pure but not soulless, that people can really feel at home, even if they are just guests for a couple of days. Although the place is kind of remote, it does provide all the benefits of modern living and technology. Additionally, the owners included artsy surfaces like a golden wall in the powder-room or an indoor/outdoor window seat, embellished with colors mixed from the soil of the property.

For outdoor bliss and all the Instagram moments there is a hot-tub, a cowboy tub, an outdoor shower, a firepit and of course a barbecue. Hikers are welcome to explore the neighborhood and the surrounding mountains. The property offers different spaces to gather, retreat, lie, sleep, sit, chat, play or gaze at the stars. Some European design classic also made it over the ocean and are spread over the site. The abundance of desert flora surrounding the house, was additionally complemented by different cacti fields as the owners are huge fans. They decided to plant different genera to add to the Western charm. Every one of the more than 100 cacti was planted by hand and supplied with an irrigation system. The owners claim that this was the part of the project that requested the most sweat but the result pays off and beautifully frames the space.

By merging the attractive informality of Californian living with exclusive international design, Connie and Wolfgang have created a balanced, thriving space that exists in communion with its environment. The Modern Wolfden all about natural light, authentic materials, as well as minimalist and purposeful furnishings, with key pieces that showcase the couple’s personality. They embrace an indoor/ outdoor lifestyle and created a place in which they could relax, entertain, work and flourish. State-of-the-art furniture, technology and eco-friendly facilities turn their home into a haven for themselves, friends and like-minded people who love the desert.