North Joshua Tree isn’t quite the same as the other areas surrounding the town proper. The Southern California sun is ever-present, of course, as is the sand. They share the moon that rises above the jagged mountains and the glitter of stars blanketing the sky. But this corner, as designer Veronica Koltuniak puts it, is a little more austere.

“There’s nary an iconic tree in sight,” she says, referencing the area’s namesake plant. When Veronica and her husband came here in 2018, they acknowledged the remoteness of the location as a positive. “It’s the absence that makes this place special,” adds Veronica. “The long view into the void is what I like most, surrounded by the mountain ranges of San Jacinto, Indian Cove, and San Gorgonio in the distance.”

The newcomers weren’t interested in adding another boho-chic rental property to the area, nor fleeing when the desert showed its extreme conditions. Veronica intended to stick it out and become a fixture in North Joshua Tree, where there’s a meditation center, music venue, and community center, and “you’ll meet all types of desert rat,” she says. “Activist, artist, academic, and anarchist.”

Veronica and her husband found an original 1954 jackrabbit homestead, a relic from an era when Uncle Sam sold parcels of this harsh government land to willing optimists. A previous owner had added an outdoor kitchen and bath using reclaimed lumber. It slept up to four people, and kept Veronica and her guests comfortable with the basics of a small solar panel, a single light bulb, water, and a septic tank. “We used the place as our deep desert getaway and would host large events and have everyone set up camp,” Veronica remembers. “The outdoor kitchen had a propane stove and sink, and coolers were our only refrigeration. The outdoor bath had a proper toilet tied to septic and a propane shower open to the sky.”

It also came with five acres of promising nothingness. The land and the home were rugged, to be sure, but that’s exactly what Veronica and her husband were looking for. Those who stay don’t do it for the outer indulgences, Veronica says, they do it for the inner renewal possible in the lack thereof. So the couple took the homestead over, and everything was fine, for a while.

Soon, the authorities of San Bernardino County stepped in. The powers that be were in the midst of updating Joshua Tree’s permit classifications, and wanted to designate her homestead as a “recreation cabin.” Under that label, she and her husband would only be able to use the homestead for a portion of the month. “So we decided to remodel in order to comply with the single-family residence code, which meant adding electricity, a working kitchen, and a bathroom,” Veronica says.

With a budget of $455,500, she sought to preserve the shape of the original cabin while adding square footage, making a “shoe box” on the north side of the structure to enclose the kitchen, bathroom, and loft, which serves as a second sleeping area. The primary one, and a dining space, are within the original outline. It’s a cozy space at 444 square feet.

“We furnished it all with artwork from our friends, which hangs above vintage and contemporary pieces I curated,” she says. There are no doors, but that’s fine—Veronica and her husband have two sons that only visit on occasion. Outdoor zones include a kitchen with a pizza oven and two side-by-side soaking tubs set into a deck.

Its standout feature—perhaps the biggest spend—is a “super roof” that shields the home from the sun while providing shade to the north deck. “It was an engineering feat to have the roof hold up to high winds, but its passive solar effects are useful, and the dramatic height added a unique architectural feature, so it was worth the expense,” Veronica says.

Note regarding budget: Labor costs are included with each item

$90,000 Land	$1,500 Site Work	$15,000 Foundation
$53,500 Structural	$16,000 Wall Finishes	$1,000 Concrete Floors
$12,000 Roofing	$2,000 Hardware	$22,500 Electrical
$17,000 Plumbing	$7,500 HVAC Equipment	$20,000 Landscaping (Includes fencing, soaking tub deck, and pizza oven)
$13,000 Kitchen & Bath Fixtures	$5,000 Lighting	$7,000 Cabinetry
$3,000 Countertops	$7,000 Appliances	$15,500 Windows & Glazing
$11,500 Millwork (Including doors)	$6,500 Tilework	$25,000 Metalwork
$10,000 Furnishings & Decor	$5,000 Permitting	$30,000 General Contractor Fee
$50,000 Architect/Design Fee	$3,000 Demolition & Debris Removal	$6,000 Engineering
Grand Total: $455,500

“I’ve come to the realization that the success of a project is often defined by what is omitted rather than what is included. The edit is everything.”
—Veronica Koltuniak, designer and resident

To save, she opted to use cement backer board for the cabin’s exterior, which is typically used in shower stalls prior to tiling. She created a staggered pattern using three-by-five planks, stained it slightly with a sealant, and added pink trim as a nod to the cabin’s original color. The results complement the stucco used on the solar structure, as well as the paired-down but cozy interiors.

“I wanted it to feel luxurious in the most unpretentious way,” she says. “It was a top priority to have carefully placed windows to allow for unobstructed views while lying in bed or sitting at the dining table. My intention was to find subtle, unique ways to express the quality of the desert—its ineffable simplicity and presence. It’s one of the most beautiful and brutal places I’ve ever lived.”

Construction took place right as pandemic restrictions were lifting, which brought about more than a few challenges—everyone in the area was suddenly building. “The desert was a hot spot that everyone from the cities wanted a piece of, so construction was rampant. It was difficult to find good subcontractors, and supply chain issues were a factor as well,” she says.

But last spring, the cabin was completed. “Patience is one thing you need a lot of in the desert,” Veronica says. “I love that this home is less than 500 square feet, but it in no way feels like a tiny house. And it doesn’t hurt to have the whole Mojave Desert out my front door.”

Related Reading:

Budget Breakdown: For $404K, a First-Time Renovator Revives a Joshua Tree Midcentury

A Couple Buy a Collapsing Cabin for $7K in Joshua Tree and Revamp it Into a Desert Oasis

Project Details:

Designer and Builder: Veronica Koltuniak of Verokolt / @verokolt

Structural Engineer: Patrick Bambrough

Appears In

Budget Breakdown: She Turned a Joshua Tree Shack Into a Homestead for the Long Haul With $456K