Owners Catherine and Brian are creative people who have changed a lot about the interior of the house and made it so popular. It has been featured in Condé Nast Traveler, Esquire Magazine, Goop, Refinery29, and Apartment Therapy.
This story began when a couple was looking for a secluded place to escape from Los Angeles for the weekend. Catherine and Brian placed an ad, and among other suggestions was a Buckminster Fuller-inspired home. The home's location - in the desert near the amazing Joshua Tree National Park - finally convinced the couple to buy the house.
Catherine Smirke:
«The wide open spaces, cool desert nights, and star-spangled sky were a great contrast to our life in the big city. It was love at first sight...what could be better than owning a domed house in Joshua Tree?»
The new owners spent about nine months renovating and finishing the house. Catherine is a lifelong student of design and is the creative director of a bohemian clothing brand, which is reflected in the interior of the house. It is filled with vintage furniture, vintage books, designer interior pieces made of natural wood and stone. Many are created by the owners themselves, for example, the typewriter table is made from a restored door from the 1920s.
Catherine Smirke:
«Finding an intuitive place for furniture and wall decor was not easy. But thanks to the unconventional shape of the dome, it forced us to think outside the box.»
The house can accommodate up to four people at a time and has two bedrooms, an open kitchen space with a living room, and a bathroom. Guests are particularly impressed by the meditation loft, decorated with dream catchers and pillows with Indian patterns. It is located on the second tier, right in the center of the dome.
The walls are painted white, so the house resembles a loft. Thanks to the five skylights, it is well lit, and the first tier has views of deserted spectacular scenery and mountains.
A natural wood-burning stove and heaters keep the house warm on cool evenings, and air conditioning keeps the house cool on hot days.
The house is in a secluded location, with the nearest neighbor living a mile away. People who want to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and walk in the national park come here.
Catherine Smirke:
"The nights are very quiet and the sky is dotted with stars because there is no light pollution in the area."
The spherical house in the desert was not just a shelter from the bustling metropolis, but one of Catherine and Brian's main creative projects, which provided them with media recognition, and for many guests it became a fascinating adventure.
