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<\/a><\/p>\nPhoto:\u00a0Jessica Bodas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n As interior designer Natalie Myers puts it, there\u2019s \u201ca bit of land grab\u201d going on in Yucca Mesa, California. This time around, the rush to claim property isn\u2019t driven by gold prospecting, but affordable real estate within proximity of Los Angeles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Myers, the Owner and Design Principal of <\/span>Veneer Designs<\/span><\/a>, set out to purchase a desert vacation home for her family of four that could also function as an Airbnb rental for design lovers. \u201cWe really wanted a hunting cabin, even though it sounds strange,\u201d explains Myers. \u201cThere was a scattering of hunting cabins built in the High Desert during the 50s and 60s, and a lot of them still have the acreage. I think we sort of romanticized the idea of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Jessica Bodas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n After touring a few builder-basic tract homes, Myers and her husband came upon a 700-square-foot hunting cabin near Joshua Tree National Park that had been recently flipped by an inexperienced handyman. \u201cIt was shockingly bad,\u201d recalls Myers. \u201cBut at the same time, the structure, location and size were what we were looking for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n Photos courtesy of Natalie Myers<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Part of the ceiling was clad in corrugated metal, while the other half was painted a citrusy orange color. Cheap laminate covered the floors and exterior paneling had been used to create a shiplap effect in one of the bedrooms. \u201cAs a designer, in my gut, I don\u2019t want to reward someone for flipping a house badly,\u201d says Myers. \u201cIt was like he went to Home Depot and pulled all the cheapest things off the shelf!\u201d<\/p>\n Myers\u2019 contractor, <\/span>Wes Rush<\/span><\/a>, was tasked with repairing all the cut corners, which included replacing rusted-out pipes, replumbing the septic tank, patching a leaky roof and straightening walls. While the renovation took nearly six months months to complete, the cabin (now referred to as <\/span>The Veneer Retreat<\/span><\/a>) is a marvel of desert design.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Ace Misiunas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n In the kitchen, Myers conceived of a showstopping combination of <\/span>Concrete Collaborative terrazzo slab<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Aimee LaCalle Paseo tile<\/span><\/a>. \u201cPattern play is super fun as long as you don\u2019t go crazy with too many colors,\u201d says Myers. The upper cabinets were ripped out and a Zephyr range hood was added where there previously had been none. \u201cI was like, \u2018Is that legal?\u2019 I really don\u2019t know how that happened,\u201d laughs Myers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Ace Misiunas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The flipper had hastily built a granite-topped kitchen island that Myers swapped for an elongated dining table with seating for seven. \u201cBecause there are vaulted ceilings in the house, I thought we needed an oversized Japanese pendant, similar to a Noguchi light sculpture,\u201d says Myers. Fearing a paper light fixture would be too delicate for a rental home, Myers went with the origami-inspired <\/span>Orikata<\/span><\/a> pendant from Room & Board, crafted from laser-cut linen.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Jessica Bodas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The adjacent living room is anchored by a pot belly stove that\u2019s original to the cabin. To visually warm up the space, Myers brought in mixed wood tones and a buttery leather sofa that will improve with age. \u201cThe colors I used, like the browns, the tans and the oranges, are very appropriate for the desert,\u201d adds Myers.<\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Jessica Bodas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The sculptural coffee table was a Craigslist find, sourced from a couple of recent college grads who were moving out of their apartment. \u201cI took it home and when I looked underneath it was a Lane table!\u201d says Myers. \u201cIt\u2019s a one-of-a-kind mid-century piece.\u201d<\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Ace Misiunas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n There are two guest bedrooms, each with a relatively small footprint, which meant Myers had to be selective with furniture. She chose a <\/span>Floyd platform bed<\/span><\/a> that comes with additional panels so it can easily transform into a twin, king or queen bed. Genius, right? \u201cIt\u2019s a bed that grows with you and it\u2019s not going to get chucked into a landfill because you no longer need it,\u201d says Myers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Ace Misiunas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n For a dash of whimsy, Myers added the <\/span>cactus hamper<\/span><\/a> from Pottery Barn Kids, which she uses to store extra blankets. And to liven up the stark white walls, she hung nature-themed artwork by some of her LA maker friends. \u201cIt makes me happy to surround myself with things that other creatives I respect have made \u2014 it\u2019s inspiring.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Ace Misiunas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The second bedroom features a cowhide rug layered over a vintage patchwork hemp rug and space-saving stools that serve as nightstands. The charcoal-stained <\/span>Anton bed<\/span><\/a> is actually part of a set (it pairs with the clean-lined dresser seen above), but Myers divided them into separate rooms to avoid a matchy-matchy look.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Ace Misiunas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The cabin\u2019s only bathroom proved to be the biggest obstacle of all. \u201cWe had to reconfigure the plumbing layout,\u201d says Myers. \u201cThe toilet was just like off to one side and there was a teeny-tiny shower.\u201d She piled on texture, exposing and polishing the concrete floor, even with its many patches. \u201cI think it\u2019s really cool! I want to see the history of what\u2019s happened to the house,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Ace Misiunas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n The tile on the shower walls is a <\/span>glazed brick<\/span><\/a> by Ann Sacks, intended to mimic the brick on the fireplace surround. On the floor, she opted for an <\/span>arrowhead-style mosaic<\/span><\/a> by the same manufacturer. \u201cWe used the remnant of the kitchen counter to build a vanity, and then added white Caesarstone on the sides,\u201d says Myers of her custom creation. To complete the space, she brought in an oval mirror and minimalist, matte black plumbing fixtures by <\/span>Delta<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Jessica Bodas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Minor updates were made to the exterior of the cabin. The grey trim was repainted with November Rain by Benjamin Moore, a \u201cbeige-y, sandy color,\u201d according to Myers. A few more cacti were planted in the drought-tolerant garden and a pair of Scandi-style chairs were set out to create a welcoming vibe.<\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Jessica Bodas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted a low-maintenance outdoor area,\u201d explains Myers, who splits her time between Los Angeles and the desert. A large wood deck was added off the back of the cabin, which Myers furnished with a dining table, fire pit, lounge chairs and a low-profile modular sofa covered in Sunbrella fabric. \u201cYou can reconfigure it according to what you want the setup to be,\u201d says Myers. \u201cAnd it\u2019s <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> nice to sit in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Photo:\u00a0Jessica Bodas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Myers went into this project with the intention of designing a vacation rental that felt different from everything else out there. \u201cI wasn\u2019t after the Pioneertown cowboy look,\u201d laughs Myers. She drew inspiration from design-forward hotels, focusing on solid furniture, quality bed linens and locally made art.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n