Borrego Springs, surrounded on all sides by Anza-Borrego State Park, is where coastal Californians go to relax. Despite being in the literal middle of a near-barren desert, this lively community has a town center with boutiques and restaurants. The town is home to the Galleta Meadows Sculpture Park, an unusual outdoor metallic art exhibit, and is only minutes away from the Carrizo Badlands, a formidable natural landscape.

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The town is also the only certified dark sky community in California. “The stars out there are insane, and you forget where you are. You can see the Milky Way, planets, and meteor showers,” says homeowner Kristen Lewis. “It’s very spiritual.”

So, when it came to finding a desert house, one that would eventually be placed on Vrbo, Borrego Springs was definitely on Lewis's radar. For years, she had looked at homes in Joshua Tree but within the span of two years, prices went up from “$500k to $800K for a fixer upper. Homes there won’t appreciate like they do in Orange County so it would be an investment,” Lewis explains.

She also looked at properties in Ram’s Hill, which has one of the nation’s top golf courses, but it reminded her too much of home in Laguna Beach.

“Everything was perfect,” she says. “There’s a gate, an HOA, manicured lawns. It was too much. I wanted a haven.”

Shop the Look

After looking at a number of listings on Zillow, Lewis and her husband found the perfect spot: an incredibly well-kept 1961 midcentury modern on half of an acre with mountain views. A ranch-style with a desert rock fireplace, beamed ceiling, original bleached walnut paneling, and concrete floors, the interior needed little remodeling.

“The home was in perfect condition and it was so beautiful, we didn’t want to destroy the original details,” Lewis says. “At some point, we may need to remodel but the accessories give it a more modern vibe.”

The outside is where most of the work took place. In the front yard, she planted native desert cacti. In the backyard, Lewis transformed the dirt plot by adding a pool, jacuzzi, a swing on the olive tree, and moved the fire pit to create a spot for corn hole and other games. In the future, she plans to construct a cabana for extra shade during the arid summer months.

Lewis, who runs a home decor shop in Laguna Beach, The Garage Collective, is a self-described home enthusiast and had a lot of fun when it came time to decorate.

“I started buying things when we were in escrow,” she says. “I’d go to designer sales and flea markets and just stared buying things I love. We put it all together and it just worked. It’s pretty minimal but all of the artwork and accessories go together.”

Lewis closed on the house in June of 2019, finished the pool in September, and recently placed it on Vrbo. She expects to book up quickly for the spring months as Borrego Springs experiences an Ocotillo super bloom each March, a site to be seen.

“It’s a stunning array that is supposed to be spectacular,” she says.

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Related Reading: Take in Panoramic Desert Views in This Off-Grid Cabin

Project Credits:

Pool Contractor: Handel's Pool Service

Interior Design: The Garage Collective/@the.garage.collective

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This Rentable Midcentury Jewel Glitters in California’s Largest State Park

Borrego Springs Midcentury