Some houses draw attention; others disappear into their surroundings in the best way. The most thoughtfully designed homes feel like extensions of the landscape, enhancing what’s already there rather than imposing on it. Villa Paros is one of those rare spaces.
Tucked against the Bartlett Mountains, where the canyon walls soften Joshua Tree’s harshest winds, Villa Paros doesn’t just sit in the desert; it belongs to it. Developed by Ciel Homes, the residence is a love letter to grounded living, where Mediterranean architecture meets high-desert stillness.
“We’re not just designing homes—we’re focused on creating spaces that feel like they truly belong in the desert,” says Ciel Homes co-founder Andrew Lawlor. “Too often, we see homes that feel out of place. Too modern, too harsh against the landscape.”
The architectural language of Villa Paros pulls from old-world Greek island design: traditional white sand stucco, a hand-laid natural stone façade, and exposed wood joists. Yet the dwelling is realized through a minimalist, site-specific California lens.
Built in collaboration with Urbarc, the home’s footprint was shaped by the land itself. “We let the landscape guide us,” Krenzke confirms. “The vineyard, the layout of the house, even the drought-tolerant plants were all chosen to blend into the desert rather than compete with it.”
A 30-foot sliding glass door opens the back of the house entirely to the pool, spa, and the canyon beyond, creating a borderless relationship between indoors and out, an anchor feature of this Joshua Tree design home. Morning light spills across handmade travertine and reclaimed wood, grounding each moment in elemental beauty.
While the architecture offers structure, the interiors bring intimacy. Designed by Ciel Interiors, the home is layered with antique furnishings from Greece and Turkey, custom textiles, and materials that carry age and texture.
“Merve, my wife and founder of Ciel Interiors, brought a deep cultural perspective to the project,” explains Krenzke. “Her background in high-end residential design helped bring warmth, character, and a lived-in elegance to the space.”
The result is a Greek-inspired desert home where each piece has prominence. “Every detail, from the antique furnishings to the layout and materials, was hand-selected to create a sense of story, calm, and place,” he adds.
Unusual for the high desert, Villa Paros includes a petite vineyard, the only one of its kind in Joshua Tree. It punctuates the view just beyond the yoga lawn, its rows low and rhythmic against the sand.
“We wanted to create something long-lasting and meaningful,” Lawlor says. “And as far as we know, it’s the only vineyard in the high desert.”
The vineyard isn’t just aesthetic; it signals cultivation, intention, and seasonality. It’s a way for guests to feel the passage of time even in stillness.
As Ciel Homes continues to grow, its vision remains rooted in creating boutique vacation rentals in California that feel less like escapes and more like invitations to slow down, find peace, and share meaningful moments with family and friends amid the beauty of the desert.
Byline: Matthew Kayser
