A 1960s villa in Joshua Tree National Park in California was designed by Los Angeles studio Mini Inno, which added a Japanese teahouse and turned it into a vacation home. Villa Kuro sits on a hill in a 3.6-acre (1.4-hectare) arid landscape of cacti, shrubs, rocks of varying sizes and maca palms.
Mini Inno transformed the ranch-style building, built in 1966, to create Villa Kuro, a desert hideout. The studio's design contrasts the dark exterior of the house with the pale interior. Throughout the design, Mini Inno says it borrows from the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi to see beauty in imperfection.
Wood, ceramic and woven details were used to create an ancient and natural feel. "The design philosophy of Villa Kuro is inspired by nature and Wabi-sabi, the Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection and embracing it," the studio said. "Nothing is permanent, nothing is perfect. As you get older, you discover antiquity and personality, a beauty hidden in shiny new objects."
- Interiors: Mini Inno
- Photos: Stanley Yang
- Words: Gina
