Tucked into a boulder- strewn canyon, this historic property has been reimagined as a restful retreat, with a nod to mid century swingin’ styles.
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By Kathryn Drury Wagner I Photography by Chad Mellon
If you’ve ever been to Joshua Tree National Park, you know how magical it feels. The landscape is filled with surreal boulder formations. Sentient- seeming Joshua trees outstretch their spiky arms toward a night sky filled with stars. After exploring the surrounds of Joshua Tree, Bob Bogard and Michael von Wittenau were hooked on the tranquility of the High Desert. They were looking for a retreat that was near their primary residence in Palm Springs, and when they came across this 5- acre ranch in Pioneertown— with historic structures, sweeping views of natural rock and an intriguing pedigree— they knew it was the perfect fit.
MID CENTURY MAKEOVER
Bob and Michael are married and have been a couple for 26 years. Michael is in the hospitality industry, and Bob is the director of public relations at O'Bayley Communications, which handles the marketing for Modernism Week— a favorite destination among Atomic Ranch readers. After purchasing the property in 2019, the couple named it Mod West Ranch and set about a careful makeover that would both preserve the historic roots and also better highlight its mid century legacy.
The property has three main structures, including a 1965- built two- bedroom, one- bath home that they call The Cottage; an original 1946 homestead cabin, now renamed The Bunny Lounge and redone with a groovy ski- lodge vibe; and The Studio, a large, open- air art studio that is ideal for indoor/ outdoor recreation.
“The ranch had originally been owned by a female doctor in the 1940s, then by a Hollywood script writer, and most recently, a guitarist from a famous 1980s rock band,” says Bob. Going back even further in time, the land had been used by indigenous peoples, who left signs such as grinding holes in the stone they used to prepare food.
As the ranch’s new stewards, Bob and Michael carted out seven truckloads of debris from various eras. “We could see the potential,” Bob says. “It wasn’t so much construction as editing.” The property’s makeover took just about a year. “We wanted to respect the original architecture as much as possible,” Michael explains. “The buildings had such nice bones.” They also sourced mid century vintage furnishings, mainly found in Palm Springs and Long Beach, California.
“We could see the potential … It wasn’t so much construction as editing.”— Bob Bogard
DESERT LIGHT
The couple loves visiting the home for their own retreats, and also rents it out for others to enjoy. “There’s a solemnness, a sacredness here,” says Bob. “There’s a deep stillness.”
“It’s so peaceful and quiet that it actually took me awhile to adapt to that,” says Michael. “Now once I’m here, I immediately relax and appreciate the natural beauty. We sit in the hot tub and look at the rock formations. They look different every time of day, due to the light changing. I think that’s why a lot of musicians and creative types live in the High Desert. There’s just so much inspiration.”
IT WAS CHALLENGING TO SCRAMBLE OVER THE BOULDERS UP TO THE BUNNY CABIN— WHICH PROBABLY ORIGINALLY HAD A WOODEN STAIRCASE LEADING UP TO IT— SO THE COUPLE HIRED A COMPANY TO CREATE A MINIMALIST STAIRCASE OUT OF POURED CEMENT.
ABOVE: HAMMOCKS ARE LINED UP, CALLING FOR YOU TO REST FOR A WHILE.
BELOW: A MALM FIREPLACE KEEPS THIS CONVERSATION AREA COZY ON COLD NIGHTS. JOSHUA THE DOG KEEPS AN EYE ON THE AREA, WHICH INCLUDES A BAR AND A RACK OF LOCALLY MADE PONCHOS.
BELOW LEFT: IN THE MAIN COTTAGE’S MASTER BEDROOM, A WILD BULL OF A DRESSER REFUSES TO BE TAMED. IT, AND THE CHAIR, WERE BOTH ON THE PROPERTY WHEN THEY BOUGHT IT. THE RUG IS A NAVAJO SADDLE BLANKET, CIRCA 1880.
BELOW RIGHT: THE MALM FIREPLACE— A BRAND THAT DATES TO 1960— IS ONE OF THREE ON THE PROPERTY. THIS ONE WAS SOURCED FROM URBAN AMERICA IN LONG BEACH. THE COUPLE OUTFITTED ALL THE FIREPLACES WITH PROPANE FOR SAFETY, TO AVOID ANY SPARKS IN THE ARID CLIMATE. UNDERNEATH THE RECORD PLAYER, A VINTAGE SAMSONITE TRAIN CASE HOLDS ALBUMS.
OPPOSITE: DISCOVERED AT THE LONG BEACH ANTIQUE MARKET,
THE TELEVISION CABINET IS FROM A TV SET CALLED AN RCA VICTOR PROGRAMMER. “THEY WERE ONLY MADE FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS,” SAYS BOB. “YOU WOULD SET IT TO SWITCH TO A DIFFERENT CHANNEL AT A SET TIME.” THIS WAS LONG BEFORE THE POWER OF REMOTE CONTROL TVs. THE GLASSWARE IS 1960s MID CENTURY EMPOLI ITALIAN BUBBLE GLASS AND GENIE BOTTLE DECANTERS. BEHIND THE TV, BREEZE BLOCKS SALVAGED FROM A PALM SPRINGS MID CENTURY HOME SEPARATE THE EAT- IN KITCHEN FROM THE LOUNGE AREA.
TOP RIGHT: THE FAB FLORAL ICE BUCKET IS FROM THE VINTAGE MARKET IN PALM SPRINGS, WHILE THE RESTORED ( AND GROOVY) BAR WAS A FIND FROM PALM SPRINGS ANTIQUE GALLERIES.
RIGHT: THE HAMMOCK GARDEN IS PLACED SO IT’S NOT IN FULL SUN, BUT YOU CAN STILL SEE THE STARS FROM YOUR PERCH AT NIGHT.
FUN FACT: THAT’S A JOSHUA TREE THE PORCH WAS BUILT AROUND. HOWEVER, AS OF FALL 2020, THE PLANT SPECIES IS PROTECTED UNDER THE CALIFORNIA ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT, SO IF YOU WERE BUILDING TODAY, YOU’D NEED TO GIVE MORE CLEARANCE. THE ICONIC TREES NEED OUR PROTECTION; THEY LIVE 150 YEARS ON AVERAGE AND HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED BY CLIMATE CHANGE AND LOSS OF HABITAT.
OPPOSITE: THE VIEW INTO THE MAIN HOUSE’S WELL- STOCKED KITCHEN.
TOP LEFT: THE SECOND BEDROOM IN THE MAIN COTTAGE HAS A GREAT VIEW OF THE PROPERTY’S JOSHUA TREES.
THE LARGE TABLE WAS CUSTOM MADE FROM A WOODEN BLIND FROM A BELGIAN STRUCTURE. MOUNTED TO THE WALL, A FORMER GRAPE- DRYING RACK USED IN WINEMAKING NOW IS PLANTED WITH SUCCULENTS.
TOP RIGHT: AN AL FRESCO BATHROOM BEHIND THE BUNNY LOUNGE ALLOWS ONE TO BATHE, SHAVE AND EVEN, WELL, FLUSH, OUTDOORS. THE STRUCTURE ABUTS BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT LANDS, SO THERE’S NO ONE AROUND TO SEE.
TOP LEFT: THE BREEZE COMES THROUGH THE DECK SURROUNDING THE BUNNY LOUNGE. THE PROPERTY IS IN AN INTERESTING MICRO- CLIMATE, AND WHILE TEMPERATURES ARE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THOSE IN PALM SPRINGS, THEY TEND TO RANGE ABOUT 10 DEGREES COOLER. IT CAN GET UP TO 95 DEGREES IN THE SUMMER, BUT IN THE WINTER, IT CAN BE SNOWY. ONE RECENT WINTER DAY SAW 18 INCHES OF SNOW COMING DOWN.
RIGHT: MOD WEST RANCH’S OWNERS, MICHAEL VON WITTENAU ( LEFT) AND BOB BOGARD, WITH THEIR POOCH JOSHUA.