Renting the West

BY RHONDA REINHART

Deep in Southern California’s Mojave Desert, on a 120-acre tract surrounded by mesas, L.A.-based residential designer Jeremy Levine pulled off an architectural feat so impressive that describing it required new terminology. Dubbed by Levine as “Cowboy Modernism,” the design style of the 1,200-square-foot house – built as a retreat for the designer and his family but available for short-term rental through Airbnb – is a contemporary take on the ranchland structures that populate the area. “I wanted to capture the Old West in a modern building,” Levine says. “I wanted to make the house feel like it belonged in the desert.” To balance the steel and glass of the modern eco-friendly abode, Levine used locally sourced reclaimed lumber inside and out, giving the home a weathered look that helps it blend into the landscape. He also designed the sloped, standing-seam metal roof to echo the silhouette of the mountains in the distance. Aside from its design, the property is notable, too, for its total solitude. “We’re in a canyon, so you don’t hear a thing, not even a distant car,” Levine says. “I can’t romanticize it enough. It’s magical.” Rates from $740 per night; hawkandmesa.com.