Two friends bought a rundown Joshua Tree property for $15,000 and turned it into an Airbnb complete with an open-air stargazing deck. See Inside.
Jamie Killin
- The Folly Joshua Tree is an off-grid, two structure space designed by Malek Alqadi.
- Alqadi and business partner Hillary Flur had prior success renting their Los Angeles apartments on Airbnb.
Architect Malek Alqadi and business partner Hillary Flur decided to create The Folly Joshua Tree after finding success renting their Los Angeles apartments on Airbnb. They spent about a year looking to buy property together, but couldn't afford anything in or near LA.
Then in 2016, Alqadi and Flur finally landed on 2.5 acres in Joshua Tree after one of Flur's colleagues told her they were buying property there. Alqadi and Flur purchased the off-grid, rundown homestead for $15,000 and got to work on renovating the property.
While they hired a contractor, Alqadi and Flur took out a $40,000 project loan from Home Depot (along with a personal loan) and did much of the construction and renovations themselves — many of the finishings and decor pieces are from the home improvement store.
This one-of-a-kind property took approximately a year to complete. It sleeps up to eight people and costs between $725 and $1,250 per night.
The Folly Joshua Tree is two structures. One building has a bedroom, kitchen, and living space. The other has two bedrooms, one with an open roof for stargazing.
The first structure has the original concrete foundation from a Joshua Tree homestead.
The second structure has an exterior ladder to climb up to the open-air bedroom.
The property is on 2.5 acres and surrounded by mountains that keep it secluded from the road.
It was designed for indoor-outdoor living with multiple outdoor seating areas so that guests can enjoy the scenery of Joshua Tree.
The second-story, open-air stargazing deck is visible from outside of the building.
The hosts decided to build the stargazing deck because of how many visitors want to experience the outdoors in Joshua Tree.
The deck is equipped with a bed, telescope, and seating area.
As part of the hosts' focus on sustainability, there are solar panels on the property which cost nearly $60,000.
They also added an electrical vehicle charging station.
The property is off-grid and not connected to privately or publicly managed utilities, and the hosts prioritized high-tech amenities like self-check in, WiFi, and TVs.
The living space in the main cabin has lots of windows that also provide views of the desert.
The indoor dining room has space for six guests.
The kitchen is equipped with a sink and stove.
On the other side, there's a refrigerator and a coffee maker.
The bathroom is in the main cabin.
It includes a toilet, a sink, and a shower with modern finishings.
The shower has a large window that offers views of cacti and the Joshua Tree desert.
Guests have to climb up a ladder to reach the loft bedroom.
The downstairs bedroom in the second cabin offers access to the patio area.
The patio features a fireplace with seating.
It also has a long dining table, which can seat large groups. The one-of-a-kind property, with its luxe feel and focus on sustainability, has become such a hit with guests that the hosts are planning to expand.
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