GO FOR BOLD
1. In the living room of the 560-square-foot primary house, the sconces are from Etsy, one of Leah Ring’s go-to sources. The custom sofa is upholstered in denim, and the cocktail table was made by Ring’s cousin.
2. The lavender dining table was fabricated by Objects for Objects. The bench cushion is upholstered in the same fabric as the curtains but in inverted colorways.
(FOR DETAILS, SEE RESOURCES)An exercise in letting go—that’s how the designer Leah Ring describes her Yucca Valley, California, home, a secondary residence she shares with her husband, the artist Adam de Boer. De Boer, in fact, proposed on the property, though one year and a renovation later, a rogue sandstorm blew through on the day of the nuptials, a fitting welcome to desert life if ever there was one.
Ring—whose six-year-old Los Angeles–based studio, Another Human, works across residential and commercial interiors and product design—finds ample inspiration off the beaten (and sometimes brambly) path. Having studied under ELLE DECOR A-List designer Frances Merrill of Reath Design, she was well equipped to spot the potential in the compound, an atypical if otherwise unremarkable arrangement of four buildings just outside Joshua Tree National Park.
“I didn’t want something that had been flipped,” she says. And flipped it was not: One of the buildings even lacked a foundation. Ring painted each a poppy hue and set about manifesting “the most extreme version” of her taste throughout, designing a dynamic weekend retreat where she could replenish her creative juices while still being a stone’s throw from the city. The result of the yearlong renovation happily leaves timidity, well, in the dust.
SWEAT THE DETAILS
3. Vibrant color is one of Another Human’s hallmarks. While the exterior of the primary residence is painted lavender—a nod to area sunsets—Ring’s favorite hue is an acidic shade of green. The lime green and aqua tile combination was one of her first design decisions for the property. It defines the kitchen, where the color scheme is echoed in the countertops by Cambria and is repeated in other tones in the primary bathroom. The Alno hardware coordinates with the backsplash, and the cabinet paint is Electric Slide by Benjamin Moore. The vase is by Bari Ziperstein; the Moroccan rug was sourced from Etsy.
“This house was an exercise in letting go.”
– Leah Ring
CONSIDER CUSTOM
6. “I almost wanted it to have David Lynchian motel vibes,” Ring says of the guesthouse bedroom, which features a custom-designed bed and headboard; the color-matched linen-blend bedspread has a magenta fringe. The nightstands are by Kartell.
“I almost wanted it to have Lynchian motel vibes.”
– Leah Ring
