Oasis: Modern Desert Homes Around the World

by iO Tillett Wright, Casey Dunn (Photographer)

Welcome to the desert. Welcome home. This visually stunning tour of the world’s most amazing desert homes will inspire you to create an oasis with “desert vibes” wherever you are. 

Creatives are drawn in by the extreme landscapes and limited resources of the desert; in fact, they’re inspired by them, and the homes they’ve built here prove the power of an oasis. From renovated Airstreams to sprawling, modern stucco, desert has become the new beachfront.

In  Oasis , artist iO Tillett Wright captures the best of this specific culture that emphasizes living simply, beautifully, and in connection with the earth. He highlights the homes that define this desert mindset, featuring the classics like Georgia O’Keefe’s in Abiquiu, New Mexico, alongside more modern homes such as Michael Barnard’s Solar House in Marfa, Texas. With Casey Dunn’s stunning photography,  Oasis  will transport you to these relaxing refuges, where you’ll learn what elements create the balance of intentionality, ease, style, and function that these homes exude.

Genres: Design, Coffee Table Books, Interior Design, Nonfiction, Architecture

288 pages, Hardcover

Published November 10, 2020

About the author

iO Tillett Wright (born September 2, 1985) is an American artist, director, photographer, writer, film maker, activist, and actor. Wright grew up in New York, and was a professional film and television actor for 18 years.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desert design porn🌵 - it’s very heavy on trendy on hipster Joshua Tree & Marfa, TX, and much less on other desert areas, though I did enjoy the looks at & discussions re S. America & Georgia O’Keefe’s NM Ghost Ranch. Just a palate cleanser with pictures 😁

[Darth Jader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good insightful book to many iconic desert homes around the southwestern US and around the world. I really appreciated all the amazing thoughtful photos that were included that really show why these homes are special. I also appreciated the author's very thoughtful, short discussions on why these houses are so special. However, some of these houses featured are not really home, more like hotels or complexes with many different types of homes. In both cases, I wish the author had chosen to show off more of these amazing locations in photos and words. In short, this is a very good book to show one the beauty of creating a home in the desert, but it does leave the reader wanting slightly more.

[Susan Liston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I hated this book, but it would be unfair to give it only one star, because it is perfectly nice. I got it from the library knowing full well I would hate it--I guess for a decorating book fanatic like myself this is the equivalent of a horror novel. (And I mean that for real, because most of these houses are scary....out in the middle of nowhere and seem to have no security of any sort. I wish they had shown some of them at night. Imagine living in a remote desert house that is 90% glass that doesn't have any sort of yard or fence, just open to the world, and any crazed, homicidal Javier Bardem sort of serial killer could get in with little effort. . All of the landscape is sort of brownish, and all of the interiors are also sort of brownish, with a little grayish thrown in. The only color anywhere seemed to be the occasional red or orange throw pillow or Indian blanket. And there are WAY too many cow skulls, just because you live in the desert, I see no reason to fill every room with cow skulls.

[Julie Shuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found a copy of this book for $15ish at a Home Goods (which i guarantee no one in this book has ever set foot in). The text oscillates between extremely bland and extremely pretentious-the photos are what makes this book. But I did learn a few things about architecture so I enjoyed this.

[Dave N'renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

some interesting homes in some out of the way places…good photography as well.

[Cody]

A perfectly fine way to spend an afternoon or two.