Before & After: They Turned a ’70s Tract House Into Their Quirky Desert Dream Home

Interior designer Kelly Kai helps her partner, Catalina Monsalve, find and renovate her very first home on the outskirts of Joshua Tree.

Before & After: They Turned a ’70s Tract House Into Their Quirky Desert Dream Home

Interior designer Kelly Kai helps her partner, Catalina Monsalve, find and renovate her very first home on the outskirts of Joshua Tree.

The cactus sculpture is a vintage prop sourced from Jonathan Pessin. The pendant is a hand-painted rice paper lantern from WonderValley. The coffee table is handcrafted from solid cherry wood and is vintage from Vintage on Point in Los Angeles.

Like so many others during the pandemic, creative director Catalina Monsalve found herself at a turning point when it came to her living situation. "I had been living in New York for 17 years, and it had started to feel stagnant there for me," recalls Catalina. "I gave up my place, and when I came to visit Kelly in California, she showed me this house. It just felt right."

Kelly Kai (left) and Catalina Monsalve (right) relax in the Morongo Valley home they renovated together.

Catalina’s partner, interior designer Kelly Kai, spent years traveling between her home in Los Angeles and the desert around Palm Springs and Joshua Tree, where she transformed run-down properties into charming Airbnbs. "I felt drawn to build and design out there because I find the area so grounding and healing, and I wanted others to experience it," says Kelly. She convinced Catalina to see the potential in the 1970s track house they visited together in 2022. 

Before: Front Exterior

Catarina Monsalve's home in Morongo Valley, California, just outside of Joshua Tree, was built in the 1970s.

Catalina Monsalve’s home in Morongo Valley, California, just outside of Joshua Tree, was built in the 1970s. "It was a cookie cutter house—literally a blank canvas, as it had a total lack of character," says Catalina’s partner, interior designer Kelly Kai.

Courtesy Kelly Kai 

"The house was in budget and off market," recalls Kelly. "It really felt like it just fell into Catalina’s pocket at the time she was interested in buying her first home."

After: Front Exterior

The couple were attracted to the home's location on a corner lot in a sleepy area of Morongo Valley, along with its proximity to the mountain range behind the home.

The couple were attracted to the home’s location on a corner lot in a sleepy area of Morongo Valley, along with its proximity to the mountains.

Sterling Reed

See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: They Turned a ’70s Tract House Into Their Quirky Desert Dream Home
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