Interiors  ·  Spotlight

This West Texas Design Hotel Is the Ultimate Escape

December 6, 2022

Tucked away in the remote town of Terlingua, the new Willow House uses thoughtfully conceived architecture to underscore the area’s breathtaking natural beauty

The alluring beauty of the Chisos Mountains is nearly indescribable—its rugged arcs giving way to miles of desert terrain. There’s a certain kind of freedom that exists in far West Texas amid the ombré boulders and ocotillo, one that placates a sense of wanderlust. Terlingua, a self-governing, unincorporated town of approximately 300 full-time residents, is like something out of a sci-fi novel or perhaps a spaghetti Western film, with its menagerie of art galleries, motels, and trailer parks amid rolling, bentonite clay–mottled roads. A few miles from Big Bend National Park, it borders the Rio Grande River, with the mountains acting as the only separation between the U.S. and Mexico, yet this old mining town is often seen as the last of the Wild West, a place to run, a place to disconnect, and a place to marvel at the endless landscape.

The California native came to Texas five years ago by way of Dallas’s Southern Methodist University and quickly became inspired by the magic of Big Bend National Park. She fell in love and immediately began looking for land on which to build. “Terlingua is the closest access point to the national park, but there wasn’t anywhere cool to stay that took the landscape into account,” she recalls.

She ended up finding the perfect location, 200-plus acres of an old Terlinguan ranch with flat, buildable land with breathtaking views of the mountains. “I knew when I stepped on that ranch that I wanted every casita to have a view of the mountain range, and every bedroom and patio to perfectly frame that view,” she says, citing Georgia O’Keeffe as an influence when designing the property.

During the initial building stages, it was truly her respect for the land which drove all construction and design decisions. She chose natural concrete as “light-colored buildings pop to the eye,” in an effort to preserve the view for her neighbors. She also “re-homed” the ocotillo and rocks moved during construction.

Another important element for Werner was the weather. West Texas summers are notoriously brutal and often surpass 100 degrees with intense UV exposure, while at other times 70 or 80 mile-per-hour winds and sweeping desert storms are the norm. Thus, the darkly colored concrete casitas have been dutifully insulated and feature slits on the covered patios to allow for comfortable airflow. There are also built-in exterior benches so guests can enjoy a cocktail with friends or head off to sleep under the stars.

Inside, Werner payed homage to Terlingua’s natural beauty. (She even carried desert rocks around for a year in a backpack so she could reference their array of colors while buying many of the textiles, furniture, and accessories.) The main house, which stands at approximately 1,500 square feet, features a lush sunken pit, imported vintage rugs, an oversized communal dining table, and a painting, which Werner refers to as the matriarch, that she bought from artist Victor Delfin, based in Lima, Peru, on his 91st birthday. Off the main house are the 12 casitas, which range from 250 square feet to 600 square feet. They are comfortable and full of personality, with handcrafted alpaca throw blankets, vintage pieces from the Rose Bowl Flea Market and Green Front Furniture, built-in concrete bookshelves, and even paintings from Werner’s grandfather.

Over the years, Terlingua has become quite the getaway, and more and more people are packing up and heading west for a change of pace. Now, Willow House is there to fuel the souls of those who are called by the mountains. willowhouse.co

In the kitchen, a vintage Hans-Agne Jakobsson ceiling fixture hangs over an antique table and Tito Agnoli chairs.

A previous owner had installed a urinal, which gave Johnson reason to redo the entire master bathroom. She was particular about what color she wanted the cabinets to be painted: “a dusty-rose camel.” And when Pierce & Ward couldn’t find a swatch that captured that hue, she provided a beloved The Row sweater to duplicate. Her other two requirements for the master bath were a big tub and two separate vanities. “Candle, book, and a salt bath, every night I can,” she says of the former. “Also, I think the key to a healthy relationship is double sinks.”

Johnson says her roots are still growing. Whether she’s away on a film set or spending time in Malibu, where Martin has a home, she’s thinking about her tree house. “With my job and the velocity at which my schedule can change, it’s important for me to have a place to go to and it be mine,” she says. “Psychologically, I’m moored somewhere. This place is my anchor.”

This article is originally available at www.architecturaldigest.com