Most may never have heard of Pipes Canyon, a butte-studded piece of high desert north of Joshua Tree National Park. But for Paul Goff and Tony Angelotti, Santa Monica residents who built a second home here, Pipes Canyon is more than an escape from the city. It’s a second life, a place where they sit down with friends for holiday dinners under the desert stars.
And today: The expanded house and garden can accommodate gatherings large or small. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Inside, the house is decorated in a Western style that incorporates Arts and Crafts furniture, Mexican Saltillo tile floors and cowboy paintings. Pictured here: A painting by local artist James Colt hangs above a cowboy silhouette lamp. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A wide view of the living room, which has Mission furniture and more of Colt’s paintings. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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In this photo taken from the living room, Angelotti kicks back in a sitting room lined with the sliding glass doors that he and Goff added. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Mission meets Arts and Crafts, with a Western hide to boot. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Also part of the mix: a suzani-style lampshade in a guest room. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The outdoor fireplace and long dining table are the heart of gatherings with friends. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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A carved wood bench is used as a day bed. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The raised, level patio areas are surrounded by desert flora. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The outer wall of the garden, with a mission depicted in tile. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Under the warm glow of the lights, artists and other ex-urbanites gather for a party. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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Though Goff and Angelotti maintain strong ties to the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, they relish entertaining in a more down-home fashion at their high desert ranch. “We live in a glass high-rise in Santa Monica,” Goff said. “We wanted a place where we could barbecue and just hang out.”
In Joshua Tree: Vintage midcentury style finds a home in the high desert
More profiles: Southern California homes and gardens (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)