Summary:
A-Z West House is the former home of internationally acclaimed artist Andrea Zittel, situated on a sprawling 80-acre compound (A-Z West) filled with site-specific artworks and direct access to Joshua Tree National Park. A-Z West is an evolving testing ground for living—a place in which spaces, objects, and acts of living all intertwine into a single ongoing investigation into what it means to exist and participate in our culture today.
The Space:
Recently Featured in Travel & Leisure Magazine, April 2023
Since the early 1990s, Andrea Zittel has used the arena of day-to-day life to create sculptures and living situations that challenge typical notions of “how to live.” Within her house, Andrea used herself as a self-proclaimed human guinea pig in countless artworks that tested the boundaries of living. The outcomes of these experiments can be found in the house’s various spaces, objects and systems, all of which have been prototyped and reworked countless times before being collectively preserved as a complete artwork. Nearly every inch of the house has been customized or touched by Zittel with purpose and consideration. At the end of 2021, Andrea moved off A-Z West and her house is now available for private stays through Homestead Modern.
HIGHLIGHTS
► 2 Spacious Bedrooms, 1 King, 1 Full
► 2 Full Bathrooms | Large bathtub
► Cold soaking tub (turned off in winter months, Nov-April)
► 80 acre compound | Exterior art installations
► Fully equipped kitchen with premium appliances & AZ containers
► 3 Patios | Outdoor shower
► Wood burning fireplaces, wood provided
► Living room encircled by books and art. No Television
► Pet friendly
► High-Speed Internet with designated workspace
► Featured in New York Times T Magazine and Travel & Leisure Magazine, April 2023
► Professionally hosted by Homestead Modern™
All Homestead Modern Homes include:
- Full-time, local support team
- Locally roasted coffee & pantry essentials
- Parachute towels & linens and Public Goods natural body products
- Concierge-like support to help you unplug, unwind, & engage with the High Desert
Learn more @HomesteadModern
Here Are a Few Kind Words From Our Previous Guests:
“It was one of the best places I have stayed when away from home. The place is surely inspirational and owner's creative spirit was everywhere to be seen and felt.” -Neeta
“The house & everything in and around it is a conscious exercise in intentionality, functionality & aesthetics. We came here looking for a peaceful retreat and left inspired & rejuvenated” -Victoria
“Incredibly unique property and memorable visit. Close to downtown Joshua Tree by car yet felt remote in a good way. Hiking right out the back door. The art of the home and its furnishings stimulated great conversation and reflection.” -Chris
High Desert Test Sites stewards AZ West and is a nonprofit arts institution that supports and fosters experimental artwork in the Joshua Tree region. All proceeds from A-Z West House rentals will support High Desert Test Sight's mission to create a comprehensive nonprofit art institution offering residencies, workshops, exhibitions, and community-engaged public arts programs.
--HOME DETAILS--
While at A-Z West House visitors will live in and with Andrea’s art as she originally intended and be immersed in the ethos and environment of A-Z West. Staff is often available to guide visitors through the site, sharing their extensive knowledge of Andrea’s artworks, as well as their deep understanding of our high desert region. Visitors will experience the Mojave Desert holistically, providing greater insight and fostering meaningful connections with this amazing place.
-OUTDOOR SPACE-
The three distinct outdoor areas are intentionally integrated into the natural desert landscape.
The front patio features sunken-style benches that look out onto Joshua Tree. These conversation pits are perfect for small gatherings or simply enjoying the sunset, positioned just right, facing west.
The enclosed yard on the east side of the house is outfitted with lounge furniture, a small soaking tub (turned off in winter months, Nov-April), outdoor bed and shower.
The third patio, between the house and the boulders, offers a propane fire pit, and seating under the shade of a palo verde tree, and stairs leading up the hill onto the trails behind Andrea’s house. The house is surrounded by native plants, inviting a range of daily wildlife visitors.
-BEDS & BATHS-
The main bedroom and bathroom floors are cohesively tiled with rectilinear forms echoed on the walls and other artworks in the house. These forms integrate the different spaces as well as contextualize the shapes of other furniture such as the paneled bed platform and custom light fixtures. This bedroom includes a queen bed, mini-split for AC/Heat and ample built-in closet space. The bathroom includes lime-based plaster walls, custom vanity, and shower with access to the enclosed backyard where the outdoor shower is.
The second bedroom and bath can easily serve as a live-work space with shared access to a large office. This bedroom, which was Andrea’s son’s room, contains a full-size bed, small custom-built desk and wardrobe. The office, which looks out onto the boulder-filled backyard, contains a desk space spanning the length of the room and the bath contains a large soaking tub. **The second bedroom is the only room without AC and therefore can be quite warm during the summer.
Premium parachute linens and Onsen towels are stocked throughout, and Public Goods body products are provided in each bathroom.
-KITCHEN & DINING-
The kitchen, with A-Z West’s emblematic tiles covering the floor and back wall, is equipped with basic appliances for day-to-day cooking and dining seating for four next to a second wood burning stove. In line with Andrea’s practice of using A-Z Containers for all eating and drinking functions, the kitchen includes a variety of these ceramic bowls created by hand in our studio. From the kitchen and dining area, one may view and access the open, boulder strewn backyard, with steps leading right onto a trail.
Noteworthy Items:
• Outdoor dining table beneath mature Palo Verde, set for four
• Baking sheets, pots, pans and tinfoil
• Blender, toaster & dishwasher
• Cooking oil, salt & pepper and a few spices as well
• Tea, locally roasted coffee, and sugar in the raw. This home includes a tea kettle and French press.
-LIVING-
The living room houses Linear Sequence, an artwork custom built for the space. This singular piece of furniture serves several different purposes from lounging with a book to conversing with another over tea. Each surface of the work reflects a different use and gently guides you from one use to another. The living room also houses a majority of Andrea’s personal book collection, records, record player, and other artworks such as Vertical Accumulators. Vertical Accumulators, which take the form of hand-molded bronze hooks, are used throughout the house but in this room serve a particular function of holding years’ worth of dried tea bags. These remnants of individual cups of tea, echo a time when Andrea experimented with living independently of conventional time, tracking her time idiosyncratically by marking moments of consumption like bags of tea and cans of beer. The living room also includes a wood burning stove and access to the enclosed backyard.
-ESSENTIALS-
---Parking is available for three vehicles and two additional day guests are allowed until 10pm.
---There is a small washer & dryer available, though you must ask us for access in advance
---A-Z West House is equipped with high speed WiFi and is heated and cooled by two mini-splits, which keep the cabin comfortable throughout the year. The house also contains an evaporative cooler and two wood-burning stoves, heating and air conditioning.
-ACTIVITIES & ATTRACTIONS-
Visitors come to the High Desert for its unique landscape, culture, and recreational opportunities, as well as for the weather - hot and dry summers and mild winters at our high altitude. Joshua Tree and the communities surrounding the Joshua Tree National Park include Flamingo Heights, Pioneertown, Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, and Landers. You’ll be close everything at Andrea Zittel's Joshua Tree Home. Some of our favorite options are…
–Joshua Tree National Park: 800,000 acres of mystical beauty - Joshua Tree National Park is one of the world’s most incredible natural desert treasures. Sweeping, grand in scale and populated by granite monoliths and voluptuous rock and boulder formations. This quiet land, conducive to meditation and roaming, was carved by extremes in climate - wind, rain and an ever-present, relentless sun. Diverse forms of plant life are found everywhere, but none as unique or prevalent as the park’s namesake: the Joshua tree, standing majestically across the vast topography.
–Pioneertown: Step back in time to thus rustic Old West-style village. Wander through the historic buildings, visit unique shops, catch a live music performance at Pappy & Harriets, and experience the Wild West charm.
–The Integratron: New age-y healing destination with a sound bath, originally designed by ufologist George Van Tassel with the goal of reversing the aging process.
Everything at your fingertips and more, when you book with us today!
Please contact us if you have any questions about the home and please note that staff on site is limited and not always available for tours. Please contact High Desert Test Sites in advance if you want to book an official tour.
We look forward to welcoming you!
Getting Around:
This is a remote location down dirt roads, so please take it slow. While a car is required to get around, a four wheel drive car is not, but note that roads will often have ruts, particularly after a rain.
Interaction with Guests:
Our property manager, Homestead Modern, is local and has staff available from 9am-9pm.
