Architect Malek Alqadi and business partner Hillary Flur decided to create The Folly Joshua Tree after finding success renting their Los Angeles apartments on Airbnb. They spent about a year looking to buy property together, but couldn't afford anything in or near LA.after one of Flur's colleagues told her they were buying property there. Alqadi and Flur purchased the off-grid, rundown homestead for $15,000 and got to work on renovating the property.
While they hired a contractor, Alqadi and Flur took out a $40,000 project loan from Home Depot and did much of the construction and renovations themselves — many of the finishings and decor pieces are from the home improvement store. This one-of-a-kind property took approximately a year to complete. It sleeps up to eight people and costs between $725 and $1,250 per night.
The Folly Joshua Tree is two structures. One building has a bedroom, kitchen, and living space. The other has two bedrooms, one with an open roof for stargazing.Johnny PrehnThe property is on 2.5 acres and surrounded by mountains that keep it secluded from the road.It was designed for indoor-outdoor living with multiple outdoor seating areas so that guests can enjoy the scenery of Joshua Tree.
The hosts decided to build the stargazing deck because of how many visitors want to experience the outdoors in Joshua Tree.As part of the hosts' focus on sustainability, there are solar panels on the property which cost nearly $60,000.The property is off-grid and not connected to privately or publicly managed utilities, and the hosts prioritized high-tech amenities like self-check in, WiFi, and TVs.The living space in the main cabin has lots of windows that also provide views of the desert.