Wender·Vista
High Desert
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileCalifornia · United States
northeast of Los Angeles, above the Cajon Pass

High Desert

— — where the Joshua trees keep watch.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“California's high Mojave, the desert that begins above the Cajon Pass and runs east through Victorville, Lancaster, and Yucca Valley toward the Colorado River. Elevations between two and four thousand feet; cold winter nights, hot summer afternoons, a sky that opens fully after dark. Joshua trees, creosote, granite boulders that rounded under their own weight. Interstate 15 climbs through it on its long way to Las Vegas.

from the studio
High Desert
— bring it home

High Desert, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about High Desert

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The High Desert is the elevated portion of California's Mojave, generally above 2,000 feet, distinguished from the Low Desert of the Coachella and Imperial valleys to the south. It runs east from the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains across the Antelope and Victor valleys to the Colorado River, taking in Palmdale, Lancaster, Victorville, Apple Valley, Twentynine Palms, and Yucca Valley. The Mojave covers about 47,000 square miles across four states; California holds the largest share, and the High Desert is its populated heart.

— the air

Elevation makes the High Desert colder than its low cousin. Summer highs run near 100 Fahrenheit, but winter lows drop below freezing, and snow falls a few times most winters at the higher edges. The air is thin and dry, with about five inches of rainfall a year. The sky reads sharper than at sea level; clear nights bring strong star visibility, and Joshua Tree National Park has been a certified International Dark Sky Park since 2017.

— the stone

The granite of Joshua Tree National Park is monzogranite, an 85-million-year-old intrusion uplifted and weathered into the rounded piles that climbers know as the Wonderland of Rocks. The Joshua tree itself, Yucca brevifolia, is not a true tree but a giant yucca; mature specimens reach 30 to 40 feet and the oldest stands run several hundred years. Joshua Tree was upgraded from monument to national park in 1994 and now covers 795,156 acres.

— where
United States · San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern, and Riverside counties
— within
Joshua Tree National Park
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
at the lake
Joshua Tree National Park
national park in the eastern High Desert
at the lake
Cajon Pass
western gateway from the LA basin
at the lake
Mojave National Preserve
preserve north of Interstate 40
at the lake
Edwards Air Force Base
Antelope Valley flight test centre
N
High Desert
Joshua Tree National Park
Cajon Pass
Mojave National Preserve
Edwards Air Force Base
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about High Desert — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The elevated portion of the Mojave Desert, generally above 2,000 feet, east and northeast of the Los Angeles basin. It includes Palmdale, Lancaster, Victorville, Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms.

Elevation. The High Desert sits between roughly 2,000 and 4,000 feet; the Low Desert of the Coachella and Imperial valleys lies near sea level. The High Desert is cooler, with occasional winter snow.

A giant yucca, Yucca brevifolia, native to the Mojave. It is not a true tree. Mature specimens reach 30 to 40 feet and can live several hundred years. Joshua Tree National Park protects the densest stands.

Elevation, low humidity, and distance from coastal city lights. Joshua Tree National Park has been a certified International Dark Sky Park since 2017, drawing astronomers and night photographers from across southern California.

Interstate 15 climbs over the Cajon Pass to Victorville; Highway 14 runs to Palmdale and Lancaster; Highway 62 leaves Interstate 10 at Whitewater and climbs to Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Residents of Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, and the Antelope Valley, plus climbers and regulars at the park, recognise the palette and the tree forms at once.

Desert-modern, Southwestern-modern, and warm-neutral interiors. The yucca-and-granite palette also suits Mountain-modern rooms and Boho-leaning living rooms with woven and leather textures.

Joshua Tree palettes have held steady in desert-modern and Boho rooms for several years, anchored by the silhouette of the tree and the warm granite tones the High Desert is known for.

A Large suits a console or mantel; a four-tile Mural opens the horizon across a sofa wall; a nine-tile Mural treats the desert as the room's anchor work, with the Joshua trees scaled to room presence.

Yes, in Dura Satin or Matte. Both finishes handle humidity well, and the warm desert palette reads beautifully against pale stone, concrete, or oak in a desert-modern bath.

A soft microfibre cloth and water. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, beneath a thin protective finish, so it will not lift with normal cleaning.

— if this one stayed with you

A few you might also love.

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