Susannah Holmberg Reimagines Desert Living in Moab Residence

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When designer Susannah Holmberg approached the Juniper Hill home for a family of seven, she confronted a challenge familiar to those working in regions of extraordinary natural beauty – a looming temptation to create a themed environment. Yet as Holmberg explains, “We tend to think that southwestern design has become a watered down interpretation of Native American symbolism and Americanized versions of Spanish influence. Our preference was to avoid both and create something entirely new.”

The scalloped brick ceiling in the kitchen of this Moab, Utah residence reveals itself through layers. First, one will notice the warm terracotta hue – an echo of the red rock formations visible through nearly every window. After, the rhythmic pattern of curves comes into focus, creating a rippling effect across the space. This ceiling is not simply decorative – it embodies the central tension that animates the entire 5,000-square-foot home; how to create a dialogue between contemporary domestic life and an ancient landscape.

Modern kitchen with dark cabinets and pendant lights, large windows and doors open to a patio with a pool and scenic view of red rock desert cliffs.

A wooden dining table with four chairs sits next to a built-in bench, with a large vase of green flowers and two cups; wallpaper with an animal motif decorates the walls.

This rejection of established regional tropes opened space for a more nuanced conversation with place. Rather than mimicking the landscape directly, Holmberg absorbed its chromatic influence into a palette that combines maroons, rich browns, deep blues, and greens. The resulting interior presents primary colors that feel simultaneously bold and appropriate.

A dining nook with a curved blue upholstered bench, wooden table and chairs, green patterned wallpaper, a paper lantern light, and a vase with branches.

A dining room with a wooden table, six chairs, a modern white chandelier, stone walls, patterned curtains, and a vase of flowers, viewed through an arched doorway.

The material choices throughout the residence reveal a deep engagement with both regional climate conditions and contemporary sustainable design practices. Tile floors feature prominently, not as mere decorative elements but as functional components in a passive solar strategy suited to Moab’s extreme temperature variations.

A dining room with a wooden table and six chairs, a modern chandelier, a sideboard with decor, framed art, and patterned curtains, featuring neutral and earthy tones.

A living room with a brown curved sofa, floral pillow, built-in shelves, and a view into a dining area with a wooden table, chairs, modern chandelier, and framed artwork.

Perhaps most telling is how Holmberg describes the sensory experience of the site itself: “The landscape has a total hush to it. It is a plot of land that feels so ancient and deserving of respect, that you cannot be in the house, or on the land, without sensing that deep, ancient reverence.” This quality of hushed reverence permeates the design decisions, from the dining room chandelier from Bourgeois Boheme Atelier that evokes a fossil formation to the vintage pieces carefully sourced from 1stDibs and Chairish that bring historical depth to the contemporary space.

A living room with brown curved sofas, a round wooden coffee table, large windows with a desert rock view, and exposed wooden ceiling beams.

A bedroom with beige walls, wooden ceiling beams, a bed with dark bedding, a chest of drawers, a chair, a potted plant, and wall art. Warm natural light enters the room.

Minimalist bedroom with exposed wooden ceiling beams, neutral-toned walls, a low bed, potted plants, open book on a side table, and view into an adjacent room with a wooden bench.

A bathroom vanity with a marble countertop, dual sinks, wooden drawers, two mirrors, a dark vase with branches, and warm brown walls.

A modern building with large windows and wooden accents stands in a rocky desert landscape with reddish sandstone hills in the background.

Two wicker chairs with cushions and a small table sit by a swimming pool, overlooking a desert landscape with hills and a cloudy sky in the background.

For more information on Susannah Holmberg, please visit susannahholmberg.com.

Photography by Yoshihiro Makino, and styling by Jen Paul.

Leo Lei translates his passion for minimalism into his daily-updated blog Leibal. In addition, you can find uniquely designed minimalist objects and furniture at the Leibal Store.





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