High school sweethearts Richard and Sara Combs left their full-time jobs in 2013 to pursue running their own design studio, and what began as their own retreat in Joshua Tree, California soon became the Joshua Tree House.
On road-tripping through the Southwest
Sara Combs: We’re both originally from Connecticut. After graduating from the Maryland Institute College of Art, we drove cross-country and explored the Southwest and its national parks. We felt so connected to the desert during that trip and began looking for a home for ourselves in Joshua Tree. The desert landscape brought such a sense of peace and calm, and a renewed sense of curiosity.
On becoming innkeepers
SC: We renovated three homes in Joshua Tree to offer as spaces for our guests to reflect, reset, and create, and then craved a larger-scale project. Rich’s family owned an inn in Connecticut from the late 1800s to 1986, so he grew up hearing stories about his family’s inn. While it never crossed our minds that this could be our future, it makes so much sense now looking back.
On finding inspiration for the Posada in Tucson, Arizona
SC: We looked to the surrounding landscape—the textures and colors of the towering Saguaro cacti during golden hour and the warm red Arizona soil. The Posada is nestled on about 40 acres of lush desert landscape, so being at the inn is a lovely way of getting to know the rural side of Tucson.
On expanding their brand
SC: Our ultimate dream is to recreate that first road trip that made us fall in love with the Southwest and have stops along the way all by the Joshua Tree House. So far, we have a two-stop road trip: Joshua Tree to Tucson.
This article originally appeared in HD’s June 2020 issue.
