Mockingbird Villa: A Mid-Century Desert Retreat for Birdwatchers and Design Lovers

Just twenty minutes from Joshua Tree, down a quiet road in Morongo Valley, sits a one-bedroom retreat that feels far larger than its footprint. Surrounded by desert landscapes, migrating birds, and endless skies, Mockingbird Villa quietly pulls your attention back to the desert around you. Accordion doors, expansive windows, and thoughtfully framed sightlines blur the boundary between inside and out.

For Ryan Lombardini and Sean Lamar, the home represents more than a vacation rental. It marks a new chapter built around design, hospitality, and the belief that memorable spaces are created through intention rather than scale.

From Coachella Hosts to Short-Term Rental Owners

Their path into hosting began in Indio, California, where they occasionally rented their primary residence during Coachella and Stagecoach weekends. What started as a practical way to make use of a home during festival season gradually revealed something else: a passion for creating spaces people genuinely wanted to spend time in.

That passion took on new meaning when Ryan found himself at a professional crossroads following a layoff from Paramount's streaming division.

"I didn't just want another corporate job where someone could decide I was done," Sean says. "This time, we wanted to build something of our own."

Together, the couple began searching for a property close enough to remain hands-on while offering guests a true desert escape.

Discovering Mockingbird Villa in Morongo Valley

When Ryan and Sean discovered the property that would become Mockingbird Villa, they immediately recognized its potential.

"The bones were there," Ryan recalls. "The character was there. It just needed to be elevated."

The home already featured a beautifully crafted custom kitchen designed by local studio Fire on the Mesa. Vaulted ceilings, mid-century influences, and a distinctive exterior hinted at what the property could become.

Yet much of the interior felt disconnected.

"We felt like we were inheriting someone's thoughtful kitchen and everyone else's leftover furniture," Sean says.

Rather than reinventing the home, they focused on refining it. Pieces were removed. Materials were simplified. Furnishings were selected with intention. Every decision centered around creating a cohesive experience that felt warm, relaxed, and connected to the surrounding landscape.

"We took what we felt was neglected, and perfected it as our own," Ryan says.

The transformation wasn't about adding more—it was about editing thoughtfully and allowing the home's strongest qualities to shine.

Designing a Mid-Century Desert Retreat

The result is a home that feels intimate without feeling small.

At roughly 1,000 square feet, Mockingbird Villa uses openness, natural light, and thoughtful spatial design to create a surprising sense of volume. A large interior window connects the bedroom to the main living space, while accordion doors extend the living area into the desert beyond.

For Ryan and Sean, the goal was never to recreate someone's everyday home.

"When people travel, they don't want a replica of home," Ryan says. "They want a space that feels intentional—somewhere they'll remember."

The home's design draws inspiration from the architectural legacy of Palm Springs and the relaxed character of the high desert, balancing clean lines with warmth and comfort.

Why Birdwatchers Love Mockingbird Villa

The property's name comes naturally. Located on Mockingbird Lane, the home sits within one of Southern California's most important migratory bird corridors.

Nearby, the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve attracts birdwatchers from around the world. Guests frequently document their sightings in the home's journal, often recording dozens of species during a single stay.

"There was a guest who listed more than twenty bird species during her stay," Ryan says. "That's when we realized the birds were as much the hosts as we are."

The connection inspired subtle bird-inspired details throughout the home, creating a sense of place without becoming thematic.

For travelers seeking a birdwatching retreat near Joshua Tree, the surrounding landscape is as much a part of the experience as the home itself.

Capturing the Atmosphere: Photography by June Choi

For Ryan and Sean, photography wasn't simply about documenting the home. It was about communicating how it feels to be there.

Rather than pursuing traditional real-estate photography, they partnered with June Choi, a Southern California photographer known for creating imagery that feels warm, intimate, and connected to place. Her approach aligned perfectly with the vision behind Mockingbird Villa: a home where architecture, light, and landscape work together to create an experience.

"We weren't looking for listing photos," Ryan says. "We wanted images that felt like you'd already settled in with a cup of coffee."

Throughout the shoot, June focused on the details that often define a stay long before a guest arrives: morning light moving across the walls, the relationship between the interiors and the desert beyond, and the small moments that make a home feel lived in rather than staged.

The collaboration became even more personal when Ryan and Sean chose June to photograph their engagement. In many ways, the property has become part of their own story, and the imagery reflects that connection.

You can explore more of June's work at June Choi Photography.

A Different Approach to Joshua Tree Vacation Rentals

While many hosts focus on larger homes and bigger guest counts, Ryan and Sean embraced a different philosophy.

"We'd rather host two people who use every inch of the house than six who only touch half of it," Ryan says.

Features like the California king bed, wood-burning stove, outdoor living spaces, and open floor plan make the property especially appealing for couples exploring Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, and the surrounding desert communities.

For travelers seeking a one-bedroom vacation rental near Joshua Tree, Mockingbird Villa proves that thoughtful design often matters more than square footage.

Building Lomara Designs

Mockingbird Villa also became the foundation for Lomara Designs, Ryan and Sean's interior design and short-term rental consulting studio.

Drawing from their own experience, they help hosts create design-forward vacation rentals that feel cohesive, memorable, and rooted in place.

"You don't need a thirty-thousand-dollar design package to create a memorable stay," Ryan says. "You need a clear story, good bones, and someone who knows how to edit."

Today, they work with homeowners and short-term rental operators looking to transform promising properties into thoughtful guest experiences through design, styling, and hospitality strategy.

Stay at Mockingbird Villa

Located in Morongo Valley, California, Mockingbird Villa offers easy access to Joshua Tree National Park, Palm Springs, and the Big Morongo Canyon Preserve. The property is ideal for couples, birdwatchers, architecture lovers, and travelers seeking a design-forward desert escape. Summer Specials at Mockingbird Villa

Planning a summer escape? Guests who book directly through the owner can take advantage of two seasonal offers available through August 31.

• Stay 3 nights and receive 10% off your reservation.
• Stay 4 nights or longer and enjoy one complimentary night on us.

Discounts are automatically applied at checkout when booking through our direct booking website. Offers are available for stays between June 1 and August 31 and cannot be combined.

Explore Mockingbird Villa‍

Photography by June Choi Photography