Step inside a ‘dream desert sanctuary’ tucked into Moab's rust-red landscape

This is the latest instalment of The Inside Story, Wallpaper’s series spotlighting intriguing, innovative and industry-leading interior design.

The fact that this home is situated in the heart of Utah's Moab desert presented both a challenge and an opportunity for Susannah Holmberg of Susannah Holmberg Studios. The interiors, designed for a family of seven, needed to respond to the region’s environmental extremes, which in turn became the driving force behind its creative direction.

‘The landscape is everything in this house. It is the backdrop, the wallpaper and so much of the experience,’ says the Holmberg, whose studio is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The interior draws from Moab’s red rock formations, sweeping canyons and natural arches, incorporating subtle geological references, while resisting a ‘trite interpretation of Southwestern design’. This approach is exemplified in details like a scalloped brick ceiling from Cle Tile (Holmberg’s favourite element in the home) and kitchen walls finished in Portola Paints’ plaster.

All of that said, Holmberg was careful not to let the space become overly sculptural – like the otherworldly contours of a desert landscape. ‘We found that the more modern forms really wanted the grounding of more traditional elements and antique silhouettes,’ she says. ‘We didn’t want the space to tip too austere.’

The home feels grounded and lived-in, with ‘woven, nubby, velvet and shearling’ textures punctuating a palette of ‘blues, rich reds and plums, browns, and pops of green’.

The furniture reflects a balance between old and new, with vintage finds from 1stDibs and Chairish sitting alongside contemporary pieces. Key pieces include a two-toned velvet sofa by Holmberg, an Amber Interiors credenza, and hardware from Nickey Kehoe. Lighting was sourced from Roll and Hill and Bourgeois Boheme Atelier, and soft finishes – like Mind the Gap wallpaper and a Zak and Fox fabric bench in the breakfast nook – exude warmth. ‘We wanted to give our clients a home where every item, every corner, every vignette is a discovery, a conversation,’ explains Holmberg.

The size of the home, and the number of its inhabitants, required a thoughtful approach to flow and shared versus private space. ‘Since moving to Utah from the East Coast, I’ve gotten used to designing for larger families. But it does require a different sense of scale,’ says the designer.

For instance, she had to narrow a walkway to make room for a more spacious banquette in the breakfast nook, and divided the main living area into two distinct zones to create multiple gathering spaces for the family.

The high desert climate – marked by extreme temperature swings, limited water and arid conditions – demanded durable, responsive building materials from the building's architects, local firm Architectural Squared. Tile floors were chosen to support temperature regulation (passive solar capabilities were more than a design ethos, they were personal – the husband of the family is the CEO of a renewable energy company).

Holmberg also opted for performance fabrics in hues that accommodated red dust, which ‘finds its way inside with disarming ease’. Exterior finishes were selected for their resilience against wind, sun and monsoons, while sunshades over windows help to control heat gain while preserving views.

This character-rich home stands as a tribute to the landscape – drawing inspiration from its vast vistas while respectfully adapting to the demands of its climate. Holmberg has created, she hopes, ‘the desert sanctuary of [her client’s] dreams’.