Someone spent 20 years rebuilding a desert ruin in Terlingua and the result is wild
If you have ever dreamed of packing up and disappearing into the West Texas desert, this compound near Big Bend is going to make you want to sell your current life immediately.
The owner spent two decades taking historic stone ruins and turning them into a collection of rental houses and a main home.
Out in the middle of nowhere
You drive up a gravel fork in the road and the main house sits right on the hillside.
To give you an idea of what they started with, here is one of the original ruins before the massive rebuilding effort.
The main stone house
The main building is constructed from local stone and blends right into the dry landscape.
These tiled steps leading up to the porch are a great detail against the rough stone walls.
Porch life is the real life here
Because it is the desert, you spend most of your time outside, and this deep covered porch has plenty of space for dining.
There is also a lounge area out here with a green couch and views of the surrounding flats.
Inside the main house
They used heavily carved wooden pillars to frame the transitions between rooms inside.
The living room features a fireplace with a massive plaster chimney painted a warm mustard color.
The kitchen setup
The kitchen is open and rustic, with Saltillo tile floors and a big wood island.
It flows right into a long wooden dining table set next to a window.
Sleeping and bathing
This bedroom has exposed stone walls that make it feel like a cozy cave.
The bathtub is practically a greenhouse, surrounded by climbing vines and potted plants.
The rental cabins
The cool part is that this is actually a compound with multiple separate rental units.
One of the rentals has a bright yellow exterior with a daybed built right onto the porch.
Inside that unit, they lined the kitchen windows with blue glass bottles that catch the light.
The bedroom opens directly onto a private patio overlooking the flats.
Another cabin features a small fireplace and a ceiling lined with thatch.
Quirky desert details
There is a separate hexagonal structure that serves as a bath house.
They also built several outdoor stargazing beds under wooden pergolas.
This rental cabin features an adobe entry with thick twisted wood pillars.
The outdoor spaces
Stone paths wind around the property, passing colorful hand-painted murals.
You can sit by this outdoor fireplace and watch the clouds roll in over the mountains.
And finally, this is the view of the Chisos Mountains you get to look at every single day.
