The inspiring book by James Burke and Molly Mandell featuring Johnny & Maida of / shed 

The desert—its sounds, smells, flora, fauna and the unique individuals who reside within it—is a landscape filled with equal parts mystery and beauty. Desert by Design provides a glimpse into the projects and lives of those who have chosen to call it home. Marfa, Texas-based Molly Mandell and James Burke traveled the world to tell stories that span continents, highlighting one-of-a-kind built environments everywhere from West Texas and Southern California to Mexico, Morocco, India and New Zealand.

They visited high desert and low desert, urban desert and rural desert, sandy desert and scrubby desert. They photographed everything from iconic properties inhabited by Yves Saint Laurent, César Manrique and Donald Judd to thoughtfully curated, centuries-old adobe structures and modern, groundbreaking ones. Yet, Desert by Design offers more than insight into architecture and interiors. It is a dynamic book that gives readers the opportunity to connect deeply with more than 30 other creatives—environmentalists, artists, architects and choreographers—and their values. With tips for cultivating the intimate and unpretentious environment that is synonymous with these arid landscapes, the book is a celebration of this unique climate, its spaces and above all, its resilient and innovative people.