West of Morocco

Touches of Tibet, Morocco and the Old West pervade this retreat in the Town of Yucca Valley, an unincorporated community about 25 miles northwest of Palm Springs.

Eric Mueller, a furniture designer-manufacturer with such clients as Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn, designed and built the hilltop home. It’s on 40 acres near Pioneer Town, a movie set built in the ‘40s, where about 200 westerns were filmed.

The home, where Mueller has lived for five years, sits at the end of a private 2-mile drive, originally carved out as a stagecoach road for the movies.

The house, at an elevation of 4,000-plus feet, looks beyond boulder gardens and Joshua trees flanking the road. From every side of the house there are commanding views of the mountains and canyons.

“We have 360-degree views with no human beings,” Mueller said, “and some of the views are 20 miles long.”

Outside his house, there is a three-room hut that Mueller refers to as his hermitage. Like many buildings in Tibet and other countries, it’s made of stacked rock.

A waterfall provides soothing sounds to meditate by. A boulder-lined watering hole attracts roadrunners and foxes. There is a patio for dining, reading or gazing at a canyon.

Inside the house, which has front-porch columns cut in a pointed Tibetan style, there are hand-painted ceilings and walls; hewn-wood beams; lodge poles; and colorful rugs. The front door was made of reclaimed wood from India. The fireplace mantle was constructed with stained-glass chips and broken ceramics. Mueller created another mosaic he calls “Our Lady of Pioneer Town.”

About this house: This is the third home Mueller has built in the area in 25 years. He and his wife, Carolyn, are ready to start on another house.

He wanted this home to look 100 years old. Yet, he describes himself as a 21st century man -- he built in air-conditioning and a spa.

Asking price: $3.4 million, including furnishings except for a few personal items.

Size: There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms in 3,360 square feet.

Features: The home also has an office, an art studio and a Moroccan-style spa tub under a domed ceiling.

Where: Yucca Valley

Listing agent: Mikki Wood, Dyson & Dyson, Indian Wells, (760) 779-5353.

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To submit a candidate for consideration for Home of the Week, please send color images on a CD and a brief description of the house, including what makes the property unusual, to Ruth Ryon, Real Estate section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Questions can be sent to [email protected].