Superior Living in the Southern California Desert
The newly opened Saddlewood at Joshua Ranch in Northern Los Angeles County brings a blend of coastal design expertise to the inland city of Palmdale. City Ventures is continuing their development on its second Joshua Ranch gated community that began in November of 2024 and recently had its grand opening on June 28, 2025.
Situated in the growing Antelope Valley, Saddlewood homes enjoy close proximity to aerospace industry and Department of Defense jobs flourishing in the outskirts of Los Angeles. Delivering the edge of design to a typically overlooked region allowed City Ventures to cement its Joshua Ranch community as a cornerstone of luxury living in the area. It is a feat attributed to the home developer’s expertise in repositioning underutilized real estate into residential housing.
The master-planned community of Joshua Ranch offers elevated views and accessible hiking trails. A testament to effective planning by collaborating with William Hezmalhalch Architects, Saddlewood redefines desert living with homes designed around a centralized indoor-outdoor experience reflected by floor plans that offer open, yet private connection outside.
As a respite from the noise and traffic of the city, Saddlewood at Joshua Ranch is a desert suburb targeting move-up buyers with three exterior elevations for each home design. With three design plans ranging from $699,990-$800,000, a variety of homebuyers will benefit from the different options between 2,554 to 3,152 square feet whether looking to downsize from a large estate or seeking an attainable multi-generational lifestyle in a desired neighborhood.
Saddlewood homes integrate the much-envied Southern California indoor-outdoor lifestyle with California rooms that embrace the desert’s sunny days and warm summer evenings. Situated on a growing community, the infill land is being developed by City Ventures just minutes from thriving arts and entertainment, historic parks and a multicultural food scene.
With optimized HVAC systems and WiFi-enabled climate control air conditioning installed, energy-efficient comfort is made possible through all-electric construction designed to ensure high-performance appliances guarantee energy savings without sacrificing productive output. Dual-glazed Milgard windows keep temperatures stable while lowering energy costs because of their ultraviolet coating for better insulation.
Incorporating green technology into every home happens to be a hallmark of City Ventures, and Saddlewood residences are no exception. Solar power, high-efficiency LED lighting, pre-wired EV charging connectivity and programmable learning thermostats are just some of the smart features that make each Saddlewood home sustainable and long-lasting.
“We’ve made a concerted effort to learn from every project we’ve developed, all to understand how adding soul can advance sustainability,” says City Ventures Co-Chairman Mark Buckland. Developing in both northern and southern regions of the state, City Ventures learns from each project and continuously innovates with careful attention to the location they are developing.
Built-in water filtration and water-wise plumbing systems further emphasize the effortless convenience at Joshua Ranch, demonstrating mindfulness of California’s drought while meeting demand for the state’s most precious resource. Additionally, materials such as paint-stains with zero or low concentrations of VOCs were deliberately chosen to further improve health quality in the home and minimize need for maintenance or renovations.
Utilizing chef-inspired kitchen designs with a white quartz island that looms over an open floor plan offers easy visibility and connection to entertainment from every corner of the great room. With thoughtful décor from the experienced Irvine-based interior design group, AI Design, each Saddlewood plan is creatively furnished in a way that reflects contemporary living in Southern California.
Without being constrained to a tired minimalism, the interior design captures touches of color without dimming down the lighting. The fixtures are intentional in their position to complement the natural lighting from outside coming in from the California room and backyard. A modern take on wood trims brings a contemporary earthy design inside the house while staying true to timeless tradition.
By blending coastal elements with a classic desert ranch flair, each bedroom appears extravagantly oversized, making living at Joshua Ranch feel like staying at a vacation. The spa-like bathrooms produce a relaxing atmosphere akin to that of a resort. Cozy dens and elevated lofts provide ample space for entertainment and enjoyment, further adding to the destination-retreat vibe experienced by Saddlewood residents.
The upgraded two-story design plan with a first-floor guest bedroom and ensuite bath is a desirable option as private guest spaces are becoming exceedingly popular. As do the two-to-three car garages that create additional space and storage opportunities for convenient access. Options for elegant home offices and formal dining rooms are available customizations that further enhance living at Joshua Ranch. Fireplaces in the great room and California room increase personalization for functional style during cold winter nights.
An understanding of the local geography is prevalent in Saddlewood exteriors, featuring a range of desert architectural choices from warm Spanish-style roof tiles to inviting rustic concrete walls matching the surroundings. Whether bringing the Southern California coast to the desert or building upon the established Western ranch style, Joshua Ranch provides inspired living in harmony with the local environment.
Exhibiting more than just curb appeal from the front, Saddlewood homes boast captivating views as the backyard faces the boundless desert skyline when the sun ducks toward the horizon. Planned for a total of 88 homes with six already fully built, this development epitomizes the City Ventures philosophy of “Building It Forward” by turning Joshua Ranch into a high-demand suburban location.
City Ventures has control of over 10,000 lots throughout California and currently has more than 25 active projects in the San Francisco Bay Area. Key insight into not just home building, but geographic development is what makes Saddlewood at Joshua Ranch special.
This is a feature from our September Issue
