Architectural Designer Rob Diaz on Fryman Estate, What Makes Good Design and Rethinking California Living

“Good design is good design, regardless of the location.”

The concept of 'California living' is often framed through a familiar set of design assumptions – an interpretation that architectural designer Rob Diaz is wary of. “The phrase “California living” is not something I truly understand,” he tells us from his namesake studio in Los Angeles. “Good design is good design, regardless of the location.”

Take, for instance, Fryman Estate, a 20,000-square-foot property in the heart of Hollywood’s Fryman Canyon, designed by his luxury real estate firm, Studio Rob Diaz. Featuring soaring A-frame volumes, wire-brushed cedar forms and bespoke limestone pavilions, the 11-bedroom home certainly honours the location’s suitability for indoor/outdoor living – but it doesn’t do so without a deeper design rationale.

“We are fortunate here in LA to have good weather, so the indoor/outdoor thing has run wild. That is not a bad thing but can be misunderstood,” Diaz explains. “The Fryman Estate is located in front of century-old pine and redwood trees – this is why the home is designed the way it is, with a grand central U-shape focused on that.”

In other words, Fryman Estate is shaped by the site and the towering old-growth redwoods that it’s built alongside. Featuring exterior materials that are natural in composition – copper and Corten planters, custom teak decking and vines sweeping across walling – the result is a meadow-like landscape that is inspired by homes found in the Swedish countryside and across Northern California.

Recently, Armadillo had the pleasure of partnering with Diaz to bring a selection of handcrafted rugs to the space. As part of the collaboration, Armadillo spoke to Diaz about the design – from first brief to final vision.

Photography by Gavin Carter

What first drew you to the property, and what vision anchored the design from the outset?

The site itself is quite grand, with very mature trees lining the upslope in the rear portion of the parcel. The width is very rare in Los Angeles at 300 feet – this allowed for a separation of volumes and a grand, central, meadow-like pool area.

You describe your work as “liveable art installations” rather than typical construction. What does that philosophy mean in practice with a project as substantial as Fryman Estate?

There is an interaction of materials, custom lighting installations and site lines of the land found in every single room. The interiors were meant to hug you a bit and not to distract from the land but to embrace it.

In what ways did the natural setting – particularly the surrounding redwoods – influence the spatial flow and material language?

The brief for this was the land itself. All exterior materials are natural in nature. Custom-milled, wire-brushed cedar in variable width, copper and Corten planters frame teak decks, limestone walling, and rear wellness pavilions were anchored and built into the upslope in the rear of the parcel. Vines sweeping on walling, meadow-like landscape and custom boulders help frame these areas. Special shot out to Orca Landscape for a shared vision and help in making this landscape magical.

Working with such a majestic landscape must present unique challenges. How did you ensure the architecture honours the existing environment rather than competes with it?

All exterior materials are imperfect just like landscape can be. Wood, copper, and Corten will patina the same way a meadow will take on a life of its own.

Your projects often balance rustic warmth with sculptural precision. Where does that duality appear most vividly in this home?

The Fryman Estate was designed and built to be perfectly symmetrical while the materials are completely imperfect. The best thing I can achieve in a new building or project is to have time built unknown. Classic A-frames, flat connections to break up a mass, is a big theme of mine and has been for some time.

Light plays an almost narrative role across the spaces. Describe the atmosphere you wanted to achieve through its movement and reflection.

All of our glass openings lend to hacienda construction with central courtyards and inlets of the land coming into space.

The estate is described as “effortless”, but we know creating that sense of ease is rarely easy. What were the thoughtful details or design decisions that helped achieve that quality?

Yes, effortless is never effortless but the feeling I wanted to have in this project was calming and not overly fussy. High-end lighting was installed in several areas of the home via “installations” … The cloud room features Apparatus Studios Cloud fixtures hung in many multiples with different drops giving you interaction with them. Low drops hang over end tables and massive volumes are suspended in clusters over grand areas of the room. This language is also present in both staircases, the bunk bed chalet room and the primary theatre room. Mixed rift-sawn white oak is present throughout the home, while custom linen window treatments and honed marble surfaces add to this calming Nordic theme.

Materiality is central to the home’s identity. Which textures or finishes became pivotal in defining its character?

The overall palette of this project was patina. The use of natural products were carefully selected both inside and out. Volumes on the home were broken up by the use of grand decking, Corten planters with meadow grass, and oversized copper downspouts from upper decks that spill into rock gardens where a hidden pump system takes the water away. The brief of this project was to create a home that wows you but also hugs you. The use of warm oak interior floating curved walls, pop-out tucked bunk beds, wood-cladded pavilions, and honed working counters make this an approachable and liveable home.

How did you approach layering pieces to create harmony without over-styling the interiors?

Well-made and comfortable furniture was selected. If it was not comfortable it did not make it inside. The selected pieces for each space were placed on a detailed architectural plan taking all built-ins, lighting, and site lines into account. I am not an overly fussy busy interior designer. I tend to let high-quality, well-scaled pieces do the talking. I usually find a piece to anchor the space and everything else is there to complement that. Restraint is something I believe we do well.

California living has such a distinct sensibility. What makes this expression of it feel fresh or particular to this moment, rather than relying on familiar tropes?

The phrase “California living” is not something I truly understand. Good design is good design, regardless of the location. We are fortunate here in LA to have good weather, so the indoor/outdoor thing has run wild. That is not a bad thing but can be misunderstood. The Fryman Estate is located in front of century-old pine and redwood trees – this is why the home is designed the way it is, with a grand central U-shape focused on that. Inspired by homes found in the Swedish countryside or even Northern California.

Looking back at the completed estate, what element or detail are you most proud of?

Having been with the home for a while now, the thing that makes me most happy about the project are the site lines of every room. Every room and space can enjoy the trees and skylines. Every room has intention and distinction of its own without being random or incohesive.

When someone steps inside for the first time, what do you hope they experience?

Calm, pleasantly surprised, playful and connected.