Rob Diaz, Anastasia Ratia and Sarah Brady incorporate rich surfaces and unique details into a ground-up Studio City home that seamlessly marries the old and the new.
Designed to be a unique and multipurpose space, the office features a round stone worktable by The Platform Experiment’s Sarah Brady and Concrete Collaborative, Brutalist chairs from Amsterdam Modern and a vintage Gerard van den Berg Corvette leather sofa. The sculptural lighting is by Apparatus Studio. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
As an architect, builder, designer and developer, Rob Diaz does it all. “My goal is to think outside the box and create beautiful homes that will stand the test of time with a modern and fresh approach,” he says. He certainly delivered on his latest project, a ground-up newly built home on a charming Studio City street. Featuring double A-frames with clean vertical walls, classic steel windows and doors, and old roofing sourced from France, the home is a beautifully balanced mix of old and new styles.
The living room has a modern European feel, and offers guests a variety of unique spaces to sit or lounge. “The vintage coffee table from Amsterdam Modern is the focal point of the room,” says Brady. “It draws you into the center and holds your attention.” PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
Diaz worked with architect and designer Anastasia Ratia to execute the design—minus the lighting selections and landscaping, which were done by Diaz and his team. Sarah Brady of The Platform Experiment was called in to handle furniture selection and styling.
“Rob and Anastasia discussed the concept of the house as being a modern approach to a French chateau,” says Brady. “This marriage of old and new styles was important to the overall design, and the rich surfaces and unique details throughout the house brought this concept to life.”
The kitchen features appliances from Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
Brady, who has worked with Diaz and Ratia multiple times before this project, says there was a mutual trust and understanding throughout the process. “The furnishings and decor selections came together collaboratively in order to make the space feel elevated and one of a kind,” she explains.“I wanted to create a unique experience in each space, and wanted each piece I brought in to feel significant, like the architecture and the materials. But I also wanted it to feel like those pieces had always been there.”
Brady used modern furniture and decor blended with vintage and antiques. “That helped to ground each room and bring character to the home,” she explains. “My goal was to have every room draw you in and tell a story.” She chose an overall natural, soft mineral color palette for the home—a nod to the plaster walls throughout—with pops of color via the art pieces and textiles. “We wanted the overall look to feel balanced, tonal and graceful,” Brady explains.
Warm touches of chestnut leather, textured soft textiles, aged oak and ancient terra cotta mingle in the living room. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
One of the first rooms she tackled was the living room, something that served as a jumping-off point for the rest of the home. “It’s grand without being stuffy, and functional, stylish and comfortable all at the same time,” says Diaz of the space, which features a vintage-inspired fireplace, lighting from Allied Maker, and a warm oak daybed and built-in cabinetry.
“The expansive windows, abundance of natural light, gorgeous light fixtures and lush landscaping were all magical elements of the space that helped guide my furnishing selections,” says Brady. “The heavy Brutalist raw oak coffee table from Amsterdam Modern was one of my favorite pieces in the space—the scale and the texture of this piece grounded all the elements in the room and linked to the architecture and theme of the house,” she says, noting that another favorite element is a vintage painting found at the Long Beach Antique Market. “As soon as we placed it over the fireplace, the room sang, all the design elements were in harmony and the space felt complete.”
Brady incorporated pops of green throughout the living room, including an armchair from DeKor Living and a vintage art piece found at the Long Beach Antique Market. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
Another special room is the office. “Our goal was to make this more of a unique and multipurpose space, like a study or a creative meeting room,” Brady explains. “The round stone worktable, which we designed with the help of Concrete Collaborative, was a great way to achieve this. The stunning Brutalist chairs are from Amsterdam Modern as well as the vintage Gerard van den Berg leather sofa. I was inspired by the leather and wood tones of the space, which carried into the art [by Berlin artist Meike Legler] as well.”
The exterior boasts natural limestone, old oak gates, and custom garage doors and shutters. “I truly believe that the exterior is the first chance you get to make an amazing first impression,” Diaz says. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
Featuring high-end appliances by Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove, the kitchen “was the perfect place to infuse luxury materials and add functionality and style,” says Diaz. “The soft woods add warmth while the high-end lighting adds an element of luxury.”
One of Brady’s favorite moments is on the landing, where a pair of Charles Dudouyt oak and paper-cord chairs from Amsterdam Modern reside. “There is so much character here yet we still managed to stay minimal and clean,” she says. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
Another standout is the primary suite. “The primary bedroom is like a haven,” says Brady of the space, that has barreled clay walls and ceilings, and large steel doors that open to an expansive deck and garden.
“We wanted to bring some moodiness into this area with a vintage rug, a sculptural Senufo table and lovely textural pillows in pale, soft colors,” she adds. “The bedroom is meant to feel elevated yet peaceful with some rich touches in the art, and elegant Evenfall Home textiles on the bed in a lovely olive green shade mixed with white.” Clean and fresh, the primary bathroom’s custom sinks, vanities and mirrors are accented with vintage fixtures, rugs and a beautiful Thonet cane bistro armchair from Amsterdam Modern.
The primary bathroom’s custom sinks, mirrors and cabinetry mix with vintage hardware and rugs. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
“When I step inside this home, I instantly feel an elevation of style and charm like no other space I’ve designed before,” says Brady. “Every design detail interests me and draws me in with the beautiful blend of new and old. There’s a peaceful feeling throughout the house that raises my spirit.” Adds Diaz, “This is a truly special home that will age well and stand the test of time.”
The primary bedroom is elevated and peaceful with rich touches throughout, such as the vintage gilded art piece above the bed. Bedding is from Evenfall Home and the rug is from Lulu and Georgia. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
TYPE
Single-family home
LOCATION
Studio City
ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN
Rob Diaz and Anastasia Ratia (diazalexanderstudio.com; anastasiaratia.com)
INTERIOR STYLING
Sarah Brady, The Platform Experiment (theplatformexperiment.com)
ART CURATION
Ali Silverstein (@alisilversteinstudio)
BUILDER
Diaz Alexander Studio (diazalexanderstudio.com)
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, CARPENTRY, ELECTRICAL WORK & PLUMBING
Rob Diaz Design (diazalexanderstudio.com)
A bit moodier than the rest of the house, the den features walls covered in deepgreen paint by Farrow & Ball and a large white sectional adorned with round custom pillows made from Zak Fox fabric. The African-inspired Tuareg rug is from Burke Decor; the stone and glass coffee table is vintage; and the two Ikea Poäng chairs—reupholstered in a subtle windowpane print—add an unexpected sophisticated touch. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
Similar to the interior spaces, the team wanted the outdoor areas to feel special. “The Palisades chaise loungers by Hay added that simple yet impactful moment out by the pool,” shares Brady. PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD GOODMAN
AMSTERDAM MODERN
Vintage furniture throughout (amsterdammodern.com)
CLAYWORKS
Paint throughout (clay-works.com)
DEKOR LIVING
Living room velvet chair (dekorliving.com)
EVERFALL HOME
Bedding throughout (everfallhome.com)
FARROW & BALL
Den paint (farrow-ball.com)
HAY
Poolside furniture (us.hay.com)
HD BUTTERCUP
Living room sofas; office rugs (hdbuttercup.com)
LULU AND GEORGIA
Living room and primary bedroom rugs (luluandgeorgia.com)
MADERA
Wood flooring throughout (maderasurfaces.com)
Photography by:
