Rob Diaz uses all natural materials to build house in Los Angeles
Plasterwork influenced by Mallorcan villas lines the walls of this home in Los Angeles that designer Rob Diaz custom built himself.
The brief for the four-bedroom, five-bathroom property in Studio City "was to design a home using all natural materials", according to Diaz, who has developed several single-family homes across the city.
In the hacienda-style dwelling, the designer's aim was to bring the outdoors in through the use of earth-toned surfaces and decor, and light from large windows.
The majority of the walls and ceilings inside the house are lined in Clayworks plaster, which Diaz explained is "very inspired by Mallorca and the Gold Coast of Australia".
These textured neutral surfaces provide a backdrop for statement furniture, lighting and artwork that add colour and personality.
In the living room, which has a symmetrical layout based on an axis through the central limestone fireplace, pieces like an emerald glass chain-link chandelier from Trueing and a pair of tan leather-bound chairs stand out.
A similarly sculptural light fixture runs floor to ceiling in one of the bedrooms, where dark green fabric covers the headboard and a chaise lounge to complement the other earthy hues.
"I have always been a lighting person, and we used no recessed lights in this home," Diaz told Dezeen. "They are all hand chosen and speak with one another in each space."
For a cosy den space, the neutral-toned plaster was swapped for a deep blue variation that contrasts the warm woodwork of the ceiling and built-in storage.
Madera oak flooring runs through the home and up the staircase, which features a solid banister with softly curved edges.
Wood dominates the kitchen, where it's used for cabinetry that surrounds blue-green stone counters and backsplash.
Other rooms not lined in plaster include the bathrooms, where large expanses of stone were used instead, and a guest bedroom that is enveloped entirely with timber boards.
The exterior of the 3,500-square-foot (325-square-metre) building is clad entirely in limestone-travertine bricks, which were installed offset from one another to create a relief effect.
"Pulling them out in sections to provide some depth took a very long time and was extremely costly," Diaz revealed. "The final result was worth it."
The stone bricks are continued in the entryway through the glass front door, again bringing the exterior inside.
Other houses recently completed or renovated in Los Angeles include a home that blends mid-century modern and traditional Japanese influences, and a dwelling that was built over two decades.
The photography is by Sam Frost.