Texas Rodeo Ranch of Art

Settled in the middle of the West Texas desert, a modernist box house arises from the arid area inhabited by the tattoo- and moustache signature-looking photographer, Douglas Friedman. Here, he has built himself a breathing space close to the town of Marfa filled with all the art he loves.

With a career taking off in the Hollywood film industry, Douglas Friedman turned to fashion photography for several years before dedicating himself to document the world of design and lifestyle.
Douglas first went to Marfa in 2011 on a holiday to explore the art. Here, he found himself surprised and intrigued by the interesting landscape.
Looking for a modest and small property at the beginning, Douglas eventually went full on Texas Lone Star-spirit and ended up purchasing what used to be an old rodeo area.

A modern box house
The house is located on in the outskirts of Marfa in the middle of the West Texas desert. Although the town is inhabited by just about 2,000 people, it is a place of culture and art including countless galleries, numerous minimalist-Donald Judd sculptures, and the famous Prada Marfa installation by Michael Elmgreen and Inga Dragset just off Highway 90. In the 1950s, the tiny city was even the film location for an epic western featuring James Dean.

The interior
The interior decoration of the three-bedroom, two-bathroom modernist box house is colourfully contrasted to the barren yet majestic outdoor surroundings – a vision Douglas did not initially have. He wanted to mimic the quiet environment and the minimalistic style of Donald Judd, but the flamboyant photographer soon found out that it was not suitable: “My personality does not allow for that kind of simplicity, I learned that I stray towards colours.”

As an admirer of the Vipp Shelter, Douglas knew that the prefabricated Vipp kitchen would fit perfectly into his construction plan of having everything prepared, just waiting to be assembled: “The kitchen arrived Tuesday morning, it was finished in the evening, and then I cooked!” Besides the smooth ordering- and installation processes, Douglas obviously also chose the kitchen for its design. The colourful interior needed a cool centrepiece to add balance in the enormous dining area: “I love it’s not showy but calm and confident.” Having cooked intimate dinners for just two as well as big 100-guests parties, Douglas knows every inch of his Vipp kitchen: “I thought the stainless steel tabletop would be difficult, but it ages so well; every scratch and watermark, and it becomes even more beautiful."

The exterior
In front of the main entrance, a large Wendy Vanderbilt Lehman sculptor greets you, epitomizing an art-loving resident. Besides from the prefabricated pool, the deserted backyard exterior has been modernised with cosy corners and majestic art pieces. Several sun beds, a pergola decorated with Bolivian pillows and an outdoor shower creates life and warmth to the otherwise desolated and reptile-crawling area.