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Anne Crawford and Dudley DeZonia’s Ojai refuge has been on the lips of us editors ever since we first caught a peek at the layouts earlier this summer. Dreamed up by the AD100 tastemaker Rodman Primack—whose ability to layer, mix, and embed surprise is nothing short of virtuosic—the space featured in AD’s July/August issue has inspired a number of editorial side quests on our team, from investigations into trompe l’oeil ceramics to researching Aviva Halter’s deft take on Delft tile. Maya Ibbitson, our associate digital editor, caught up with Primack on the heels of his recent sourcing trip to Santa Fe. Covering topics from the impact of surf culture, to the rules of good taste that need to be broken, their conversation isn’t one to be missed.
Out With Boring
Maya: You’ve reimagined spaces from Kentucky to Greenwich Village to Hawaii. Can you put a finger on the throughline of your style?
Rodman: More often than not, we’re thinking about collecting, since most of our clients are collectors in some capacity. The framework for all of our projects is thinking about either a collection that we’re going to do together or a collection that already exists.
In terms of style, as you mentioned, we’re working across lots of different locations, and always trying to think about locale and being local. Sometimes you’re not wanting to do what is typical there, but also [should remain] conscious of what the vernacular is—because there usually are reasons for it being the vernacular. We want to think about how to bring that into the project, sometimes in the most stereotypical way, and then sometimes in a way that’s not stereotypical at all. We’re doing the research and trying to get our ears and nose close enough to the ground to understand why those things exist and let them inform the language that we’re creating.
California definitely has a specific vernacular. I think that Anne Crawford’s Ojai house in our most recent issue is a great example of it. She specifically said that “there’s something about what constitutes an authentic idea of California.” What is this to you?
It’s a funny question, because I would say that California, in so many ways, is itself. Authenticity is so authentic to California, even when it’s being super fake. It’s a place of dreamers; it’s been the frontier of our country. There’s so much inherent generative newness, sensuality, and earthiness. I think there’s always a connection with the land and the landscape—whether that’s the mountains or the ocean, you can never negate the power of the landscape in California. I don’t think there’s anywhere else in the world that truly is so concerned with the pursuit of happiness, and where it’s so achievable.
I feel like that’s also an American ideal, but when you bring it to California, it’s on steroids.
