The Friedman Ranch: Your Private Escape, Now on the Market

A Design-Led Marfa Retreat — Formerly Celebrated on Airbnb, Now Offered for Private Ownership
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Designed and built by Douglas Friedman, this home reflects a personal and disciplined approach to architecture, guided by proportion, material honesty, and a careful dialogue with the surrounding West Texas landscape. Originally operating as a highly regarded short-term rental, the property drew design-minded travelers from around the world, who were captivated by its light, stillness, and seamless integration with the environment. Now offered for private ownership, the home invites a new steward to experience its architectural integrity and proven life.

Locèlle loves this property for its reductive, deliberate design. Constructed in 2016 using a modular system of glulam timbers, steel connectors, and structural insulated panels, the 2,304-square-foot home sits on ten acres of panoramic desert land with unobstructed views of the Davis and Haystack Mountains. Every element serves a purpose — from the encircling clerestory that bathes the interior in light, to concealed storage walls and integrated mechanical systems — resulting in spaces that feel cohesive, resolved, and deeply considered.

The house is designed for both private living and entertaining, with open living areas flowing seamlessly from kitchen to dining to living room, all opening onto a patio with a fire pit and expansive desert views. Bedrooms at either end of the hallway enjoy privacy and commanding vistas, while outdoor features include a desert palapa for lounging or dining, a container lap pool with a hot tub, and grounds restored with native prairie grasses and plantings. Each space is intentionally framed to connect daily life to the ever-changing light and vast skies of West Texas.

Chosen as one of Architectural Digest’s 50 Great Houses, this property combines beautiful design with a stunning landscape. It offers modern conveniences and top-of-the-line finishes, yet prioritizes longevity, craftsmanship, and the experience of desert living. Photography, interior design, and construction were all overseen by Douglas Friedman, making this a thoughtfully composed home that exemplifies architecture grounded in restraint, rhythm, and timelessness.