Ep 130 Hidden Details of the Ultra Luxury Patio with Armen of Arto with Farley Pool Designs

Mike and Trey Farley introduce and interview Armen from Southern California’s Arto Brick, a family business founded in the 1960s by Armen’s father after emigrating from Egypt. Armen explains how the company began with handmade clay thin-brick veneer sold on a milk route, grew from installation into full-time manufacturing, and expanded staff significantly. He discusses working through family-business conflicts, Arto Brick’s “rustic elegance” look and how trends affect demand, and the value of handmade products and factory tours. Armen outlines current offerings—handcrafted concrete and low-absorption clay tiles for walls/floors indoors and outdoors, trims/coping, custom colors/shapes, and curated stone/porcelain—plus installation and maintenance issues like sealing, expansion joints, and hot-weather setting, with notes on saltwater pool impacts. He also shares favorites (movie Patton, books Gates of Fire and How the Mighty Fall) and travel interests.   Discover more: https://www.arto.com/ https://www.farleypooldesigns.com/ https://www.instagram.com/farleydesigns/ https://www.instagram.com/luxuryoutdoorlivingpodcast/   00:00 Podcast Welcome 01:17 Meet Armen Arto Brick 02:01 Immigrant Origin Story 03:39 Thin Brick Innovation 06:06 Scaling the Family Business 07:58 Working With Family 10:37 Celebrity Client Tales 12:02 Trends Rustic Elegance 14:53 Handmade Factory Advantage 19:06 What Arto Brick Makes 22:48 How Customers Discover It 27:14 Pool Coping Throwback 30:05 How Tiles Are Made 31:12 Molding and Packing Tiles 31:54 Concrete vs Clay Process 33:12 Low Absorption Benefits 34:48 Indoor Outdoor Transitions 35:42 Freeze Thaw and Waterproofing 37:04 Saltwater Pool Material Choices 39:54 Common Install Mistakes 41:31 Expansion Joints and Movement 42:37 Sealing and Cleaning Tips 43:36 Patina Expectations and Trends 45:41 Ceiling Install Stories 48:44 New Art Tazo Brick Line 50:47 Growing in California 52:43 Legacy and Customer Value 54:52 Rapid Fire Favorites 57:16 Travel Plans and Wrap Up 58:30 Podcast Mission Statement