Tour a Designer’s Glamorous Midcentury Modern Condo
John McClain highlights the stylish pieces and materials that jazz up his Los Angeles home
Mitchell Parker
April 22, 2020
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative trends, breaking news, industry analysis and humor.
Houzz Editorial Staff. Home design journalist writing about cool spaces, innovative... More
Interior designer John McClain bought his Los Angeles condo before ever stepping foot in it. His husband had sent him photos of the space — designed by noted architect Ray Kappe with floor-to-ceiling windows — and McClain knew the home would be perfect for his style. “If you took Art Deco and midcentury modern and a little bit of traditional and Hollywood Regency and you rolled that up into a ball and threw it, that would be what I call my design style. And that’s what I did with the place,” he says.
In this episode of Houzz TV Live, McClain gives viewers a virtual tour of his home and explains how that style came together.
In this episode of Houzz TV Live, McClain gives viewers a virtual tour of his home and explains how that style came together.
The condo building is nestled at the bottom of the Hollywood Hills. The large floor-to-ceiling windows were a big selling point for McClain.
Watch now: Go inside McClain’s stylish midcentury modern home
Watch now: Go inside McClain’s stylish midcentury modern home
In the living room, two midcentury modern-style wood-frame armchairs flank a deep blue sofa. “It’s a no-fail way to lay your space out — a sofa in the center, two chairs flanking that, with the coffee table in the center — it’s easy, it’s accessible,” McClain says.
With windows running from the floor to the 8-foot ceiling, McClain had to get creative about hanging artwork. A two-sided framed piece of art hangs from the ceiling over the sofa. The back side provides art for the patio.
McClain designed many of the furniture pieces himself, including the modular coffee table.
With windows running from the floor to the 8-foot ceiling, McClain had to get creative about hanging artwork. A two-sided framed piece of art hangs from the ceiling over the sofa. The back side provides art for the patio.
McClain designed many of the furniture pieces himself, including the modular coffee table.
The table comes in three pieces, but McClain combined two sets for a total of six pieces. He can push the modules together to create one large coffee table or pull them part for end tables when hosting large gatherings. “I wanted it to grow as I needed it to,” he says.
Shop for living room furniture and decor
Shop for living room furniture and decor
McClain also designed the geometric credenza and bookcase. “Circles, squares, trapezoids, hexagonal, octagons — those are not going to go away,” he says. “They’re timeless.… If you do those shapes in a home, it’s never going to feel staid or tired or outdated.”
In the kitchen, antiqued glass tile with wisps of silver, brown and gold provided the jumping-off point for the room’s palette, which includes dark brown cabinets with a mix of stainless steel and brass hardware.
See-through chairs around a Tulip table-inspired dining table on a faux zebra rug keep things feeling light and airy. When you look at the dining area from a distance, McClain says, “the chairs sort of go away.”
The floor is 24-by-36-inch luxury vinyl tile installed over the original painted hardwood floor. The durable waterproof tiles snap together and can easily be removed.
Watch now: See more of this glamorous condo on the latest episode of Houzz TV Live
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Watch more episodes of Houzz TV
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See-through chairs around a Tulip table-inspired dining table on a faux zebra rug keep things feeling light and airy. When you look at the dining area from a distance, McClain says, “the chairs sort of go away.”
The floor is 24-by-36-inch luxury vinyl tile installed over the original painted hardwood floor. The durable waterproof tiles snap together and can easily be removed.
Watch now: See more of this glamorous condo on the latest episode of Houzz TV Live
More on Houzz
Watch more episodes of Houzz TV
Browse home design ideas
Find a pro
Shop for products
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I am totally taken by the pillows on your sofa. Are they needlepoint?
Betty, the pillows were picked up on a vacation to Greece last year. They stopped me in my tracks and I had to have them. They are actually embroidered into that pattern. I love them too, thank you!
Oh for the good old days!! Anyway, they are really scrumptious!!! Thanks for answering---I feel like a real fan! Betty from Austin,TX