The Designer Within: A Professional Guide to a Well-Styled Home

by John McClain

Overview

John McClain designs homes to be alluring, functional, and most importantly, happy—and now he teaches the reader how to do it for themselves.

The Designer Within pulls back the curtain to reveal the process of interior design from interior designer John McClain. McClain’s candid and humorous look into the entire design process, from conception to completion, will allow anyone to find the designer within themselves, and ultimately create the home of their dreams. This isn’t a book about how to create a look for less, but rather a book with a detailed breakdown of professionally designed rooms. From kitchens to powder rooms, McClain dissects each space with actionable items for the reader to implement in their own home. The reader can apply one or all of his tips to start their own design process. The Designer Within is chock-full of gorgeous images from McClain’s beautiful design projects and is the perfect coffee table book; but it’s also a practical road map for embarking on interior design in your own home.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781423660231
Publisher:	Smith, Gibbs Publisher
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	51 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Interior designer John McClain is a sought-after speaker, writer, and on-air contributor with a life-long passion for interior design. Though John wasn't born into affluence, he always sought to make his daily life more beautiful through design and decorating which ultimately led to a successful career in interior design. Moreover, he understands the desire to live in a beautiful home no matter one’s personal situation, and he seeks to bring interior design concepts to those who might feel it is unobtainable. Through The Designer Within, John is on a personal mission to share his expertise with the world and show how and why creating a beautiful home is most definitely within everyone’s reach. John has interior design offices in Los Angeles, CA and Orlando, FL. He resides in Los Angeles.

Editorial Reviews

07/04/2022

Interior designer McClain “pull back that proverbial curtain to reveal design solutions” in his heartfelt debut, a collection of clever styling tips and tricks. It’s crucial to create a home that “greet you like a warm hug every time you walk through the door,” he writes; to help readers do so, he begins by laying out his six-step design process which includes defining one’s needs, finding inspiration, creating a “project direction board,” and having fun. McClain then tours his favorite projects room by room, highlighting key components behind their success: in his own home, brass “book toppers” jazz up coffee tables while bold patterns play with warm-toned colors in the upstairs lounge area, an old-Hollywood-style house features a tiled kitchen that “brings in the drama,” and a bathroom in a mid-century modern abode “purposely leans more toward the modern side.” McClain drops lots of advice along the way—add “one piece of interesting dissonance to every room” to make “everyone stop and take notice,” for example—and his fun approach takes the intimidation right out of design: “What do you do when you have too much space in a kitchen?! Create a bar area, of course!” Armchair designers looking for inspiration will find it on full display here. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Readers will want to give their whole home a makeover after looking through this inspiring 114-page tome, illustrated with photos of McClain’s own home, a “Modern Loft Bungalow,” and his other design projects, which range from traditional to contemporary.

At Home - Marni Jameson

10/01/2022

Interior designer McClain eases readers into the design process with step-by-step instructions on how to formulate a project plan that takes them from concept to completion. The author says this book isn't meant to create a look for less. Examples of spaces that he's redesigned are showcased in an impressive spread of vivid and dazzling pictures of family, dining, and bedrooms, kitchens, home offices and theaters, outdoor spaces, and even surprising areas like spaces below or beside a staircase. The book's action items are designed to give readers the option to implement just one, some, or all in their own homes and personal decor styles. VERDICT McClain's title is an easily digestible, interior design book that would be an asset to any library shelf.—Brittany Fechtman

Library Journal