KBB

KBB

News: ,

Designer John McClain on Today’s Outdoor Living Explosion

August 5, 2021

This week’s From the Tap KBB podcast topic is on what’s new and exciting with outdoor living, as we know this concept has become even more popular these days. My guest was John McClain, principal designer at John McClain Design. With locations in Los Angeles and Orlando, he is no stranger to outdoor projects, and although he feels this outdoor living explosion was heavily brought on because of the pandemic, it is now here to stay.

McClain and his team have worked on everything from outdoor gyms to full kitchens outdoors. He even mentioned a client requesting a “reading pod,” which could be used for parents to get a little escape or for children to do homework with some isolation. He said some clients use their travel as inspiration for their projects, and he went into detail about one such project that took ideas from a couple’s trip to Tokyo – like a hot tub on the rooftop deck!

The designer went into a bit of detail as to how outdoor living trends in Florida tend to gravitate toward family needs, while in California it is more about entertaining. And there seems to be more of a budget for outdoor spaces these days, as homeowners who saved money not traveling and going out to dinner in the last year or so are ready to put that money into their homes. McClain shared his innovative ideas for making outdoor living possible during the hot and cold months, as well as the importance of carrying a continuous look from the inside of the home to the outside through colors and finishes.

The designer spoke to the types of professionals he and his team work with to complete successful outdoor projects, including plumbers and electricians who know the climate in which they are working. There are also different product offerings to consider for the outdoor, such as furniture, fabrics, lighting and even porcelain countertops. He did say that clients will gravitate toward the same appliance brands that they use inside, but he does advise that as kitchen and bath design professionals, you stay up to date on what’s available in the marketplace, as the offerings are always innovating.

Lastly, he talked about his own outdoor spaces, so to find out more about those and more detail on everything else we discussed, please watch the full video above or listen to the podcast on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts and other outlets.