DON'T MISS A THING

When it comes to designing spectacular contemporary residences in Southern California, Paul McClean is the go-to for celebrity clientele such as Beyoncé, Jay Z, Calvin Klein, and the Winklevoss twins. So, when a well-known fashion designer (sorry we can’t tell you who!), decided to remodel a house he recently purchased just north of Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard, hiring Paul McClean, the original architect that designed it in 2014, was a must.

Read on to meet Paul and explore this stunning residence on Los Angeles’ exclusive Thrasher Avenue!

Paul McClean

Raised and educated in Ireland, Paul McClean traveled and worked for numerous award-winning architectural practices before moving to Southern California and starting McClean Design in 2000. Today, although highly acclaimed in his So Cal-base, McClean Design also works on private residences throughout the Western US and abroad in locations such as Canada, England, and Thailand.

While Paul and his firm custom tailor each project to realize the dreams and aspirations of its clients, they are known for their keen interest in modern living and desire to connect their clients to the beauty of the surrounding natural environment. As such, the incorporation of water, limitation of barriers between indoors and outdoors, maximization of views, and the creation of warm light-filled spaces are hallmarks of McClean’s designs.

McClean’s Thrasher Avenue Design

Set in the highly desirable Bird Streets neighborhood of LA’s Hollywood Hills, Thrasher Avenue is an exclusive address, to say the least. With sweeping views and easy access to world-class entertainment, dining, and shopping in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and along the Sunset Strip, you can easily imagine why one would want to live here! And this breathtaking contemporary residence by Paul McClean would surely be an amazing place to call home.

Built on a 16,717-square-foot corner lot, Paul McClean first designed this open, angular residence, his third on Thresher Ave, in 2014. The unusual shape of the lot, with a narrow, triangular rear limit and houses directly below, made careful placement a necessity.

Walls block the entrance of the house from the street creating optimal privacy and an impressive hidden setting within.

Visitors take in the house and the magnificent view as they walk across a bridge opening to a water courtyard below and centered on the city view.

The Basement Level

The basement level of the house includes the garage, an office, a family room with a bar, and two bedrooms.

One of the basement bedrooms ends in an acute angle at the back of the house to take advantage of a small view corridor to the city below.

The architect explains, “An overarching goal is to make the lower level not feel like a basement; light from multiple directions achieves this. The basement courtyard is a primary feature of the house with shadows reflected from a trellis above at certain times of the day, while the white marble water feature with water spilling down its face reflects lights deep into the house”.

Main Level

The main level includes a combined living and dining area, the kitchen, and an additional bedroom, as well as the master bedroom suite.

Outdoors

Outdoors, the angled infinity pool projects toward the city and serves to screen out the view of the house below.

The house’s two wings beautifully contain the yard framing the view from the entry. While the mass of the kitchen acts as a barrier between the street and helps to maintain the privacy of the garden.

Rooftop

On the top level, there is a rooftop deck with seating and dining areas that again take full advantage of the views available to the city below.

Love Paul’s work as much as we do? Check out his recently released book, McClean Design: Creating the Contemporary House. Written by Philip Jodidio and published by Rizzoli Electa, the book takes us behind the scenes of twenty-one of the architect’s homes completed in the past fifteen years.

Words by Anna Beck Bimba