Well folks, I’m an author. My book, The Designer Within, is a reality. Words that I only used to dream would come from my mouth. Sometimes it seemed like a pipedream and sometimes I was so close I could smell the ink as it dried on the pages. I promise I’m not going to use this space to boast or brag, but rather, I wanted to use it to inspire you to dream big and make actionable plans to achieve your dreams. That’s how I have lived my entire life and I’m happy to say it typically works (though admittedly, it does take some time).

My book publishing story begins as a child when I would buy used interior design books from flea markets and yard sales. I would look through the worn pages and study every room as if it were a Monet painting. At the time, I wasn’t sure exactly how one achieved the status of writing their own book with images of rooms that they created; but soon after I began my interior design career, I realized this was something that I was hoping to achieve as well. I have always loved writing and English was my favorite subject in school, and I recall “publishing” my first book with two pieces of yellow construction paper flanking handwritten wide-ruled notebook paper and held together with three staples.

From my very first design project, I wanted to make sure that I treated my firm as a large company even though at the time I was only a one-man show. I also was very attentive to every detail in all of my projects, including quality photography. I asked the photographer to shoot every photo with the assumption that this would appear in a magazine or book. I was projecting and assuming that one day these images would be shown to the world and hopefully, eventually, in the form of a book on their coffee table. Sometimes it’s not easy to manifest your dreams because there is not a clear path to do so, my outlook has always been to keep a goal in mind at all times and every single thing that I do-every single day-should bring me one step closer to achieving that dream. If you work and live in the philosophy that you will achieve something one day no matter what it is, all of your actions (even the smallest ones) tend to fall in line with what is needed to get there.

My book, The Designer Within, is not only a book of some of my favorite projects, many of which you have never seen before, but it’s also a book that is centered around teaching design principles to you. I’ve never been a person to learn something and want to keep it only to myself, I love when other people succeed and I respect when ambitious people try new endeavors. This is not a DIY book, but rather a book that pulls back the curtain on what we do at our design firm, John McClain Design, to make every project functional and beautiful. I’ve never designed homes to be too “precious” or unobtainable, and I want my work and my book to reflect my honesty, transparency, and true passion for my art.

You can read my book, The Designer Within, as a design guide map for your home with finished spaces to demonstrate the philosophies I am showing you; or you can also simply peruse the book and look at all of the beautiful photos that were painstakingly styled to perfection. There is no right or wrong way to utilize it, I simply want you to enjoy the book and to realize that this is a culmination of many years of working, planning, and dreaming. And remember, if you have lofty dreams that you want to achieve, start now and work incrementally until you get there.
Where do you start?
I say look within.

For more details on The Designer Within and its contents, check out my social media post detailing it!

 

Till Next Time,

Happy Designs!