Profile: Clayton Apgar

I was introduced to Clayton and his interior design practice through Caroline in my office – she and his wife, Kate, are good friends from college. Clayton and Kate moved to Los Angeles two years ago, by way of New York.

Born in London and raised in the states, Clayton went to Princeton for his undergrad and later NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for an MFA in Acting. Some years of consistent work in the industry revealed that it wasn’t the passion that it needed to be, and led him to acknowledge his true calling, interior design. Upon moving to LA, he started a full-service practice and has been working on projects around the country ever since.

Their home is incredibly chic – the perfect marriage of design and function, it is all at once thoughtfully decorated and remarkably welcoming. I hope you enjoy this look inside. XXJKE

Grooming

R+T: What are your go-to grooming products? Why?

Kiehl’s shampoo and conditioner, Burt’s Bees face lotion, Acqua di Parma body lotion, Malin+Goetz hair gunk. My hair and skin seem to like them. (And the Acqua di Parma smells good.)

R+T: Do you have any sort of routine?

Not especially. I avoid shaving sometimes because it’s no fun.

Health

R+T: Do you have any health tricks?

The smoothies and juices my wife Kate mixes up. They’re delicious. Also adequate sleep.

R+T: What do you do to stay healthy and balanced?

Try to remember: everything in moderation.

R+T: Do you workout, what do you swear by?

A daily run with some strength training. It’s also when I do my best creative thinking.

R+T: What do you do to relax?

A cocktail with Kate. A day at the beach or in the desert. A great debate with friends or family. Reading.

Decor

R+T: What is your design philosophy for your home?

A place well edited and livable that suits and expresses us.

R+T: What are your favorite pieces in your house?

An Alvar Aalto-style chair for sculptural presence. A gilded oval mirror (from my parents) for purity of form and the way it has aged gracefully. A highboy dresser (from Kate’s parents) for the classic lines and simple embellishments.

R+T: What is your favorite room in the house?

The living room. Shafts of late afternoon sun make it kind of magical.

Entertaining

R+T: Do you entertain at home?

Yes, we love to.

R+T: What are your tricks for entertaining?

Remembering that the inspiration is to have fun with our guests.

R+T: How do you set the scene when you have people over?

Flowers in a vase, jazz (mostly) on the Jambox, good wine.

R+T: What are your favorite flowers and where do you buy them?

Depends on the mood, the room, the season! The markets in downtown LA are fantastic. Also, Moe’s Flowers on Melrose.

R+T: Do you do them yourself or do you use a florist?

Florists are wonderful but you can do it yourself. The best arrangements are not arrangements at all—single varieties in the right spots are all you need.

Fashion

R+T: How would you describe your style?

Built around the essentials.

R+T: Who are your favorite designers?

How about shops?

Unis, General Quarters, Freemans Sporting Club.

(Ps. Were I a lady, I’d frequent Jenni Kayne.)

R+T: What are the 5 pieces you can’t live without this season?

These are staples for years now: navy button cardigan from Unis, olive green windbreaker from Johnbull, brown Vincent boots from the Vintage Shoe Company, Michael Bastian grey two-button suit, black Derby shoes from Ducker & Son.

R+T: What is your uniform?

I’m not in one most days, but a suit is a man’s uniform. We all look better in suits.

R+T: What is your newest purchase?

Honestly, underwear.

Food

R+T: Is there anything about your diet you would like to share with R+T?

I love pasta.

R+T: Do you cook?

Occasionally. I make decent eggs, but Kate excels at these things. When we’re eating at home, if it’s tasty she’s the one to have made it.

R+T: What is your favorite recipe?

Do I receive credit for the eating? Kate makes a transcendent butternut squash spaghetti. Growing up, the white wine and mushroom chicken my mom made. Winner winner chicken dinner.

R+T: What is your child’s favorite recipe?

We’ll get there…

Art

R+T: Who are your favorite artists?

May I answer without answering? I seem to pay attention to works that give an emotional, intellectual, or aesthetic thump.

R+T: What is your favorite piece of art you own?

Two. A small, unattributed landscape and a Josef Albers Homage to the Square print.

Interior Design

R+T: How and when did you begin in interior design?

Two years ago. I realized it was the passion I wasn’t pursuing. My mom was a decorator for part of my childhood and my parents both have a strong interest in design. In some ways, it feels like I grew up with it.

R+T: How would you describe your aesthetic?

It’s more a focus on what I’m seeking for a space, which are balance and a sort of timelessness, no matter the aesthetic. Put another way…what feels comfortable, captivating, and proportional.

R+T: Where do you find inspiration when designing a space?

In the wonderful alchemy that grows out of a client’s interests and intentions and the parameters of the space itself—the feel and atmosphere, the scale and style, what it wants, what it doesn’t.

R+T: Describe your process when beginning a new project.

We start with understanding a client’s needs and preferences. Sometimes these are specific, other times quite general. More broadly, we simply get to know each other—a dialogue that encompasses many things. One of the most enriching outcomes is the fresh collaborative process we discover each time. It’s not only design we find but a way of working, almost like a new language.

R+T: What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Observing how spaces transform peoples’ lives.