6 min readout of the devastation of the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires came the strange gift of a fresh start for designer Claire Thomas. She and her family resettled in nearby Claremont, making their new home a 1931 Spanish Colonial that brimmed with history and architectural pedigree. The property had been an original AIA Case Study house built by architect Peter Ficker, and Thomas made sure to honor those legendary roots as she took on the house’s restoration. “My goal with this home was to bring it back to its 1931 glory,” she says.
Though the house had undergone a style-flattening renovation in the ’90s, Thomas could sense an Old Hollywood mystique within it that was ready for its close-up. “The home looks like the stomping grounds of Norma Desmond's ghost, in the best way,” she quips.
The designer had her work cut out for her on this period-specific renovation, in which the kitchen, primary bath, and speakeasy-style basement were completely gutted. But the resulting space, richly swathed in barkcloth-inspired wallcoverings, leopard-print carpet, and custom tile mosaics, reverberates with lush, layered romanticism. Each room overflows with historical design references that would make a classic film lover swoon: For instance, the RKO musicals of the 1930s inspired the “fabulous Art Deco/neoclassical throughline” throughout.
Thomas, who actually grew up in a Spanish Colonial house herself, describes the renovation as one of her most personal projects to date. “Before this, every home I’ve lived in has been me expressing someone else’s vision as thoughtfully as I can, and with as much respect to the past,” she says. That she’s now able to raise her own family in a historic space that reminds her so much of her own upbringing has truly been a “healing” experience. “That little girl has arrived home and can dream again.”
FAST FACTS
Designer: Claire Thomas
Location: Claremont, California
The Space: A four-bedroom, four-bathroom home across 5,100 square feet
SPEAKEASY
Showgirl-level opulence makes this subterranean retreat sing.
Formerly a nondescript cement cellar, the home’s basement entertaining area is one of the most drastically reimagined spaces of the home. “I sort of accidentally built the entire room around these two red-fringe lamps that I got for $40,” says Thomas. “They just feel like a burlesque dancer's costume.”
With the space’s ravishing ruby tones and strategically placed sconces that bounce light against the mosaic Fireclay tiles, one can automatically assume that what happens in this speakeasy basement stays in this speakeasy basement: “I joke that this space is my own tiny Las Vegas, because there are no windows or clocks,” Thomas laughs.
Pivoting to the “screening room” at the opposite end, this area is clad in the same all-over Pepper Home drapery and leopard-print Stark carpet, setting the stage for maximum drama. “The posters on the walls are from my son's and my favorite movies,” Thomas adds.
DINING ROOM
A place where special-occasion meals feel all the more elevated.
An heirloom painting and woodland-themed wallpaper act as a highly immersive backdrop for a mismatched dining set that Thomas snagged for a song. “The moral of the story is to use antique auctions when you can!” she says.
KITCHEN
This sunny space takes its visual cues from a Los Angeles design icon.
Restoring the overly modernized kitchen in this home to its early 20th-century roots was made possible by redesigning the cabinetry, swapping in patinated hardware, and installing patterned tile floors that reflect Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Additionally, the kitchen’s creamy palette is pulled from one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most famous L.A. projects: “One of my favorite Art Deco kitchens is the Ennis house, and I basically aimed to recreate that space as much as possible,” she says.
HOME OFFICE
An at-home work zone where efficiency meets elegance.
To ensure the home office would not be all work and no play, Thomas equipped it with a cozy fireplace, comfy swivel chair, and patterned ceiling wallpaper that evokes alfresco relaxation. “Beyond these windows is the yard with 150-year-old oak trees, so I chose a wallpaper that felt like a continuation of the treetops outside,” she notes.
LIVING ROOM
The larger-than-life living room invites guests to get lost in literature.
The size of this living area presented a perplexing predicament, being twice as long as it was wide, with a built-in bookcase and fireplace to consider. “It was too big for a normal living room layout, but too small to do two separate functions,” Thomas explains. She knew that awkwardly segmenting the space was never going to work. “The answer ended up being doubling a normal living room. So, we added two large couches, two lounge chairs, and two coffee tables to complete the space.”
As a nostalgic nod, she stocked the bookshelves with a mix of comfort reads that once belonged to her father. “My father was a total bibliophile, and I have inherited that spirit from him as well,” she adds.
SUNROOM
A casual dining nook and abundant light make this a room for all seasons.
Indoor-outdoor living is certainly a familiar concept to Angelenos, and this sunroom allows Thomas’s household to indulge in the best of both worlds. “The room is so sunny and happy, it felt like the right spot to fill with a jungle of indoor plants and lots of cozy furniture,” she says. “I also love the whimsy of the shell pendant.”
PRIMARY BEDROOM
This feminine, not frilly, bedroom suite is the stuff of dreams.
Thomas’s self-directed brief for her sleep space was straightforward: “I wanted my bedroom to feel feminine—but not girly—and quite grown-up.” To accomplish this, she chose a flexible yet refined palette of aubergine, rust, blue, and gold to ground the warm clay wall color. “It is so flattering and creates the softest candle-like hue in the room all day,” she adds.
A sitting room extends off the bedroom, and spending quality time here is an integral part of Thomas’s creative process. “I’m usually watching a film while I work during the day, so having a sofa that I can answer emails from while watching something was ideal.” From this vantage point, she also enjoys seeing the wink of the Deco-style, Murano glass chandelier across the threshold. “It’s boudoir without the kitsch,” she says.
PRIMARY BATHROOM
Fred and Ginger’s film repertoire inspired this Greek Key-embellished bathroom.
Connected to the primary suite, this bathroom wasn’t cutting it in its original state. So, Thomas fully reimagined it, removing the Jack-and-Jill sinks and adding a generously sized tub alcove.
The stunning Greek key tiling throughout is another throwback to Hollywood’s nitrate era. Citing the neoclassical grandeur seen in films of the 1930s such as Top Hat and The Gay Divorcee, the resulting space “felt at once very classic but also dramatic because of the scale,” according to Thomas.
BUNK ROOM
A pirate-themed kids’ room that’s anything but childish.
Thomas’s sons love pirate tales and ghost stories, so naturally, their bunk room captures the imagination. While the moody Fine & Dandy mural wallpaper lends a mysterious atmosphere, the ship-style bunks completely steal the show in the space. You’d never guess that it was a budget find that Thomas spruced up with a few DIY add-ons. “I found these fun portholes and yacht cleats on Etsy and used them as design elements,” she says.
GUEST ROOM
Proof that a soft palette doesn’t have to look one-note.
Although this guest room doesn’t see everyday use (it’s where Thomas’s mom stays while she’s visiting), the design treatment is just as thoughtfully considered as the rest of the home. The yellow and blue palette is both tastefully muted yet transportive, making it perfect for a restful retreat. “I wanted it to feel like a hotel suite you would find in a chic part of London or even the Hudson Valley. Traditional, but unfussy,” she says.
BATHROOM
Clad in the home’s original tile, this bathroom is a classic beauty.
Many of the authentic 1931-era elements of this home had long been stripped away, but a notable exception—much to Thomas’s delight—was the original tile in this bathroom. “When life gives you a purple bathroom, you need to protect it!” she says.
Keeping all the tilework intact, she completed the space with a sage-colored vanity, delicate floral wallpaper, and custom vanity stools.
