1. John Douglas began his career in design working with his father as they painted homes in
Texas. "I learned the important tenants of working hard, completing projects, and basic work
ethics," he says. When he moved to California he had the opportunity to apprentice a
successful mural painter working in historic homes in Pasadena. He soon struck out on his
own doing decorative painting of all kinds in Southern California.
John decided he was interested in the complete design process, especially when it came to
restoring period homes. He pursued a designer he had done work for and was offered a
position as an assistant where he had the opportunity to learn the trade. John went on to form
John Douglas Designs (johndouglasdesigns.com) with a focus on restoration and preservation
of period homes.
In 2011, John acquired some warehouse space and invited artisans to come create. John was
designing and crafting custom lighting from salvaged materials. He also began to offer
salvaged, vintage, and antique finds for resale. One day, an investor stopped in and John was
invited to restore and remodel properties with a boutique real estate firm called ReInhabit.
His ability to be a Jack-of-all-trades was quickly realized and his scope of work grew. “On a
typical day, I manage building and installation, I make design decisions regarding architecture,
fixtures, and color. I manage people, figure out how to overcome construction challenges, find,
source, and buy materials, design and build custom lighting and much more,” says John.

2. Just this month, ReInhabit unveiled their 10th restored and remodeled home. "It's good to
work towards something, even if it’s hard, to finish it well and be satisfied with the result,"
John says. "Each house I approach as if I were living there, as if I was going to raise my kids
there. We try to leave a little bit of ourselves in each home."