Local roots and outside influences inspire architect Meg Fain
By Barbara Sueko McGuire
Over a century after Larchmont first took shape as a streetcar suburb, the neighborhood has evolved in almost every visible way, except for one: its strong sense of community. The feeling of being in a small town in the middle of Los Angeles persists, and architect Meg Fain has quietly become one of its chief caretakers.
MEG FAIN and her husband, Evan Jenkins, are the proprietors of Jenkins Fain architecture, interiors, and project management.
Fain was born and raised in the neighborhood, moving only once—from Van Ness Avenue to Windsor Boulevard when she was 7. The daughter of architect Bill Fain, she grew up surrounded by design but said her path to the profession stemmed from a love of art, history, people, and culture. From drawing with her grandma to being encouraged in her creative pursuits by her parents, she knew early on that she wanted to study architecture. She went on to major in the subject at the University of Virginia before attending the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
“I saw it as a way to combine a lot of interests,” she explained. “It’s a profession that allows you to engage with a lot of different people and places and then use your creative skills to come up with different solutions. That was really what ended up resonating with me—and then the excitement of being able to do something different with every project.”
Growing up in Larchmont shaped not only Fain’s aesthetic sensibility, but also the way she approaches architecture itself. In 2015, she and her husband, Evan Jenkins, launched their own architecture, interiors, and project management firm. Today, nearly 75% of their work is based in and around the Larchmont area, including Windsor Square and Hancock Park.
CALIFORNIA ELEGANT neutral-tone space in Hancock Park.
Their projects range from interior renovations to additions, ADUs, and new construction, often with a strong emphasis on how interior and exterior spaces work together. Fain says her respect for the area’s historic homes and overall design has been central to the firm’s work.
“Being around all these beautiful historical homes—there’s a level of craftsmanship, attention to detail, and thought that was put into them,” she said. “And not just the homes themselves, but also the way the neighborhoods are laid out—the relationship between the homes and the streetscapes and the yards. These components make it feel like a community and, at least subconsciously at first, have definitely influenced me.”
That sensitivity to context carries into the way Fain works with clients. Rather than imposing a signature style, she describes the design process as deeply collaborative—less about replicating an image and more about understanding what a client wants a space to feel like. Her familiarity with the neighborhood, and the homes that define it, has helped shape that process.
ORGANIC flow from exterior to interior achieved when Fain designs all components.
At the same time, Fain says some of her most important inspiration comes from stepping outside her immediate surroundings. Travel, taking walks, drawing and close observation have all been essential to her growth as an architect.
“With architecture and design, it’s important to have experiences outside of your comfort zone,” she said. “A lot of ideas and understanding of space come from exploring new things. The world around you is kind of like a laboratory, and I think that’s where the best inspiration comes from.”
For more information, visit jenkinsfain.com.
Category: People
