Readers of Take Sunset know Alexandra Becket as one half of ModOp Design (the other half being husband Greg Steinberg) the house flipping duo responsible for taking Eastside homes in need of a makeover, including my current listing in Highland Park, and transforming them into stunning, high-end remodels. ModOp’s homes have mid-century influence and unexpected design touches, but what really sets them apart is their use of Alexandra’s own hand-painted artwork, printed textiles, upholstered furniture, and accessories.

Fabrics are at the core of Alexandra’s work. She uses water-based paints on silk to create her designs, and her work can be found not only in ModOp Design’s flips, but in homes and galleries around Los Angeles. Alexandra’s fabrics and textiles have also been acquired by high-end home decor companies and designers, like Anthropologie, BCBG, Vince Clothing, Trina Turk, Pottery Barn, Target, Guess, Tadashi, St. John–the list goes on.

Take Sunset had a chat with Alexandra about her creative process, the impact her grandfather (the great LA architect Welton Becket) had on her career, what inspired her to start flipping homes, and where she likes to grab a quick lunch in Silver Lake…

Take Sunset: Your artwork and textile patterns seem to reflect those found in nature. Is that what inspires you?

Becket: Yes, the natural environment is a big inspiration. Patterns created by rock formations, shadows cast by plant life onto the surfaces around them, vegetation and the endless array of shapes that exist in nature. My other big inspiration is architecture and the built environment of Los Angeles, specifically mid-century architecture. I am drawn to the aesthetics of mid-century design and appreciate the clean lines and geometry that came out of that era.

Take Sunset: Can you talk a bit about your creative process?

Becket: I pick up inspiration when visiting places, usually when something calls out to me personally. I capture these inspirations on camera, which helps me to compose an image that I can refer to when designing. Then, I do my best to put these inspirations into work as soon as possible. If I’m working on creating a textile design or a fabric painting, I use a technique similar to batik, using a water-based resist to draw a design. I then paint over the design with water-based paint that I mix to create colors. The artwork is then heat-set to make it colorfast and washed, which removes the resist and reveals the linear design under the paint.

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