Founded in 1880, the Los Angeles Athletic Club (LAAC) is in the midst of a multiphase renovation that includes the Blue Room—a quasi-secret bar and lounge on the hotel’s fourth floor that was revamped by British designer Timothy Oulton.

During the hotel’s renovation process, a forgotten Prohibition-era stairwell was revealed. Clad in vintage art, it now leads from the third-floor bar to the fourth-floor Blue Room via a trick bookcase.

Intimate furniture groupings engender a sense of separation within the room, while a floor-to-ceiling tower crafted from books collected from flea markets and nailed together is an art piece. “We call it the Pillar of Knowledge,” explains Oulton.

A focal point of the room, an Oulton-designed sofa features a giant British flag design over a Chesterfield silhouette.

The majority of the vintage objects showcased in the Blue Room were sourced from the LAAC basement and paired with select objects provided by Oulton’s team, including “memorabilia such as art, books, trophies, and other sporting equipment, to reflect the club’s heritage.”

Authentic vintage trophies sit atop repurposed athletic lockers with pops of color provided by small pots of wheatgrass.

Drum chandeliers were crafted from brass, vellum, leather, and handpainted wood.