gary hutton bio

 gary hutton’s subversively beautiful modern work, engagement with process and 40-year career live at the intersection of interior design, high craft and fine art. hutton’s rooms have a formal, fine-living foundation layered under a modern, sculptural design language that reaches for aesthetic clarity, lushness, emotion and delight.

hutton is a son of california who grew up immersed in the classic california landscape of his grandmother’s 30-acre apple ranch, located between the santa cruz mountains and the california coast. in the early 70s, he studied fine arts and studio practice at uc davis under wayne thiebaud, robert arneson and manuel neri. their lust for materiality became central to hutton’s work, most visibly in his furniture and personal collections. next, hutton earned a degree in interior design from california college of the arts.

gary hutton's design career began in the eleanor forbes-led design department of gump's san francisco. subsequently, he moved to the showroom side of the interior design business at house of scalamandré. his first independent project was a restaurant called today’s on union square in san francisco. truly innovative, the restaurant and its design drew san francisco’s most sophisticated and glittering audiences. the project published in interior design magazine in 1979 and the design world began to take notice.

in 1980 hutton launched gary hutton design, the studio where he still practices. gary hutton furniture, which is sold in to-the-trade showrooms globally, premiered in 1984. his small, artful practice creates relevant, trendsetting interiors coveted by tastemakers in many fields and by clients in search of curated living.

hutton is often referred to as the “dean of west coast design”. client projects vary from small city apartments to multi-year new construction. the hutton studio has rare experience in evolving shelter challenges, sustainability standards, off-the-grid living, advanced entertainment systems and tech-driven security requirements.

hutton says, “i study art and design history continuously, together with the work of contemporary artists. that knowledge is present in design projects and available to every client. i used to feel that i worked out on a limb, but the culture has moved toward how i have always done things. these days, clients come for a variety of reasons, but usually, they want my unique point-of-view and value the studio’s connoisseurship as it translates into how they live. i’m intimately involved as design lead on everything the studio does.”

hutton maintains a sculpture practice, which is visible in his furniture collections. he is a vintage car enthusiast and passionate cook.

publications

art house: the collaboration of chara schreyer and gary hutton, (with alisa carroll). new york: assouline, c2016. isbn 1614285365 isbn 978-1614285366 the book reprinted in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022.

licensed designs

therien & company—stasis collection

collections and exhibitions

2021 san francisco museum of craft and design—encoded holidays: gary hutton x tom bonauro

2008 san francisco museum of craft and design—new west coast design: contemporary objects

2006 western interiors—home show

1994 capp street project and santa monica museum of art—old glory new story

1985 triton museum of art—new furnishings

awards

2022 san francisco museum of craft and design art for all-mirror ball—honoree

2020 san francisco design center designers of distinction

2019 phaidon — interiors: the greatest rooms of the century

2019 luxe magazine—gold list

2018 luxe magazine —red awards

2016 interior design—best of year awards

2010 california home + design award—best residential interior design

2008 independent furniture design—people’s choice award

2006 interior design—best of year awards

2002 out magazine—vox style and design award

boards