His sense of style comes from a long background of professional experiences, including the time he spent running his own business – The Gen on Picacho Avenue from 1993 to 2000, when he sold it and moved to Orange County, California to work in event design. With a bachelor of arts in costume design, Wayne has more than five years of continuing education and is about to complete his degree in interior design. “I’ve always been passionate for interiors,” he says, and it shows. Together with design assistant Alex South, Wayne creates both
a relationship with clients and beautiful new rooms.
Currently, Wayne works at ASA Architects Studio and runs his own business, Wayne Hilton Design. With a few home décor items and a vision, he can create a unique and fabulous look, but he specializes in faux finishes, murals and borders on floors, walls, ceilings and furniture. “I’ve painted professionally for 10 years, and I incorporate a lot of painting in my design work,” he says.
When walking into a room decorated by Wayne, the first thing that will undoubtedly stand out are finishes and murals that become pieces of art often incorporated into each room. A favorite painting technique of Wayne’s is a type of dry brushing, which he says he takes to a new level. “Dry brushing while using metallic colors is a great way to get dimension,” he says, but the way he paints also leaves his mark. “In the same way you can recognize work from an artist, you can recognize my work. It’s like my own signature. I am a firm believer that color is the most effective design tool.”
The talents he possesses work well with his style, which he admits is all over the board, and truly eclectic. His style also works well with his clients – his favorite part of designing. “I definitely look to the clients to help really define the style of a project and the way it is going to be. I love the process. I love developing how that project unfolds, and I love fostering that relationship with my clients.”
Once he moves past the relationship with his clients and into the home, his focus always starts at the entryway. “It is important to capture the entryway because it is the first thing you see when you walk into the home,” he says. “The first thing you see is so important, like an overture, it’s the opening statement to the overall feel of the residence.”
Wayne’s entryways do attract attention, from a Sonoma Ranch home that brings you into a long hallway covered with sophisticated, simple pieces of art – most created by Wayne – to his personal home that highlights magnificent wallpaper created from upholstery designs. Whatever draws you in, there is always a lot of work behind the details. “There is a lot of psychology in designing a home,” he says. “You have to capture the homeowners’ style and character while helping them create a new one.”
Wayne also believes that adding to any environment can make a world of difference. In one home he and Alex noted about 20 things they initially didn’t like about it, but when they began making changes here and additions there, the home became one of their favorite places. “That just shows you how much an environment can change when you creatively add to it.”
That’s what makes Wayne and his style wonderfully unique. Whether he is adding décor, or painting a wall with his own personal style, Wayne leaves a welcome touch to every room.
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