When Gary Hutton found himself working at a mall after graduating from UC Davis with a degree in fine arts, he decided it was time to go back to school. He had always loved interiors, and CCA seemed like the natural choice.

Early training came through work at the famed Scalamandré textiles showroom and an internship at Gump's. For a while, Hutton held two part-time jobs to get by. Eventually he became a manager at the C. J. Welch showroom and then a designer for Jerry Jansen at Orientations, where he worked on the restaurant Today's, on Union Square. It was "the place to lunch," Hutton recalls. After his stint at Orientations, he worked briefly in the Macy's interior design studio. Disliking the corporate structure, he left to open his own firm in 1980.

Today, San Francisco–based Hutton commands a loyal clientele of twenty years' standing—in fact, he's still in touch with his very first client. Ninety-five percent of his clients are residential, and most of his corporate work comes from residential client referrals.

In addition to interior design work, Hutton oversees production for his line of furniture, produced in Emeryville and San Francisco.

From Glance, 2003

Born 1950, Watsonville, CA

CCA degree:
BFA 1975, Environmental Design

Other education:
AB 1972, Fine Arts, UC Davis

Influences at CCA:
Willis Kauffman, who taught History of Interior Design; Andy Addkison

Website:
garyhuttondesign.com