Everyone likes to get away once in a while. Some retreat to lavish Caribbean resorts, some taste the wine and take in the scenery of the Tuscan countryside and some … stay home? According to Trent Hultgren, the design expert behind some of the most beautiful homes in the country, there shouldn't be any difference between a fancy getaway and the comfort of your own home.
"Your home should be as nice as your favorite vacation, or even better," he says. "Why spend so much money on an incredible vacation when you could have an incredible place of your own? I turn every house into a resort, no matter the size and no matter the budget." And with 38 countries under his belt to date, Hultgren has visited his share of resorts. Traveling, both domestically and abroad, is a passion of his that provides him with dozens of influences for his work. In the houses he designs, flavors of numerous nations and styles come together effortlessly, resulting in what are undoubtedly the dream homes of some very lucky clients.
In a dream home, everything from the mantle to the knobs on the closet doors is just right. With his natural eye for detail and knack for redesigning spaces even in his mind – a habit he calls "design disease" – Hultgren has mastered the art to the point that in his 11-year design career, he has yet to have a single item returned. These talents, along with word-of-mouth testimonials from clients and his naturally charismatic personality, were even enough to earn him a slot – one of 12 selected from 5,000 – on this season of "Design Star," a top-rated HGTV show featuring some of the nation's most promising designers. The resulting "crazy" level of fame in the world of interior design seems a far cry from his originally projected future. As a high-school student who grew up on a cattle ranch in the San Joaquin Valley in Northern California, Hultgren was named one of the Future Farmers of America.
Indeed, Hultgren's past is as interesting as his designs. He spent a year following high school skiing in Colorado, 10 years traveling and speaking internationally as an Assembly of God pastor and the following few years earning top sales credentials at Bloomingdale's, working in an "amazing" capacity under J. Peterman, serving the Newport Beach area through his own home interiors shop and eventually designing homes full-time after receiving enough requests from clients.
Clearly, his experience in sales and interiors has proven very valuable to his design career. Interestingly enough, however, it's his experiences as a pastor that ultimately laid the groundwork for the secret to his design success. "As a pastor, I did spiritual counseling for years," he says. "Your home is where you live, so it's very soulful, and it should reflect who you are as a person. As a designer, I really get to know my clients. They're some of the most amazing people on the planet. I spend time with them and learn about them and their style. After that, they leave the house, I do everything and they walk back in when it's finished. Then I throw them a party to celebrate, and I always make it a point to keep in touch with them."
Hultgren's relationships with these clients – among them San Antonio resident Reema Shroff, who met Hultgren in Seattle and can be credited with introducing the Venice Beach resident to the Lone Star State – serve as a major reward for him, along with his passion for that which he values above all things: living life. "The best part of my job is to hear how my work changes lives," he says. "You live a lot of your life in your home, so your home should be nothing short of amazing, just like your life. "I love design, and I'm passionate about it, but it's not just putting things together. It's about the soul, and at the end of the day, it's the soul that matters. It's these relationships and how you help people that matter."
Hultgren works with interiors and exteriors, as well as weddings and events. He is also in the process of writing his first book. For more information about Hultgren and his work, call him at 310-880-3117, or visit him online at www.cabanacasa.com.
