About Hyndman Studio
At Hyndman Studio we create beautiful homes and spaces. What sets us apart is that we strive for the unexpected, with a passion for the truly unique. We achieve results of which both our clients and we are proud, by fostering positive, collaborative relationships. Our passion is for craftsmanship, beautiful materials, and for everything working together in harmony.
Hyndman Studio is a unique grouping of Designer, licensed Structural Engineer, licensed Civil Engineer and a licensed G.C. This allows us to draw on the necessary skills and expertise required to satisfy the scope and technical requirements associated with a large variety of projects.
Ruth Hyndman moved to California from her native England in the 1990s. She has a BA (Hons) degree in graphic design, in addition to decades of on-going education in architecture, interior design and computer drafting. She is passionate about design, architecture and construction.
Ruth is fascinated by the forces that determine whether structures “stand up”, and how well they do so. Compression, tension, loads, structural spans, cantilevers, posts and beams; these are fundamental principles but Ruth sees them as intellectual, fascinating hidden magic behind every wall, floor and roof of a building.
The interior space of a building is equally fascinating to Ruth. Its layout and flow patterns are aspects that she likes to refine to as close to perfection as existing conditions allow. Working to use the space in the most efficient manner possible, while optimizing the site and the building’s natural light, Ruth designs spaces that are sensitive to the technical considerations of structure, mechanical systems and building code requirements.
Ruth’s designs have a sense of permanence. She’s not particularly interested in the latest trends and her designs do not follow them. She finds affinity with things that are timeless, enduring and deeply relevant. These fundamentals can be as much the foundations of a minimalist, contemporary design as they are of a craftsman or a more traditional home. High quality materials and finishes are universal to all styles and are the elements with which Ruth works.
Ruth has, at times, been asked to sum up her design objectives in a single word; her answer is soul. There are gorgeous, expensive spaces that sometimes leave her feeling empty and dissatisfied; she is aware that they are missing a final component. Ruth feels that soul comes from a depth and a connection with natural materials and sometimes with the structural core of the building itself. This soulfulness can be elusive and its source, on occasion, is enigmatic. She discusses how cabinetry with an oiled finish can sometimes allow you to connect with the wood more intimately than with a painted or a high gloss conversion varnish finish and as a result can, at times, be more soulful. She also notices that rooms with exposed beams or trusses speak directly to the building’s structure and its construction history, and that, too, can add a depth, an understanding and ultimately, a sense of soul. Old buildings inherently have soul, they’ve earned it through their many years of existence.
Ruth has always been a designer to her core, with formative years steeped in the architecture, crafts, and aesthetics of Great Britain and Europe. Given the opportunity to create a one-off item, whether it be a guardrail or a piece of custom furniture; she uses her fertile creative mind to produce pieces that are a little bit different and very unique.