When Rozalyn Hays and Becca Aylward discovered their shared love for design and decorating, it didn’t take long for a creative partnership— and friendship—to form.
“Roz was the first person I met when we moved here four years ago,” said Aylward.
The women attend the same church, and while Hays grew up in the area, Aylward is an Oregon native who moved to Rapid City after her husband was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Neither of the women have a background in design. Hays studied criminology with a minor in art and worked in law enforcement, and Aylward’s background is in social work.
But together, they form a dynamic team that’s changing the way the Rapid City community approaches interior design.
It all began when the pair started working with a real estate agent, helping stage homes to go on the market.
“We were coming in and making these houses beautiful for the photos, but as we continued with that, we realized we wanted to do something more long term,” said Hays. “As soon as the houses sold, all of our decorating was done and the staging was over.”
From there, Hays and Aylward moved on to new builds, and opportunities for more design work followed.
“Both of us had tackled our own projects before, so we kind of just teamed up and decided to go for it,” said Aylward.
The friends have been running their company, Hayward Design Co., for two years now, and the name came from a blending of their last names—Hays and Aylward.
“IT’S BEEN FUN. i REALLY FEEL LIKE THE SOCIAL NETWORKING WITH SMALL BUSINESS IN RAPID CITY HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE. WE’VE MADE SO MANY CONNECTIONS, AND IT’S JUST BEEN A REALLY FUN COMMUNITY TO BE PART OF.”
As co-owners, they tackle a variety of projects from new builds to remodel —both residential and commercial—as well as purchasing, remodeling, and now running an Airbnb (The Hayward BnB).
Hays and Aylward take pride in their affordability, especially in the Rapid City market.
“Coming from Oregon, there are so many designers,” said Aylward. “There’s a huge need for affordable designers in this area.”
That affordability comes from speed, efficiency, and ultimately, a passion for their work.
“We really love what we do, and we’re not in it for the money,” said Hays. “We’re not looking to get rich off of this, we’re mostly just inspired by doing it.”
In fact, the company is neither of the women’s full-time job. Both are full-time moms—Hays has a 3-year-old and a 5-year-old, and Aylward, a 2-year-old and 4-year-old. Additionally, Hays and her husband own and operate vacation rentals near Mount Rushmore.
The pair believe that beautiful design should be accessible and affordable, and they make an effort to save money in creative ways, like scouring local thrift stores for unique pieces that can be reused or updated.
If you’ve visited their website or social media, you already have a sense of the clean, modern aesthetic that Hays and Aylward have curated.
HAYS + AYLWARD → HAYWARD DESIGN CO.
As with any project, the client’s desires are most important, but the team at Hayward Design Co. has developed a distinctive style and eye for design that helps guide their projects.
“The flow of a home is so important,” said Hays. “Every room can be unique, but it has to flow. We want the whole home to go together, and that takes a lot of energy.”
And, of course, each project comes with its own set of rewards and challenges.
From dealing with clients who want to be involved in every detail, to those who hand the project over completely, Hays and Aylward have experience with a wide variety of budgets, timelines, personalities, and styles.
But their work doesn’t always end with design.
“We normally have a handyman, but there was one time when no one was free to take the job, and we ended up having to do it all,” said Aylward. “We’re not against getting our hands dirty. We’ll get the
job done.”
As the company and their projects have developed over these last two years, their passion for the work has only become more clear.
“I remember back when we did our first staging project and we walked away like, ‘Did you love that? I loved that,’” said Hays. “We were able to go into someone’s house and make it beautiful, so I think we knew right from the beginning that this was it.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT HAYWARDDESIGNO.COM.
