Harmonizing Innovation with Design
About Impera Interior Design
Great design has the power to shape how we feel, move, and live within a space. It can energize, calm, inspire, and connect—and that belief is at the heart of Impera Interior Design, a boutique interior design studio based in Poway, California, serving clients throughout Southern California.
Founded by Kelly Layton in 2023, Impera Interior Design brings big-firm experience to a highly personal, hands-on studio. With over a decade of professional experience in both residential and commercial interior design, Kelly approaches each project as a thoughtful balance of beauty, function, and livability—creating spaces that feel intentional, refined, and deeply personal. As a boutique studio, Impera offers a highly collaborative, hands-on design experience tailored to each client and project.
The name Impera, meaning “to conquer” in Latin, reflects the studio’s ethos: to conquer the mundane and design spaces that feel inspired rather than ordinary. Impera is grounded in the belief that great interior design should support real life—busy families, growing businesses, and evolving routines—and work for the people who use them every day.
At Impera Interior Design, design is not about trends or quick decisions. It’s about creating timeless, livable spaces that feel good to be in—today and for years to come.
About Kelly Layton
Founder and Lead Designer Kelly Layton earned her bachelor’s degree in interior design from San Diego State University and built her career designing offices, higher-education environments, and curated interiors through established commercial furniture dealerships and design firms. This background shaped a strategic, detail-driven approach to design—one that considers not just how a space looks, but how it performs. She holds both NCIDQ and WELL AP certifications, ensuring every project meets high standards for safety, functionality, and wellness.
Whether designing a home that feels more aligned with a family’s lifestyle or a commercial space that supports productivity, growth, and employee well-being, Kelly serves as both a strategic guide and trusted advocate throughout the process. Clients value her warm, collaborative approach, her ability to visualize the finished space, and her attention to the details that often feel overwhelming—so they don’t have to manage them alone.