Fraught Subjects

“Are white kitchens out?” …

NO- they are classic and can be done in a way that feels at once fresh and timeless, as illustrated in the collage of images below….

“Is gray outdated?” …

NO- I don’t think any color ever goes out of style. It’s all in how it’s utilized and paired with other elements…

“How do I maximize corner cabinets?” …

Effective methods include framing in (and even paneling) the corner in to create a column into which shelves and cabinets can terminate (example is top right image), having open shelving (example is top left image), and having a tall “tower” cabinet that steps back from the adjacent cabinet (example if bottom middle image)….

“Are there rules for mixing metals?” …

NO- the image below illustrates a mix of polished nickel plumbing, brushed brass cabinet hardware and lighting, and black framed mirrors. Metallic elements can be balanced to all work in harmony, and avoid too matchy of a look…

A Little Background...

Some of Ashton’s earliest memories involve crafting elaborate miniature houses from cardboard boxes and magazine clippings. She's since devoted her academic, leisure, and professional pursuits to cultivating this innate impulse to create inspiring environments.

With her Bachelors and Masters in Architecture from Virginia Tech, and professional experience in both architecture and interiors, Ashton now focuses on the aspects of design she most loves- the architectural details, finishes, and fixtures of residential design.

Since 2012, Ashton has been shepherding renovation and new construction clients through the design conceptualization process as well as the design selections process, and enjoys the challenge of achieving a cohesive design within the parameters of a client’s budget, timeline and personal needs and preferences. 

In her free time, she enjoys plotting adventures near and far, often with a component of gleaning design inspiration. She lives in her hometown, Greenville, SC, with her husband, Mike, and daughters Vivian and Willa.

Ashton’s focus is walking clients through the planning and building/renovation of their homes, guiding them through the process of defining design details, and selecting materials and fixtures. This is typically accomplished in about 8-10 in-person design meetings, in addition to support phone and email support throughout a project.

She offers guidance with a goal of a cohesive finished product, and weighs in on design selections accordingly, while staying mindful of clients’ personal needs and preferences, timeline, and budget. 

Throughout, Ashton works closely with vendors, subcontractors and project managers to help ensure the clients’ design vision is achieved.

About Me

About me: Grew up in Greenville, and returned after college and some time in Alexandira, VA... Undergrad and Graduate degrees in Architecture from Virginia Tech....mom of two young daughters... love travel, the arts, and history, all of which feed my design eye + curiosity

My home: The color palette is restrained, so the visual interest comes from a play of textures and the juxtaposition of classic and contemporary pieces.

The front living room is the space that welcomes you when you enter the house, and many of the main living areas are visible from this room; It sets a vibe of airiness and clean/architectural lines, punctuated by whimsical touches.

Behind the vibe: My home is constantly evolving. It seems that each time I move or introduce a piece, there's a a domino effect- I'm always after a balance of scale, texture, and color. Though ever-evolving, it remains visually serene, and calms my multitasking brain.

Tips:

-INCORPORATE ONE OF A KIND FINDS FROM ANTIQUE STORES AND SHOPS LIKE ETSY. THIS PREVENTS THE ROOM FROM FEELING LIKE IT WAS DONE ALL AT ONCE, GIVING IT STYLE AND THOUGHTFULNES.

-CARRY A STATEMENT COLOR THROUGHOUT ROOM TO ACHIEVE BALANCE- HERE, IT WAS GOLD...   

-IN A FLOORPLAN WHERE SPACES FLOW VISUALLY, MAKE SURE THERE ARE COMMON THREADS THAT TIE THE SPACES TOGETHER

-NATURAL FIBER RUGS ARE A COST EFFECTIVE OPTION THAT CAN SERVE AS A GOOD ANCHOR FOR OTHER PIECES, AND SERVE AS A GOOD BASE ON WHICH TO LAYER SMALLER/DECORATIVE RUGS

-LAYER LIGHTING FOR A COZIER EFFECT AT NIGHT

-IF YOU DON'T HAVE CONDITIONS FOR SYMMETRY, TRY TO ACHIEVE BALANCE THROUGH SCALE, COLOR, TEXTURE, ETC. 

-LOW SEATING CAN MAKE CEILINGS FEEL LOFTY... 

-CHOOSE SOME BIG STATEMENTS (3 SEEM TO WORK WELL), AND EVERTHING ELSE CAN BE SIMPLE  

Elegant Stair Handrails and Balustrades for Every Aesthetic

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The Impact of Large Scale Art

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Artist Emma van Leest

ARTIST STATEMENT: My mother taught me to sew when I was quite young, and since then I’ve enjoyed the repetitive and meditative nature of hand-scale sewing.  Over time I became aware of the feminine traditions which I was connecting to, in particular the transformative nature of handicrafts – the potential to transform an everyday and normal object or material, such as plain cotton, paper or wool, into something beautiful, valuable and useful that would be treasured for generations.

Paper cutting is the perfect embodiment of this idea.  The skill is developed over time, through the repetition of many thousands of cuts.  In India, paper cutting is practised by a small group of artisans whose families have been the custodians of the skills and knowledge for generations.  Their practice is bedded in devotion to the Hindu god Krishna, so everything they do in their daily working becomes an act of devotion by default.  In the same way, I began to find my own practice, involving many solitary hours of careful and painstaking cutting to be an embodiment of my devotion to the act of creating, and in particular, of creating something beautiful from the everyday.

Paper was invented to tell stories, so it is the perfect medium to convey my fantastical imaginings.  What began as a collage project became miniature theatre sets and evolved to what I do today.  I collect imagery from a variety of sources – gardening magazines, medieval illustrations, Baroque landscape paintings, Chinese and Indian comic books, Mughal and Persian miniatures – and create fantastical montages of imagined fairy worlds.

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Damien Hirst- The Complete Psalm Paintings

A new publication from Other Criteria, the publishing company co-founded by (artist) Damien Hirst sees the artist's famous Psalm Paintings series comprehensively collected. Back in 2008, Damien Hirst created a series of 150 paintings using butterfly wings and household gloss paint. Each of the paintings took its title from the Book of Psalms, a section of the Hebrew Bible. The iridescent butterfly wings combine to create colorful kaleidoscopic patterns resembling stained glass windows. The new book features all of the paintings with the corresponding Psalm on the opposite page, printed on images of individually selected marble samples. The publication also features essays by Michael Bracewell and Amie Cory exploring the background of the artworks. 

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Strawberry Hill House, Twickenham, London

Horace Walpole (1717-1797), son of Britain's first Prime Minister, built Strawberry HIll, in Twickenham, London, to house his vast collection of art. Visitors can now experience his castle, which he called a ‘plaything house’ and in choosing the gothic style for Strawberry Hill he deliberately avoided the fashionable classical idioms of his time: columns, pediments, order and symmetry.

In collaboration with a group of amateur architect friends he based his designs on the architecture of the great gothic cathedrals and abbeys. Medieval tombs, arched doorways, rose windows and carved screens were models for his fireplaces, windows, doors and ceilings. Books of prints rather than the buildings themselves were his reference point and, instead of carved stone, the rooms and ornament of Strawberry Hill are wood, plaster and papier mache.

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Spring Entertaining a la Stone Fox Bride

The tableau pictured above is featured on the "sweets" page of  the website for the innovative (and bohemian) Manhattan bridal salon, Stone Fox Bride.

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Designer Max Rollitt

Max Rollit, a young UK-based designer, furniture restorer, cabinet maker, and antiques dealer, Max Rollitt, belies his age through his timeless aesthetic, completed through the thoughtful use of antiques from his own shop. 

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Jim Hannon-Tan's Nesting Tables

Jim Hannon-Tan, a senior product designer at Marcel Wanders Studio in Amsterdam, developed the Nesting Tables out of a desire to economize Carrara marble, a limited resource.

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PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL EASTMAN'S "VANISHING AMERICA"

"Michael Eastman documented these landscapes in his series, "Vanishing America," flawlessly capturing the faded colors and rough surfaces of these obsolete buildings and ignored spaces. His travels throughout America consumed more than three years and took the photographer through 40 states as he looked for more and more examples of compelling age-worn textures." -Source