Talk Shop: Ashley Gilbreath // Ashley Gilbreath Interiors
ABOUT ASHLEY
Ashley Gilbreath is a southern-based interior designer renowned for creating casual, elegant spaces where the family can gather to celebrate everyday living. Her fresh take on the industry can be seen in Southern Living, House Beautiful, LUXE, Coastal Living, Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle, and in homes from Florida to Connecticut. She is renowned for creating casual, elegant spaces where the family can gather to celebrate everyday living. She is a winner of the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art’s coveted Shutze Award. Ashley lives in Rosemary Beach, Florida, with her husband and three children. As Gilbreath says, “Faith keeps me going, family keeps me smiling!”
Her work is thoughtfully and patiently designed to ensure memories are wrapped in a feeling of love, comfort, and beauty—which can be seen so easily in her work. Recently, Ashley was one of the designers chosen for the Palm Beach Kips Bay Showhouse, and her tented retreat room (seen below) was a standout. Read below for more information on Ashley and her design philosophy!
Describe your style in three words or less:
Timeless, causal, elegant.
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
Family, growing up in the south and that hospitable feel-good environment, and travel.
How did you start your company, and/or what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I love meeting and building relationships with our precious clients and the privilege of creating their version of home and playing a small part in how they remember their lives.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I’ve been blessed by being surrounded by very encouraging people. My husband, in particular, is my biggest cheerleader.
What does your home say about you:
Hopefully that it is hospitable! I’d like to think that anyone could walk in and not be afraid to sit down. I value a mix of old and new, so there is a sense of legacy and heritage, and I treasure family antiques and other special pieces that have been passed down.
Where do you find inspiration:
Through travel.
Who are your style icons:
Billy Baldwin, Bunny Williams, and Gil Schafer.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Fresh flowers or something cut from the yard, pretty glasses, real linen napkins, and some fun tunes!
Do you collect anything:
I love vintage plates and pretty place settings!
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
There are so many good ones! In my eyes, Gil Schafer can do absolutely no wrong!
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
You can’t have multiple pairs. Too many sets of twos is too many. To be broken…go big or go home! You need something unexpected in a space, and I love to play with scale.
What are you working on right now:
A book with Gibbs Smith!
Wardrobe staples:
A classic white shirt.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
So hard! There are so many favorites, but I do love a stripe. It’s completely timeless, whether it’s a shirting stripe, ticking, or oversized cabana, I don’t think I’ve ever designed a room that doesn’t have a stripe in it.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Edit.
Best career advice you ever received:
To make sure that the homes we design reflect the client. We want the spaces we design to feel like we’ve been there, but not like we live there.
Type of home purchases you invest in, and save on:
I always like to invest in antiques. A classic timeless antique will withstand the test of time. An easy place to cut costs is to go with a seagrass or sisal rug which are cost-effective but still feel very timeless and classic.
Your greatest extravagance:
In real life, travel and experiences are so important to me because they result in precious memories. In the interiors world, original artwork is a wonderful purchase that should only appreciate.
Favorite places to shop for home:
Any really good antique store! Especially love the antique stores in Atlanta, and of course, Scott’s is a go-to.
Most prized possession and why:
Pictures of my babies!
Your interiors motto:
You should be surrounded by pieces you love, whether they’re sentimental or antique or just something you’ve found and really like.
Your life motto:
We are here for a moment and the only thing we take with us is our memories.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Look at your personal style to see what colors you are drawn to and look good in. I also think a lot of our personal style is rooted in childhood memories, and how you felt when you were little. Thinking about your happy memories and what they looked like is a great placed to start!
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Chocolate chip cookie
Drink: Water with lemon or a Paloma
Film: Dirty Dancing or Pretty Woman
Hotel: Hotel Certosa Di Maggiano in Italy
City: Carmel
Bedding: Leontine
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Coffee, with oat milk
Playlist: Bill Charlap on Spotify
Weekend Activity: Spending time with family
Design Book: Billy Baldwin Decorates