Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Myles.
Ashley, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I first fell in love with all things interior design when I was ten years old…all thanks to HGTV! I watched one of their shows when I discovered the network; that was the first time I witnessed a before and after design transformation, and since then, I’ve been hooked! I was so enamored with the interior design world that I knew I HAD to have my own interior design company. I was most inspired by the show, Divine Design with Candice Olsen. Her design style resonated with me the most, and I always looked forward to her dramatic room transformations.
Fast forward to high school and college, where my mom always looked to me to make design choices and decorate rooms in our home. Our family and friends would come over to visit, and always ask, “Who decorated this?” or “Where did this come from? I love it!” and my mom would always note that I was responsible for the design choices. That’s when I knew I was on to something! During the summer before my junior year of high school, I had the wonderful opportunity to work as the design assistant of an interior design company in Houston, and learned a lot of the ins and outs of daily operations, had the chance to experience design consultations, order fabrics, watch the designer create designs tailored to each client’s home, and assist at the design installations…basically the whole nine! I will never forget the impression made upon me and the experience and perspective I gained from this opportunity…I am forever grateful. I have carried these experiences with me and they helped mold me into the designer I am today!
Shortly after college, I officially redesigned my first space, began creating my portfolio, and in January 2014, The Element of Design was born. When I initially started my business, it was specifically tailored to residential interior design, however, it has since expanded to include commercial interior design, virtual design services (that I refer to as eDesign), and wedding and event planning/design as well. I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the event and wedding planner for events/weddings as small as 20 guests all the way to 300+. It’s a different element to the business, but event design/planning can often overlap with interior design at times. It’s always about maximizing a space’s potential and of course with planning, time management is always key to making things run smoothly. This is true with both event planning and interior design.
At this stage in my business, I have designed over 100 spaces and planned 10 weddings and events! Although I have experienced much success and enjoyed planning weddings and events, I will be pivoting my business to focus on my first love, which is transforming residential interiors.
I am excited at how far I have come in 6.5 years and look forward to watching my business continue to grow and thrive!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has definitely not always been a smooth road! At the beginning, I sought mentorship and gained it from a couple of local designers who helped me on my way. Having not been classically trained in interior design, there was a lot I had to learn, so my mentors guided me when needed and the rest I researched, learned and taught myself the information I needed to know to be knowledgeable in this arena. The drive and love for interior design is what kept me going when clients were hard to come by or when I was having growing pains within my business. Learning what worked best for me as a business owner was trial and error in some cases, and that is what made things a bit difficult.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into The Element of Design story. Tell us more about the business.
I specialize in residential interior design…that’s my first love! My favorite areas to perform design work in are the living room and master bedroom. I love to create spaces that give the feel of a model home, but with the functionality for the way my clients live and comfortability of an everyday home where you can feel relaxed. I believe I am known for designing for the way my clients live, creating unique spaces for each client’s individual home, and since I do a lot of two-story living rooms, I believe the way that I utilize wall space and the custom window treatments I design are one of my design hallmarks.
I am most proud of the positive working relationships I share with my current and former clientele and the spaces I have created for them. The positive relationships that I have garnered with my clients have been paramount to the growth of my business, as they have created many repeat clients and I have gained many recommendations for their friends and family to utilize my design services as well.
I am also very proud of the fact that the designs I create work well for my clients’ homes years after the design installations have been completed. To me, that signifies that they have received great service and quality furnishings, which makes me very happy!
Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
If I could offer advice to anyone starting their journey with growing a successful interior design business, I would say to definitely obtain help from a mentor. They can offer experience and perspective that you may not have, they can show you the ropes, and can guide you to avoid some pitfalls they may have encountered as business owners. You may even find a mentor who happens to need a design assistant, so that can also be beneficial in allowing you to gain experience by working with them on some design projects before spreading your wings to go out on your own.
I would also remind those just starting the journey to be patient. It’s rare to be an overnight success, but if you keep working at it, and applying knowledge gained, the success will come!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theelementofdesignhouston.com
- Email: the_elementofdesign@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/the_elementofdesign
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theelementofdesignhouston
Image Credit:
Christopher Rojas
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