Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Ausland.
Hi Ashley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve loved interiors and space planning for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I would buy home magazines full of architectural floor plans, pick my favorites, give them names and tag them for my future reference. I spent all my free time curating my dollhouse and building my dream home out of Lego. Interior design is a part of me, it’s in my bones. When I graduated college, I was planning on continuing my education to become a teacher, and one day my husband (then boyfriend) asked me why I wasn’t going to pursue interior design? For some reason, I never thought to make it a career path, even though it really was a passion and not just a hobby. I decided to enroll in a design program at UCLA and that was the beginning of it all. I had an internship for a commercial company and realized the corporate office life wasn’t for me. I then worked at a local design firm for six years as an overly opinionated assistant honing my design skills.
After having my second baby, I decided to leave the firm and I was going to be a stay at home mom- I thought that really was what I was meant to be…. it was wonderful and I fondly recall that period in my life. In 2014, A few months into my new reality of changing diapers and breastfeeding a newborn and a 15 months old, my former colleague asked if I wanted to take on a design job that she couldn’t fit in her sched… I was a bag of emotions- excited, scared, honored, nervous I wasn’t ready… but I said yes and that was the beginning of Ausland Interiors. What started out as a stay-at-home mom’s side hustle has now organically blossomed into a growing design firm that employs three other working moms and a healthy portfolio of beautiful homes that our clients are enjoying life in right now! So far, it has been a wonderful, overwhelming, and unexpected journey!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! More like the gnarliest roller coaster you’ve ever been on! Growing a business when you are naturally not a business person is the ultimate test of perseverance. I have had many moments of feeling inadequate, being in over my head, unsure if I could really do this- but I just keep grinding, and learning, and trying to stay humble and true to myself. I’m surrounded with incredibly supportive family and friends that have championed me along the way, and they have kept me going!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are a boutique interior design firm aiming to enhance the way our clients enjoy their everyday life. Personally, I thrive when it comes to space planning the function and flow of a home. We specialize in ground-up construction and major remodels, and fortunately the community where we live and work is humming with construction at all times. We work hand in hand with contractors and tradespeople to create custom homes for our amazing clientele. Plot twist, I am also a historian (graduated with a history degree from UCLA- remember I was going to be a teacher), and I do love to preserve as much of the past as possible. We work hard to find ways to salvage materials, buy vintage or incorporate old elements into our new designs when possible. Being conscious about waste and excess is something we care about. The reality is our industry is full of both, and we try to do our best to minimize where we can. I also have a very healthy (some might say borderline hoarding) collection of found vintage treasures, some architectural, some decorative, that I have gathered over the last decade plus. We love to incorporate vintage pieces in all our designs because they just don’t make stuff like they used to! We now have a studio space where we will be able to display and sell all of my curated vintage treasures!
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Authenticity to my own values, thoughts, and convictions. Being a team player and leaving my ego at the door. Also, treating everyone with the same respect, from the client right on down to the gentleman hired to clean up the job sites… I love working with people from all walks of life and learning from their experiences!
Contact Info:
- Email: Info@auslandinteriors.com
- Website: www.auslandinteriors.com
- Instagram: @auslandinteriors
- Facebook: @auslandinteriors
Image Credits:
Ashley Ausland Marisa Vitale Lauren Pressey Jessica J Alexander
