THE DESIGNER
Happenstance led superstar Ashley Woodson Bailey to stumble upon an untapped talent for capturing still life images, which would end up leading to a booming career within just a few years time. In 2012, through a scary twist of fate (that she explains in her wonderful video interview below), Ashley started taking pictures of flower arrangements on her phone and sharing them on social media. It didn’t take long for the world to notice how special these images were, and how strong and resilient she was in the face of tragedy. Ashley has the rare ability to capture the beauty and soul of her floral subjects throughout their entire life cycle, and she does it in a way that is emotionally moving….
At the request of friends, she started selling large scale prints of her images, and after much success has now expanded into a new medium, wallpaper. The main feature of this room is a jaw-dropping accent wall draped with her ‘Storm‘ paper.
Adorable Ashley is now opening up her own home to Hanover Avenue and walking us through how her living room came together, and sharing insider secrets in her video interview. We had the best time chatting with her and spending time getting to know this killer room (even as jet-lagged as I was she still cracked me up)! Ashley living room is a clear reflection of her love for life, fantastic outlook on style, and how she finds beauty and opportunity in even the most inopportune moments in life!
SHOP THIS LOOK
A quick list of what we love!
shiny turquoise piggy bank / colorful graphic design pillow / black and white bird print loveseat / yellow table lamps / black rattan fan chair / vintage “retro” record player
*And you can click any item below to take you to a detailed shopping list with links to every store!*
BEHIND THE SCENES
Wanna learn how cool Ashley Woodson Bailey really is?! Watch this behind-the-scenes video where she not only reveals the design secrets behind her room but major secrets to her success!
5 TIPS ON HOW TO GET THIS LOOK
1. Power of the Accent Wall – Um, we clearly love a statement wall at Hanover Avenue! We have already shown you how to spruce up your space with a wallpaper accent wall, but this is a great reminder that you shouldn’t be scared to go bold. Ashley and her husband selected one of her very own wallpapers to create a big moment in her living room, and ooohweeee is it impactful! We love that she dared to go moody with this wall, as it creates an intimate feeling for the space and also serves as a great backdrop to the pops of brightly colored accessories.
2. Black Lampshade on Vintage Lamps – When it comes to vintage lamps, we find a black shade is a winner almost 100% of the time. It takes a quirkiness and gives it a refined edge, and we think it always makes the lamp look more expensive and important.
3. Buy What You Love – Ashley has always been drawn to midcentury shapes and furniture, even before it was all the rage. She bought pieces she liked rather than pieces that were of the moment, and as a result, was able to score some seriously fabulous items at a great price! So follow Ashley lead and trust your instincts as you decorate your home. If there is a piece of furniture you love, we say buy it, because you may be a trend setter and see your style become coveted!
4. You Don’t Have to be ‘Match-y Match-y’ – Too often we see rooms that look like they were created in a ‘Paint by Numbers’ sort of way – BORING!! Instead of following this trend, Ashley layered her room with different textures, patterns and colors to make it feel like her own. In order to unite the space, Ashley chose to have a pillow made in the same fabric as her slipper chairs and then placed it on the sofa directly across from them. She then added several other pillows in a range of bright colors to the sofa, including two pillows in the same fabric pattern but in a slightly different color. The result is a curated look that is anything but expected.
5. Re-Upholster Vintage Furniture – Vintage furniture is a great investment, especially when the frames are in good condition. Look on sites like eBay and Craigslist to score pieces at a cheap price, and then you can spend the money on re-upholstering these treasures in something that you love! Older furniture is often “built to last”, so you’ll end up with a custom piece that is made better than most of what is on the market today! WIN!!
THE COVETED DETAILS
Don’t be afraid to put a bold piece of art on top of bold wallpaper. When decorating her space, Ashley called upon one of her very good friends, Savannah-based artist Katherine Sandoz, to create a piece of art that captured some of her favorite things – flowers, animals, and Frida Kahlo. Katherine drew inspiration from Ashley’s wallpapers to come up with the field of flowers in the foreground, setting up a visual connection between the artwork and the wallpaper, and then juxtaposed the lower half of the painting with brighter colors in the top half. The pops of turquoise used to represent the sky draw visitors into Frida’s world and into the painting, all the while encouraging even more thought and appreciation of the stunning wallpaper that the piece is placed upon.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Holy COW are we ever inspired by Ashley! She is the kind of girl/artist/mother/wife that you just want to be friends with, and her humor and grounded outlook on the highs and lows of life are inspiring. She is a true artist, a brilliant business woman, and one stylish forward thinking gal! We hope you love her room as much as we do and have a blast recreating this look in your own house!
xoxo
Anne
