Sitting down with Ashley Whittaker was such a joy, and we're confident you'll learn a TON from this episode. It's one of my favorite episodes to date because we talk about creating color palettes, why every room needs something grimy, the 'hows' and 'whys' of the room and why they're more important than the 'whats,' and why a jewel tone works in almost any space. We also talk about the difference between color tone and value and why that's important to consider when decorating your home. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: Ashley wasn’t formally educated as a designer, but she cites working for a good designer as some of the best education out there. More about how Ashley and her team find a thread throughout each room of the home to have a place for our eye to land and bring restfulness to the design. The importance of contrast in decorating, and why we don’t have to be matchy matchy. Why seeing it on paper is sometimes easier than walking through the house, and a few of Ashley’s favorite storyboard ideas. What traditional elements Ashley finds herself gravitating towards, and ways she keeps it fun and fresh. Why it’s good to feel pretty, but not too pretty, and how throwing in an “ugly” flower now and then can take our projects to the next level. The golden rule of staying sane while decorating: Let go of control and be perfectly imperfect. Ashey’s goal on making sure clients really love their rooms, and the more livable the better. Her stunning use of wallpapers, and why we shouldn’t be afraid of it. Why she loves velvet, jewel tones, and camo green. Why the finishes are important to creating contrast, and her tendency to take a dark room and make it even darker. Mentioned In This Episode Ashley Whittaker Design  Billy  Baldwin  decorates  Jeffrey  Bilhuber’s  Design  Basics Lee Jofa  House  Beautiful @ashleywhittakerdesign Decorating Dilemmas: We love what you have going already! Some of Ashley’s suggestions are to leave the ledge undecorated, and think about putting a plantation shutter on the window, so it becomes more architectural and less of a window. Ashley always likes to be on the second floor reaching out to touch the light from the balcony, so that may be something to aim for in the future as well. Her rule for adding a light fixture: take the length and width of feet in a room and add them together for the inches. A large chandelier would add some depth and fill out the room. If you are also looking for a great shoe organizer, check out  this  one from Ballard Design!