I’m truly thrilled you’re here reading this. Honestly, it’s a bit of a pinch-me moment that I’m even writing it. So… how did I get here? Let’s just say my path to interior design wasn’t exactly traditional. When I attended design school, I was focused on a career in fashion and never imagined leaving the West Coast. But, as life often does, it had a few wonderful curveballs in store. After several years in the not-so-glamorous fashion world, marrying the Southern boy of my dreams, and wrapping up our time in San Francisco, I found myself in North Carolina—excited (and slightly nervous) about what would come next.
To my surprise, I welcomed the unknown. Not long before, I couldn’t have imagined leaving the Bay Area. I started exploring the idea of real estate, thinking my background in marketing and my knack for seeing potential in spaces might be a good fit. But I hesitated—something about it didn’t fully tap into the creative side I was craving.
Around that time, I connected with Kaila Visconti—now a dear friend and the founder of Curly Willow Design Studio. She had just launched her own staging business in Durham, and we instantly bonded as fellow California transplants. I was fascinated by the world of interiors and deeply impressed by the bold leap she had taken to start her own business.
While I dabbled in real estate for a bit, the stars eventually aligned. When Kaila announced she was ready to hire her first employee, I didn’t hesitate. A couple of years later, after leading all of the studio’s interior design inquiries, I knew I had found the career I was meant for.
Launching Ashley Wells Design has been no small feat—especially with my two little associates, Jack and Hugh, along for the ride—but I couldn’t be prouder of where I am today. I’m forever grateful to the clients who’ve trusted me, my family for their endless support, and, of course, to Kaila for giving me the nudge I didn’t know I needed.
If you’re reading this and considering a career change or dreaming of launching something new, let this be your sign. I’ll be the voice cheering you on—because fear won’t take you anywhere.
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