Friend Over For The Weekend - Ashley from ASH Interiors

Well hello there! I am Ashley Sullivan Hawthorne of ASH Interiors. I am very excited to be guest blogging for Mattie! She and I have been friends for a good little while, and have always connected over anything creative. She’s got a good thing goin’ on this blog at the etsy store, so keep your eyes on her! I am an interior designer by trade, along with being a mom, a wife, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a Christian, a painter, a blogger, an amateur chef, and several other random things such as a magazine addict, a social networking junkie, a follower of more blogs than I can count, and an honorary member of the paparazzi (can I say star struck?).

Enough of this chit-chat, let’s get down to business! I’ll be highlighting three trends that I am seeing EVERYWHERE for spring home interiors. Keep up with me at the ASH Interiors blog if you would like, because we do this kind of stuff all the time!


#1: Mellow Yellow. Yellow is the color of happiness and Joy! Just think- sunflowers, Easter dresses, frozen lemonade, Ronald McDonald’s jumpsuit, and rubber duckies. Don’t all of those things make you smile? Well maybe RM’s jumpsuit makes you shiver in terror, but you get the point. Yellow is always in but the shades and tones vary from season to season. This year is all about mellow yellow.





a.  Spiral Vine Curtains from Anthropologie – ($88-$108) I have some curtains from Anthropologie, and can confidently recommend them based on style and quality. They are wonderful! Watch their site, because they have wonderful sales on everything, especially window treatments! These are a beautiful shade of yellow- sort of an ochre. The purple accents work really well because purple and yellow are complimentary colors, meaning they are across from each other on the color wheel.

b.  West Elm Hive Vase – ($24) These are so precious! I love vases, and these are just so perfect for a few twigs of green picked straight from your yard! How about snapping off a twig from a crepe myrtle, or a few sprigs of fern? This is cheaper than buying flowers, and most certainly are available outside almost any house or apartment.

c.  Chiasso Chroma Pillow in Yellow – ($38) These pillows work so well because the colors are fresh and new but the rich natural texture of the weave grounds them in contrast! I love all the colors on their site, but this one is especially spunky!

d.  Yellow Mugs – A fun way to implement yellow, or any other hot new color, into your life is by small items that you use frequently. They are inexpensive, and able to used over and over and over, unlike a vase on a shelf. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some vases on shelves, but utilitarian items such as coffee cups are often neglected as a way to spice things up and keep from getting bored with your surroundings. The two featured are the Pantone Mug (love the whole series! $12.99) and the CB2 Beam Mug ($2.95).

e.  Knoll Spark Lounge Chair – ($247) When it comes to classic, long lasting furniture, you can never go wrong with Knoll. I absolutely love this lounge chair. It is a classic design in a fresh fun color!

f.  Bird Stuf at Pop Deluxe – ($24.99) This adorable little guy is sort of throw pillow, sort of toy! If you shake it, it tweets! I love it! They have other bird species, by the way.

g.  Mellow Yellow Collection from Calico Corners – This new collection is just so pretty. I love the patters and shades offered. Check them out for all your fabric needs (and wants!). Maybe you can cover some cork squares and hang on the wall for pin up space? Maybe you should make a throw pillow? Maybe glue it on an old coffee can and make a vase? Limitless options exist!

h.  Chiasso Maze Rug – $298 Chiasso has some wonderful rugs in contemporary colors and patterns. I especially love this yellow and white one! It is perfect and will not go out of style anytime soon.



#2: Natural Textures. Natural textures are hotter than ever! They are not showing up at all of the big box stores yet, but they are making their presence known and will soon be everywhere!





a. Crate and Barrel Rattan Dining Chair ($71.95) This is a great little chair for a great little price! The rattan texture works great with the slim chrome legs to look both warm and contemporary.

b. David Stark Zebra Rug from West Elm ($179) Everyone loves zebra rugs! This one is a new take on an old favorite. Made of jute, it is durable and strong.

c. Room and Board Open Stool ($349) This little guy works as both an occasional table or a stool. I love versatile pieces like this. The beautiful wood grain will never go out of style!

d. Anthropologie’s Washed Ashore Lamp ($225) What a beauty! Enough said.

e. Calico Corners Natural Beauty Fabric Collection These fabrics would be beautiful made into curtains or pillows. Try thinking outside of the box as well and cover a bulletin board or an old paint can to make a planter! The possibilities are endless!

f. West Elm Curved Basket Collection ($29-$54) Baskets are baaaaaack! These are great handy ones that will last for a long time. West Elm has wonderful quality accessories, and these baskets are no exception.




#3: Gold is Back! Here is an example of how interiors follow fashion. Remember when everyone started wearing gold jewelry and purses and shoes again? For awhile, everyone was replacing everything in their wardrobes and houses with bronze, and then it was brushed nickel and chrome and silver. Now, it is gold! This time, though, it is not as extreme. Rather than taking out everything of another metal, just add a few touches of gold here and there! I am about to liberate you. Are you ready??? METALS CAN BE MISMATCHED IN THE SAME ROOM!!! Whew. Now that we got that straight, you can feel free to throw in a few gold accents – just like a gold watch with other silver jewelry. Don’t be scared!




a. Z Gallerie Borghese Mirrored End Table ($349) What a precious little table! This would be fabulous in almost any living room- even on that had a more simple Pottery Barn-ish look. It would also be great in a powder room or a bedroom.

b. Antique Door Knob ($14) This is a great way to add something special in place of an ordinary door knob. How about using this on your master bedroom door and closets?

c. Anthropologie Whistling Thorn Wallpaper ($88/roll) I love wallpaper! If you missed the memo, it made a HUGE comeback a year or so ago. This one is absolutely great. The pattern is more traditional, but if you hang a contemporary piece of art on it, or even some casual framed artwork by your kids, this will work just right! Try not to make the room too serious or it will feel like a hotel. Use it somewhere unexpected!

d. Gilded Grasscloth Pillow Cover ($39) Aw I love this! I just ordered 2 gold pillows for my red/orange sofas or I would get this! Kyle, my husband, hates pillows so I try to restrain ☺ He hates very little things, so this one is pretty easy to comply with!

e. Z Gallerie Kemp Vase ($99.95) Beautiful! This vase is tall. Use it in the center of your table if you don’t have a chandelier. If you cannot do that, it would be great on a dresser in the bedroom, a console table, or just about anywhere! You will keep this forever! If you get sick of it one day, spray paint it something funky and keep on going!

Well guys and gals, this has been fun! Thank you for reading and I hope you learned a little bit more about what is around the corner in home fashions! Hop on over to ASH Interiors anytime!

-Ash