- Location
- Toronto, ON
- project type
- Residential
- square footage
- 8,000 sq. ft.
- timeline
- 3 years
- moodboard
- Warm and cozy meets big city
- the challenge
- To make a large home feel intimate
In the hustling, bustling heart of Toronto there’s a tree fort. Or at least, a beautiful home that feels like one. That was the challenge—and the pleasure—for interior designer Ashley Montgomery as she designed a home for a young family of four. In the main room, floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors reach as tall as the backyard trees, so Ashley kept her choices serene, organic, neutral. She also had the (not uncommon) challenge of fusing her client’s two diverging styles into a flowing, cohesive vision—one was a laid-back coastal, the other veered modern and streamlined. Step inside the home to see the results.
Inside Ashley's Project
Loloi – Is there a constant theme in your design work, in this project and every home you work on?
Ashley – I think it’s creating a space that’s calming and relaxing. It’s similar to my fashion choices and my day-to-day lifestyle. I love to be comfortable, and when we’re designing spaces, I want them to be comfortable as well. It’s the equivalent of, say, that old ratty sweater that you’ve kept in your closet for years [laughs], and when you put it on, you feel at home.
Loloi – In this home, how did those colossal glass windows influence your design choices inside?
Ashley – With all of the foliage—trees and flowers and everything—there’s a lot of green tones that come in. So we needed to balance that with our choices on the interior. I like to work with a natural color palette and earth tones, so bringing in a lot of blues and browns, mustard yellows, deep purples, and reds throughout the space.
Loloi – Your other big challenge was that your clients’ styles were so different. How does that show up in the home?
Ashley – The curved, dry-walled staircase tends to lean more modern, whereas the soft furnishings have a little bit more texture, a little bit of coziness to them. There’s a nice balance between the striking architectural concepts and then the casual, comfortable furniture pieces.
Loloi – Let’s talk about those soft furnishings. What are some considerations you have when picking out rugs?
Ashley – Rugs are meant to be walked on, lived on, spilled on. They’re going to be used. But rugs can also be cleaned, which is a reminder that that needs to be said every once in a while, which is why we use them in kitchens.
Loloi – What about rugs for the bigger spaces, like the living room?
Ashley – We use rugs as artwork. It’s artwork for the floor. So in spaces that demand something beautiful and that pop of color, it’s really important to choose a rug that is going to hold its own. When you’re working in spaces like kitchens or more utilitarian spaces, you may look at rugs that you can replace more often. But your main rugs, those feature spaces, you want to invest in something you’re going to hold on to for a lifetime.
Loloi – Is there anything special you designed for the kids in the family?
Ashley – Our clients wanted to integrate what we call “the Lego room” or “the puzzle den,” and so there’s a hidden door off of the office den space. When you walk in, there’s a spot where they can work on their puzzles, their Lego creations, and then we’ve got open shelves in there to showcase what they’ve been working on. It’s a really nice moment for their family.
Loloi – Is there any advice you’d share with someone looking to get into the interior design business?
Ashley – A mentor once gave me a great piece of advice, and it was basically “fake it ‘til you make it.” No one knows what’s “in,” what’s “out.” If you exude that confidence on the outside and really trust what you’re doing, your clients are going to trust you too.
For more inspiration – @ashleymontgomerydesign – Follow Ashley on Instagram
ashleymontgomerydesign.com – See Ashley’s portfolio
About the Designer
Ashley Montgomery is an interior designer in Toronto, Ontario, known for her collected, organic aesthetic. With over 15 years of experience, Ashley has developed an instantly recognizable style. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, House & Garden, Dwell, and Domino, among many others.
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