I’m Ashley Smith, founder of Ash Proper, a Southern California-based design studio where creative vision meets operational precision. With a background in multifamily real estate and a lifelong love of design (read: a kid who rearranged the living room for fun), I bring a unique blend of structure, soul, and style to every space I touch.

Design has always been second nature to me. Growing up as one of seven kids, I learned early how to stand out, and how to carve out beauty and order in the middle of chaos. I credit my sense of structure (and slightly obsessive attention to detail) to my father’s military background. While my early creative inspiration was my grandmother, who could reinvent her entire home on a whim with nothing more than a paintbrush, a bolt of fabric, and a vision.

After formal training at The Art Institute and the Interior Design Institute, I earned certifications in Color Consulting with Staging Studio, and HSR Staging. But more than anything, my work is fueled by intuition, lived experience, and a passion for translating people’s stories into spaces that feel like them.

Since launching Ash Proper in 2020, I’ve had the joy of working with clients throughout Los Angeles, Orange County, Austin, and Washington, DC—offering personalized interior design and real estate staging services that are as thoughtful as they are elevated. My process is deeply collaborative, rooted in listening not only to what clients say—but to what they mean.

Whether I’m staging a listing for its next chapter, designing a family home that blends beauty with livability, or refreshing a community lounge to actually feel like somewhere you want to hang out, my goal is always to make people feel something real. Design isn’t just what I do, it’s how I connect, create, and my life love language.