Along the road of my career and travels, I've been extremely fortunate to meet and work with an array of incredibly talented people. Ramblings is my way of picking their brain for more insight and juicy tidbits to share with you.
Ashley Steen dabbles in all aspects of design. After spending nearly five years at a global advertising agency in New York City designing interactive advertising campaigns, she recently relocated to California. Ashley now divides her time between graphic design, interior design, and event planning. You can follow her adventures as she explores her passion for design through her blog,
Orchard 11. Most recently, I have had the opportunity to get to know her because she is the Art Director for
High Gloss Magazine! Meet Ashley.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Restaurants! I can be very restrained when it comes to shopping, but I can manage to convince myself that a lavish meal at the latest hot restaurant is a must. I am somewhat of an amateur foodie, plus I love checking out restaurant design- everything from the decor to the matchbooks.
What career would you pursue if you weren’t doing what you do now?
Anthropologist or African wildlife photographer. I love animals, am insanely curious and have an infatuation with everything Africa.
Which living person do you most admire?
Jane Goodall. Back to my obsession with Africa, I am also obsessed with primates, specifically chimpanzees. It's not that I want one as a pet or anything, I'm just fascinated by how intelligent they are. Jane Goodall is responsible for bringing their intelligence to light along with opening so many doors for women in science. She is almost 80 years old and still traveling the world advocating for animals. I hope to be so passionate and determined when I'm her age.
What three things can’t you live without?
Salt, my computer, music. I am shamelessly addicted to salt; I have a bad habit of salting my food before I even taste it. I can't imagine life without the Internet and I also can't work without music BLASTING.
What is your guilty pleasure?
The Internet. I loose myself in the Internet so easily; hours go by and I'm still sitting here at my desk "internetting." Online browsing, instant messaging, facebooking, blogs and ffffound can quickly consume my whole day.
What is your favorite color combination?
My favorite color is chartreuse. I love it with magenta, orange, silver, black, blue- EVERYTHING. My friends affectionately refer to the color as "Steen Green."
What is the favorite room in your house, and why?
Our living room. I love that it is able to capture both my and my boyfriend's personalities.
Plus it is a lot bigger than any living room we had in NYC, so we feel like we are living large when we have people over! We found the rug at the Rose Bowl Flea Market; I love the bright colors and funky pattern. The mirror and coffee table (plus a million other things in our house) are also from the flea. I took the photo at the Getty a few years ago while visiting LA and we had it blown up and framed- it reminds me of my first trip to see my boyfriend's hometown.
What is the most memorable event you’ve attended and why?
One of my best friend's just had an amazing black tie engagement party in January. It was held at the Casino Club in Chicago, a very swanky, art deco members only club.
Every detail, and I mean EVERY, was thought out and perfectly executed. Upon entering the party all the men were given white flower boutineers and the women were handed pearls, sparkly diamond rings and boas. There was a 12 piece band, a photobooth full of props, so much amazing food- the dessert alone included mini milkshakes, a crepe station, mini cakes, and mini sundaes. The white tufted-leather circular bar served multiple "signature cocktails" and there were personalized napkins accompanying them with funny facts about the couple. At midnight a little secret side room opened up with a jazz singer who sang til 3 AM. Themed parties can quickly get cheesy, but this party turned the venue into a participant in the night and perfectly captured the refined elegance of the 20s. I felt like I was at the Vanity Fair Oscar party. This was the first "wedding" of any of my best friends and she definitely set the bar high!
What would people be surprised to know about you?
My middle name, Victoria, is after a family mine. This is what happens when you come from a family of geologists!
What is your biggest pet peeve?
matchy-matchy outfits
