Thirty Under 30: Ashley de Boer

By Donna Heiderstadt

Ashley de Boer has a pretty straight-forward design philosophy. “Your home should tell the story of who you are: a harmonious relationship between form and function,” said the 24-year-old Founder & Principal Designer at Vancouver-based Ashley de Boer Interiors. Growing up surrounded by two generations of residential builders — her grandparents are retired builders and her mother owns a new-home construction business — she was fortunate to have had the elements of successful renovation and design all around her. She learned that “our spaces should be a reflection of who we are and how we live, where we can be at comfort and ease — enhancing our everyday lives.”

While following in her family’s footsteps seemed like a natural path, Ashley did take some post-high-school biology classes before switching to interior design at her mother’s urging. Once she did, she was hooked. Ashley earned her diploma in Interior Design, was hired as a design assistant to Canadian interior designer and HGTV personality Sarah Richardson and soon afterward started her own eponymous firm at the age of 22.

While working alongside Richardson on the series “Sarah’s Mountain Escape,” Ashley helped renovate an iconic but dated ski chalet in Whistler known as Heidi Haus into a luxurious vacation rental. The project ranks among her top two memorable transformations, the other being the Mill, her first full-service new-build project for her own client. Her design studio’s subsequent projects have included custom single-family homes, an investment property, a large luxury vacation rental, a commercial office space, a multi-family mixed-use building and a townhome development.

Ashley, who is a member of NKBA’s British Columbia chapter, describes herself as “passionate.” Her design style? “I’m a transitional girl at heart!” she said. “I love the classic elements from traditional design. They have a warmth and attraction to them that create the most inviting spaces. However, I love incorporating contemporary design elements such as clean lines to create refined spaces that withstand the test of time.”

When she’s not honing her entrepreneurial skills (her firm now employs one full-time junior interior designer and two subcontractors), Ashley indulges her passion for fitness, nutrition and reading. She also shares her life with Surinder, her boyfriend of nine years (yes, they were high school sweethearts). “Without him, I wouldn’t have a work-life balance or eat properly…lol!” she said. Looking ahead, Ashley’s life goals include a checklist: Travel more (ideally to Greece, the Cotswalds, the Bahamas and Bali), get married and start a family, have a real office space (rather than working from home), open her own home goods shop and, last but not least, build a dream home.