Thirty Under 30: Ally Roberto

By Donna Heiderstadt

If anything will teach you how to be adaptable, resilient, and build connections quickly it’s moving eight times across three states before the age of 15. Just ask 26-year-old Ally Roberto, Project Manager and Product/Showroom Specialist at Laguna Niguel, CA-based G+A Flooring. Immersed in the K+B industry from an early age — her mom is an NKBA Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer and her dad is involved in construction equipment finance — she learned to embrace the moves as a form of inspiration.

Each new home, she says, meant a new bedroom and a chance to change things up. “I frequently rearranged my spaces, trying out new room layouts,” she says. “It wasn’t uncommon for me to rearrange my room late at night and to wake up in what felt like an entirely different space.” The Sims was another adolescent pastime and Ally admits that she spent hours meticulously designing homes for virtual families.

Segue to her current role helping clients redefine their own spaces through all phases of a remodel — a natural transition from an ever-evolving, design-centric childhood that Ally says helped define her approach to both her projects and clients. “My favorite part of my job is being the catalyst to bring a homeowner’s vision to life,” she says of her multi-faceted responsibilities honed over seven years at G+A Flooring. “I love to look through endless products, determined to find the perfect material to reflect my client’s personality.”

As for her own design personality, Ally favors Organic Modern Coastal. “Living in Southern California, I draw inspiration from elements rooted in nature, whether textures, colors or materials, and I love accenting with elements of rich natural color,” she says, adding that she gravitates towards coastal earthy colors such as dusty blues, mossy greens, and rich browns.

Ally, who serves as Secretary/Treasurer of NKBA’s Southern California Chapter, describes herself as a “knowledge-seeker,” who is fascinated by the world around her and strongly believes that knowledge is power. Her involvement with the NKBA mirrors that, she says, by both expanding her industry know-how and giving her a true sense of community. In 2022, she also enrolled at Interior Designers Institute in Newport Beach, attending classes at night to earn her Certificate of Design — and a place in the school’s Hall of Fame for her final residential space plan project.

When she’s not immersed in the kitchen-and-bath world, Ally likes to surround herself with music — attending concerts and music festivals with friends is a favorite pastime — and hang out with her two dogs, Aspen and Bodhi. What’s in her future?  “I would love to solo travel in other parts of the world at least once in my life,” she says. “I haven’t settled on a destination, but I have always felt a calling to explore the world and learn. Traveling, especially solo, would bring so much growth, both personally and professionally.”