Design Buzz is The Design Network’s all-new news magazine show exclusively covering the latest in home design and interior inspiration. No one is better equipped to meld the worlds of home décor and pop culture than series host, Leah Ashley. The interior stylist and DIY expert’s background includes hosting ABC daytime talk show Fablife and TDN TV’s Vintage Style Modern Life, co-creating popular lifestyle YouTube channel A Fab Life, and currently contributing to Tribeza magazine — all giving her front row access to home design’s hottest headlines.
We chatted with Leah about why this new series is everything you need to stay informed and inspired to embrace your own surroundings. Plus, she shares her best pieces of advice for channeling the latest news and trends into living a better life at home.
How does staying connected with news and events related to interior design, make embracing design in your own home more accessible?
By staying up on the latest trends and happenings in the interior design world, I feel more empowered to take a more DIY approach to designing my own space. Back in the day, if you didn’t have taste or an “eye” for design, you had to shell out a ton of money to someone who you trusted to execute the vision for you. Now, thanks to sites like Pinterest, and shows like Design Buzz, you can feel confident in creating the space of your dreams.
What are the significant ways you’ve seen home design intersect with the world of celebrities?
Thanks to the huge popularity of social media, we have so much more access to celebrities these days. From what they wear to how they live, keeping up with your favorite celeb has never been easier. Nothing gets me more excited than a home tour or a sneak peek into a celebrity’s home. A lot of times, these tours are also accompanied by interviews from the interior designer who helped create the space. This is turning designers into celebrities themselves!
How is interior design influenced by pop culture and vice versa?
I think inspiration comes from everywhere. And designers in both interiors and fashion have been inspired by pop culture and the celebrity culture for centuries. Pop culture really is a representation of how a society lives & what interests them. So it is only natural that a designer is going to be inspired by what’s popular & vice versa.
Home enthusiasts have so many interior styles, trends, and designs available to them, what is your biggest tip for infusing your own personality into a space?
I always say, “If you love it, buy it”. That’s the best way to infuse your unique vision into any space. Don’t feel pressured into a design trend just because everyone is doing it. Bringing in pieces that you actually love to live with will bring a smile to your face every day.
How do our interiors relate to the way we live, and what piece of advice would you give for creating spaces that enhance our daily lives?
You literally can’t escape interiors! From a bare, cold doctors office, to a single-family rental, to a magazine-worthy space, we literally live in interiors for better or for worse. What I love most about interior design is that it is so subjective. What I think is chic, you might think stinks! But that’s the fun of it right!? Whether you have millions to spend or are a broke college student, the goal is to wake up every morning loving your space. And luckily for us all, we live in a time where access to interior design ideas, tips & tricks has never been easier!
Don’t miss the Design Buzz series premiere on May 16th on thedesignnetwork.com, Apple TV and Roku!