Text by Linda Wright / Photography by John O’Hagan
A small cottage in Atlanta, Georgia, is home to a young family and a young business, both inspired by a talented and loving grandmother.
When stepping into someone’s living room, you anticipate seeing a chair, couch, coffee table—the expected furnishings. But when walking into the Schoenith family living room, you’re smack in thecreative center of the house. It’s the office and design hub for Ashley Schoenith’s small business, IceMilk Aprons.
Asked about the company’s name, Ashley explains, “IceMilk Aprons was inspired by my grandmother, Cele. She was a masterful seamstress with a love for cooking and an art for entertaining. There isn’t a childhood visit I can remember that didn’t include her famous dinner of waffles, fresh fruit, and ice milk.”
Ashley originally set up her office in one of the back bedrooms of the cottage but found it too isolating. She moved to the living room, lining the wall with tall shelves artfully outfitted with Ball jars filled with aprons and her new line of table linens packed in brown-paper bread bags. Burlap, linens, baskets, and additional supplies create a display fit for a design boutique.
The kitchen and den are just around the corner from the office, which is where her husband, Shane, and their baby, Wyatt, can usually be found. So even when Ashley is working, she’s not far from the family action.
The couple moved into their cottage in 2007 and immediately loved the small-plank floors, the original windows, and open floor plan. “The furnishings in our home are a collection that continues to grow,” Ashley says. “Some are things we each collected over the years, some we’ve collected together, some are heirlooms passed down from generations before; together they make up our home.”
For the latest on IceMilk Aprons, check them out on Facebook.
