Text by Hannah Jones
A love for design runs deep in Ashley Luengo’s soul. Already a women’s clothing boutique owner, she started her blog, Modern Glam, almost two years ago, adding to her list of creative passions. Just like the name of her blog implies, Ashley’s home is a gorgeous blend of modern farmhouse style with a touch of glam—and a lot of pink! We chatted with her about her personal style (both clothing and home décor), her blogging experience, and home-buying in the San Francisco Bay Area of California.
The Cottage Journal: Your first business baby was a women’s clothing boutique. What drew you to create a lifestyle blog instead of a fashion blog?
Ashley Luengo: I opened my clothing boutique when I was 25. I have always been drawn to creating things, whether it be fashion-related or home-related. Creativity is something that is very important to me. As I’ve grown older, I’ve developed a better appreciation for home design. It is definitely something that I wanted to pursue more, and so, my blog has helped fulfill that passion. I am also starting to bring in home décor into my boutique, and my two passions are evolving into something really exciting!
TCJ: On the note of your boutique, do you find that your home décor style and personal fashion are similar or different? Are there any tips or tricks you took from styling your clients’ wardrobes into decorating your own home?
AL: There are definitely similarities. My personal fashion is pretty simple. I love a wardrobe of casual jeans and cute tops, and there is a plethora of black. I love to accessorize with color and usually choose handbags and shoes in fun colors, while the clothing stays somewhat neutral (hello, black!). My home mimics this in the sense that my style is casual yet pulled together. With a neutral canvas of white, I love to add in pops of color for the season with accessories and pillows.
TCJ: You live in the San Francisco area, and I’m sure anyone who’s even slightly familiar with the area knows how crazy that housing market can get! What was your experience with finding your current home?
AL: We moved inland from San Francisco about eight years ago. After having my son, we needed more space. We lived in an industrial loft. We were lucky enough to buy our current home when the market was at a low. While we lost money when we sold our loft in San Francisco, our current home has almost doubled in value. We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have bought when we did. I have dreams of selling our current home and buying a fixer upper nearby, but the market here is just too crazy to be able to afford to do that. Luckily, we still have a few more projects to tackle in our home to keep me busy!
TCJ: You have such a fun and vibrant style. Where did you draw inspiration from when designing your home?
AL: Everywhere! I am so inspired by other bloggers. There is so much talent out there. I also get a ton of inspiration from traveling. We recently got back from London, England, and I immediately started repotting the plants on my porch after seeing all the beautiful gardens and entryways over there. My spring living room refresh was also inspired by our trip to Maui in April.
