Q & A: with Ashley Kiely, Founder and Owner of AKL

How it all started, dream projects and what it’s really like being her dad’s boss

What’s the Ashley Kiely Living origin story?

I’ve ALWAYS loved design and being organized. But the truth is that AKL began as a complete accident. During COVID, I had my first baby AND purchased our first home. Nesting was in full swing and I was in heaven organizing all the things. As someone who obsesses over efficiency and having a space for everything, I began to dream of helping others find that peace and joy in their own spaces. After the first year of projects went so well, it was a natural evolution to expand into design and contracting.

Guessing you have a dream project-details, please.

Oh, definitely. My dream project is the complete design, renovation and full move-in organization of an old 1900s craftsman or Victorian home in Portland. How’s that for specific? There’s something so challenging yet remarkably unique about these homes because there’s limited storage space. Our organization team would have a ball collaborating with the carpentry team on how to creatively solve that dilemma.

Is there an official AKL aesthetic?

Absolutely! The words that pop to mind would be elevated, clean, simple and elegant. Specializing in luxury spaces and homes, we’re all about high-end function and beautifully designed materials. We always make sure that the spaces we touch flow with the vibe of the whole home.

What’s the craziest challenge you’ve had on a job and how did you solve it?

Good question. Garages are ALWAYS a challenge. They’re my favorite, but they’re also some of the hardest spaces to crack. Everyone’s storage needs are so different and it’s typically the catch-all space of the home. We make sure our systems can ebb and flow with the demands of the season, be it holiday storage, pool essentials or winter sports stuff. There are two storage solutions we recommend in EVERY garage: concealed storage AND mounted hanging storage. If you're on a budget, I would splurge on the hanging space with a slatwall and go with free standing racks with all matching bins.

Your dad’s your project manager – what’s that like being his boss?

So fun! Are you kidding? He might beg to differ some of the days, but it truly is the best. Growing up, my dad worked in various construction jobs and renovated every house we lived in. We have very different strengths, but our similarities show through, too. No one makes me laugh harder than my dad and he always encourages me to have fun no matter how challenging a project may be. We may disagree at times on how a situation should be handled, but he always has my back. And our clients just love that we’re a father-daughter team. We both REALLY care and want the best for all of our clients.

If you had a crystal ball, what would it tell us about AKL in five years?

Love this question. Here it goes: we’ll have a fourth branch of the business that flips properties in the surrounding PDX areas. We’ll have a few Airbnb properties that we offer up to our team and clients to use whenever they want. We’ll have our first AKL office and showroom complete with fresh espresso at all times. We’ll collaborate with all sorts of designers and contractors all over the nation. And, most importantly, the AKL team is happy, healthy and more inspired than ever to provide the best client experience in the construction industry.