Meet the Designers

Emi Mason

Growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, Emi would rearrange her parents’ house at least once a week. She always knew she wanted a career that would showcase her innate creativity and interior design was the perfect fit.

Emi graduated from Auburn University’s CIDA Accredited Interior Design program with extensive training in rendering, color theory and visual presentation. After graduation, Emi achieved certification as a LEED Green Associate, an exclusive certification given by the U.S. Green Building Council to those who have furthered their education to include green building principles and practices.

Emi’s career started with an internship under Ashley Gilbreath of Ashley Gilbreath Interior Design. After two years working with AGID, Emi moved to Atlanta where worked under Melanie Milner of The Design Atelier before transitioning to a career at Mrs. Howard where she worked with Phoebe Howard on projects across the country. Emi is so thankful for the depth of experience and knowledge that she took from each of her mentors.

When it comes to design, Emi is our technical girl. She loves nothing more than taking old houses and re-working them to meet the needs of the modern family. Emi always thinks through the layout of each space, making sure they function, before nailing down the “pretty.”

If she’s not in the studio perfecting a design project, Emi is most likely spending time with her husband, Matt, and their son, Price. You will most often find them on the water enjoying time in the sunshine with their two labs, or down the road in Auburn cheering on their Tigers!

Ashley Potts

As a young girl, Ashley developed an eye for design through travel and experiences with her family. Having spent her summers growing up in Copenhagen, Denmark with her mother’s family, Ashley’s affinity for clean lines and neutral palettes was ingrained in her at an early age.

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication, Ashley worked in marketing, contracting for fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, SunTrust and Buffalo Wild Wings. She spent over five years in the corporate world before taking a leap of faith to follow her passion for interior design, landing a position with Phoebe Howard. Ashley spent the next seven years managing and designing projects from New York City to Los Angeles, learning the ins and outs of an industry she had fallen in love with. Her appreciation and gratitude for the experience and mentorship of Phoebe Howard are limitless.

Ashley’s learnings from her paternal grandmother’s career as an interior designer, compounded with her background and experience, have given Ashley an eye for design and scale that is unparalleled. Her projects combine the sensibility and simplicity of Scandinavian life with the formality and beauty of southern design.

Outside the office, Ashley loves to travel and spend time with lifelong friends. Most often than not though, her free time is spent with her husband, Sam, and their energetic two year old son, Chilton.