The Design Starter Kit - Ashley Squires - Defining Hospitality

What if the biggest advantage in hospitality design isn't having more options, but fewer, better ones?

On this episode of Defining Hospitality, Ashley Squires walks through how The Stylist Group is rethinking the front end of design sourcing. She breaks down how her team narrows a project down to a tailored "starter kit" pulled from dozens of premier manufacturers, why a fast turnaround can save a firm real time and money, and how she's working to bring a sense of joy back into a process that too often feels like a grind.

Ashley Squires is an interior designer, hospitality design expert, and creative strategist with more than 25 years of experience across hospitality, multifamily, and private aviation spaces. She's led design work for major hotel brands, multifamily developments, and cruise lines, giving her firsthand insight into where the sourcing process breaks down for design teams. Alongside her partner Andrea, she co-founded The Stylist Group to turn that experience into a free resource other designers could lean on.

Chapters:

00:00 Stylist Group Promise

00:24 Show Mission Intro

00:48 Sponsor Message

00:57 Meet Ashley Squires

01:23 Time Is Money Setup

02:57 Defining Hospitality

03:25 What Stylus Group Does

04:50 Library Space Problem