Where our story meets yours.
We’re not an ordinary design firm. We take seamless processes and marry them with thoughtful design to provide an experience—and final product—you won’t believe is real.
The Vision
Because here’s the thing… We know interior design projects often get clunky: shifting timelines, frustrating setbacks & shaky communication, oh my! With a longstanding professional background in hospitality and consulting, we go about it in a different way and run your project like a business (but, like, a really fun business).
Clear deliverables, consistent communication, dreamy design & creative solutions for any problem that might pop up… That’s how we do interior design differently.
We care about your home design project as though it’s our own.
Inquire today
HIYA, I’M ALI FAULKNER
I mean, who isn’t? Before launching my own design firm, I spent nearly a decade honing my organizational process and getting a psychic-level understanding of people’s needs and desires by working in luxury hospitality and high-end business consulting.
While my extensive corporate background sharpened my knack for clear processes and a mean paper trail, it’s my natural eye for design that pushed me to open my own firm and create thoughtfully designed homes all over Orange County and beyond.
What I know is this: You have impeccable style, but you’re busy. You want a home that feels like you and looks beautiful, yet is livable. With our design approach and professional background, you’ll always know what’s next, never wonder what the F is going on, and finally get the home you want.
The best part? We walk through the full process with you (& make it way more enjoyable).
Aspiring world traveler, principal designer, founder, wannabe green thumb & fully admitted popcorn addict.
PART-TIME BARKETING MANAGER
Huntley
SOCIAL + MARKETING MANAGER
Anne Hodgins
PROCUREMENT + OFFICE COORDINATOR
Vicky Guerrero
Director of Operations
Julia Gembarski
Senior Designer
Abagail Leepin
Senior Designer
Emma Stone
PART-TIME BARKETING MANAGER
Huntley
SOCIAL + MARKETING MANAGER
Anne Hodgins
PROCUREMENT + OFFICE COORDINATOR
Vicky Guerrero
Director of Operations
Julia Gembarski
Senior Designer
Abagail Leepin
Senior Designer
Emma Stone
Emma Stone
Senior Designer
A native of Orange County, Emma's roots are deep in Coastal California. Graduating with a BFA in Interior Design from Cal State Long Beach, her attention to detail and knowledge of the industry is simply unmatched. When she's not nailing down the finest details on her projects, you can probably find her enjoying a morning matcha with her pup, Mila, sending us pictures of her baby boy, Elliott, or antique shopping at her favorite local spots around town.
PART-TIME BARKETING MANAGER
Huntley
SOCIAL + MARKETING MANAGER
Anne Hodgins
PROCUREMENT + OFFICE COORDINATOR
Vicky Guerrero
Director of Operations
Julia Gembarski
Senior Designer
Abagail Leepin
Senior Designer
Emma Stone
Abagail Leepin
Senior Designer
After growing up in a small town in Northern California, Abagail made her way down to San Diego to explore coastal life and follow her dreams of becoming an interior designer. The mix of her impeccable eye and four years of schooling in architecture and design is exactly the reason she’s our go-to gal for innovative ideas that also *just make sense*. In her spare time, you can find Abagail enjoying long walks with her pups, Shea + Naijah, hosting dinner parties, or swimming in the ocean the second the water temp gets above 62 degrees.
PART-TIME BARKETING MANAGER
Huntley
SOCIAL + MARKETING MANAGER
Anne Hodgins
PROCUREMENT + OFFICE COORDINATOR
Vicky Guerrero
Director of Operations
Julia Gembarski
Senior Designer
Abagail Leepin
Senior Designer
Emma Stone
Julia Gembarski
Director of Operations
A Southern California native, Julia was born and raised in Glendora, a small town in the foothills, aptly named “Glendorable”. While the first portion of her career fell into the corporate event planning & sales realm, a twist of fate (and a “quarter life crisis”, as Julia calls it) led her to the design industry. When she’s not managing operations here at AEF, you can find her scrolling Zillow and dreaming of a renovation with her husband, or chasing her son, Teddy, on the beaches of Laguna.
PART-TIME BARKETING MANAGER
Huntley
SOCIAL + MARKETING MANAGER
Anne Hodgins
PROCUREMENT + OFFICE COORDINATOR
Vicky Guerrero
Director of Operations
Julia Gembarski
Senior Designer
Abagail Leepin
Senior Designer
Emma Stone
Vicky Guerrero
Procurement & Office Coordinator
Vicky is a quintessential SoCal gal, born in San Diego and then raised right here in Orange County. With an extensive background in accounting and every single field of construction, Vicky is an integral part of the team that keeps AEF in motion behind the scenes. When she’s not pitching us ideas for how to keep this business running even more efficiently, you can find her putting on parties and events (but seriously, you should see her balloon designs) or laughing with friends, even though she swears she can’t tell a joke.
PART-TIME BARKETING MANAGER
Huntley
SOCIAL + MARKETING MANAGER
Anne Hodgins
PROCUREMENT + OFFICE COORDINATOR
Vicky Guerrero
Director of Operations
Julia Gembarski
Senior Designer
Abagail Leepin
Senior Designer
Emma Stone
Anne Hodgins
Social & Marketing Manager
Previously a New York native, Anne moved to California to chase her dreams (and that California sunshine). Combining her degree in marketing with her love for aesthetics, Anne’s pretty much the go to gal for all things content and social. Basically she’s the one that keeps the AEF brand movin’ and groovin’ on Instagram. In her spare time, Anne loves spending days at the beach and obsessing over every single dog she sees, and is known for *always* ordering "a side of fries, please!".
PART-TIME BARKETING MANAGER
Huntley
SOCIAL + MARKETING MANAGER
Anne Hodgins
PROCUREMENT + OFFICE COORDINATOR
Vicky Guerrero
Director of Operations
Julia Gembarski
Senior Designer
Abagail Leepin
Senior Designer
Emma Stone
Huntley
Part-Time Barketing Manager
Born in Kansas but now a true California native, Huntley traded in his Midwest snow escapades for the beaches of the West Coast at an early age. With an extensive background in sniffing and chasing, he’s our go-to guy for quality control of all office snacks. When he’s not begging from beneath the desks at the AEF office or barking at every person who passes by (particularly the UPS man), you can find him playing fetch at the beach or at home with his parents playing “ham”-and-go-seek.
INTERESTED IN JOINING THE TEAM? LET’S CHAT.
Meet the brains that bring the (interior design) beauty to life.
THE A(EF)-TEAM
Let’s make your home dreams a reality.
From fully custom ground-up builds to furniture refreshes and everything in between, we know how to get the job done. Let us take the design stress off your plate and give you a home (and experience) that feels like you’re on vacation every day.
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