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
We care about your home design project as though it’s our own.
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.
Aspiring world traveler, principal designer, founder, wannabe green thumb & fully admitted popcorn addict.
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 my 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).
Hiya, I’m Ali Faulkner.
SUPER FUN
FACTS
NOW FOR THE IMPORTANT STUFF
I moved a lot growing up & can make friends anywhere
My go-to uniform is a dress (with pockets, obv) and sneakers
I hit on my husband at Walgreens (true story)
My favorite space to design is a bathroom (I’m 100% #TeamBath)
Meet the brains that bring the (interior design) beauty to life.
Emma Stone
SENIOR DESIGNER
Jacqueline Strejc
DESIGNER
Julia Gembarski
PROCUREMENT + OPERATIONS MANAGER
THE A(EF)-TEAM
Jacqueline was born and raised in Chicago and, in a previous life, worked at a coffee shop and bartender. Aka, she loves people and knows how to deliver exactly what they want (and need). Since she has gone to design school and truly has a knack for beauty as an artist herself. When she’s not working, Jacqueline loves camping and hiking, appreciates a good donut, and is known to keep everyone in the office laughing.
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.
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, or antique shopping at her favorite local spots.
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, obsessing over every single dog she sees, or enjoying the fruitiest cocktail on the menu.
Anne Hodgins
SOCIAL + MARKETING MANAGER
“Ali worked closely with me to understand my vision for the space, and executed it perfectly.”
- port streets project
Thoughtfully designed spaces, made for real life. Follow our latest projects & inspo on Instagram at
