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Home is where the heart is…
Carly Home is a brand new decor online store for the kind hearted souls that wish to have a little bit of everything from preppy all the way to electric.
From colorfully striped pillow to flowery duvets. You can even grab an awesome cactus rug for your next move. The collection is for the free spirited who wish to feel always relaxed at home.
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Read our exclusive interview with the owner of Carly Home herself: Carly Blumberg Ackley.
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What inspired you to start the line?
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Carly: When I was about 14 years old, I slept in a bed that had Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell bedding. I felt SO unbelievably comfortable and relaxed sleeping in her bedding. The colors, the fabric, the print…they all did something to my sense of well-being. It amazed me how this one item could make me feel so good. It was then that I realized this was what I wanted to do…I wanted to bring joy, comfort, and relaxation into peoples homes with my aesthetic…a mixture of preppy and eclectic…Prep-clectic if you wish (trademarking this term as we speak).
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What kinds of products can people buy?
Carly: Currently, people can purchase bedding (duvets & shams), decorative pillows, kitchen textiles (i.e. aprons, napkins, tablecloths/runners), one-of-a-kind items that I have found on my travels & rugs. In the future, I hope to broaden the assortment by adding dinnerware, furniture, fabric by-the-yard (because all of my prints are original paintings by me), wallpaper etc. It is very important to me that everything I carry have a sense of whimsy. I do not want any of my products to ever be too serious because life should be light and fun.
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How did you get your start as a designer?
Carly: I began my career as a CAD/Textile designer for J.Crew. I designed their prints for almost all classes (Crewcuts, Women, Swim, Mens, Factory). I loved fashion but knew that I wanted to be in the home. I landed a dream job working for Anthropologie as a designer for their home collection. This was another education in itself and was the first time that I was able to be created from conception to completion. I left Anthropologie to pursue my line. During the time after Anthro, I continued to work with them, they actually launched my first line “Camp Home.” To sustain me during the development of Carly Home, I became the designer for a furniture manufacturer based in India which was something that taught me greatly about manufacturing.
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What’s your creative process like?
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Carly: Travel, art, people, colors, food, music & nature are a few of the things that I am most inspired by. Once I find a spark of inspiration, then I sketch the idea out. I always have my sketch book. After sketching, I think about who would be the best resource for having this made? Los Angeles? India? Currently, my products are made both in LA & India. Both places are rich in capability, expertise and quality. Once my partners are lined up, we usually work out a few kinks in the sampling process. When the final product sample has been decided upon, then I get to visually merchandise to convey the feeling that I intend for the products to bring to customers.
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Any final thoughts?
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Carly: As I grow, I hope to partner with some philanthropic initiatives. The first that comes to mind is an all-girls orphanage that I visited while in India. This is something that I really want to incorporate as I feel strongly about helping others.
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