A Conversation with Ariel Ashe

Ariel Ashe is a New York–based interior designer and the co-founder of Ashe Leandro, the multidisciplinary design studio she established in 2008 alongside architect Reinaldo Leandro. Over the past two decades, Ariel has become recognized for her distinctive design sensibility—an inviting blend of modern refinement and timeless warmth. Ashe has been on the AD100 list for the past eight years. As a new member of our Design + Art Advisory Council, Ariel joined us for a rapid-fire round of questions on her favorite discoveries, future trends, and more.

After 15 years, what do you think continues to set Salon Art + Design apart?

The level of the dealers at the fair is really amazing. They're not bringing their safe inventory, they are bringing their most insane pieces. There's still an appetite for something really original.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever discovered at a fair that you weren’t looking for?

My friend Raquel found a Carlo Bugatti fireplace mantel at Salon one year and I bought it for a project on Sutton Place. It's the only one I've ever seen and it's spectacular.

What piece in your own collection always starts a conversation?

I'm going to have to be macabre and say my collection of dead horseshoe crabs is a real conversation starter.

What makes you confident recommending a significant purchase to a client?

It's always good to see the condition in person. Second, a good provenance is good and a sense of what the piece has actually traded for previously. Good design is literally an investment, hopefully an appreciating one.

When you walk into Salon, what are you looking for first?

The champagne!

What are you seeing now that you think collectors will be talking about five years from now?

Absolutely everything is cyclical. There's no way to predict a trend five years from now! I know a current trend is yellow, yellow and yellow.

What exhibition or cultural event is at the top of your must-see list this fall?

I'm excited to see Musical Bodies at the Met before it closes at the end of September. I'm also excited about Salon 94's Gaetano Pesce show.