Freehold Resident Embraces Creativity With Interior Design Business

FREEHOLD, NJ — For Freehold resident Ally Lewis, creativity is a cornerstone of her job.

Lewis, 29, first discovered her passion for interior design while she was in college.

Though she originally attended West Virginia University for graphic design, she said a summer spent shadowing a Manhattan design & build firm allowed her to work in the interior design field, and helped her decide it was “exactly what [she] wanted to do.”

“I just knew I had a passion for art and being creative,” Lewis said. “So I switched majors – which delayed me a little bit, because it made me go to school for five years instead of four – and got a bachelor's degree in Interior Design.”

Following graduation, Lewis said she worked one-on-one with clients as an in-house designer for general contractors throughout Manhattan.

After spending six years in the city, she moved to New Jersey with her fiancée in 2023 and started her own interior design business, ACL Interiors.

“I work with clients one-on-one all throughout New Jersey designing full-home renovations, custom builds, millwork, kitchens, bathrooms, full-home furnishings – all of the above,” Lewis said. “I try to create a creative space in each person’s home and make each space different from each other.”

Named for Lewis’ initials and the phrase “a creative way of living,” ACL Interiors offers a variety of services (such as previously named renovations, custom builds and furnishings) for clients throughout New Jersey.

In her day-to-day work, Lewis said she can be found assisting clients in various parts of the design process.

Whether she’s starting a new project and giving a free on-site consultation, creating a spatial layout, or gathering project materials, Lewis said it’s important to her to create a fun, stress-free environment for both herself and her clients.

“It’s a really fun process from beginning to end,” Lewis said. “I try to make it a lot less stressful than your typical renovation and provide more fun aspects of the design phase to really get clients excited for the new space that's going to be in their home soon.”

Since moving to Monmouth County, Lewis said working with residents has been a highlight of her job.

The community has not only been inviting, Lewis said, but Monmouth County homes themselves have presented unique design opportunities, and shown plenty of character.

“When you’re going into all these homes throughout Monmouth County, you’re not going to see the same thing in every design,” Lewis said. “Which I think is awesome – it makes our neighborhood, our community, very different. Every house has character.”

County residents have shown character as well, Lewis said, as their passion and appreciation for interior design have made her work even better.

"The clientele throughout Monmouth County is just so inviting," Lewis said. "Everyone's been so passionate about these projects in general and so appreciative of the outcome. It's been so sweet to be able to work with such nice people."

At the end of the day, Lewis said the best part of her job has been watching her designs come to life.

Whether she’s sketching out a new kitchen or doing a full-home renovation, seeing her work come alive (and watching her clients’ reactions) has been a dream.

“Some of these projects take anywhere from one month to three years,” Lewis said. “But being able to design, and be creative throughout that timeline and then, finally, seeing your vision come to life and see how excited your clients are? That’s the best part.”

To learn more about ACL Interiors, you can visit their website.