Hi! I''m Christine
Who is Christine Ley?
I am an Interior Designer, Interior Architect, Solo Female World Traveler, Digital Nomad (from time to time), Artist, Photographer, Location Independent Solopreneur, Dreamer & Dog Mom, and I believe life is all about the journey! Striving to learn, trying new things and getting out of my comfort zone from time to time is how I do my best to evolve and grow along the way. I believe the unique places we explore, interesting people we meet, and thought provoking conversations that challenge us along the way, are truly what help shape us into who we are. I've also learned that sometimes you have to take risks and think outside the box to stay true to yourself and your own unique journey. I feel compelled to design my own life! The goal is to step away from the typical grind and not wait until I'm retired to enjoy life, but instead do my best to design a lifestyle and career that works for my unique individual dreams and goals. If you can relate and also desire to live a life less ordinary, then I hope you follow along!
Interior Design & Interior Architecture
Online (Virtual) Design Services +
Freelance Consulting Services
Cley Atelier, my Interior Design Studio, was sparked by a desire for creative freedom and professional flexibility—a deliberate reset aimed at building something of my own. In 2017, I left behind a stable corporate design career to chase a different vision: one where I could work for myself, from anywhere in the world. Long before remote work became the norm, I set off for Southeast Asia to reset, reflect, and begin building a business that aligned with the life I wanted to live. While traveling through Bali- Indonesia, Singapore, India, Thailand, and beyond, I began consulting remotely, managing projects and developing construction drawings from cafés in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and slowly shaping what would become Cley Atelier. That time was as much about exploration as it was about foundation-laying —dabbling in drop-shipping and affiliate marketing, which is now, in 2025, is devolving into my new venture, Style By Cici, — as well as developing a consulting model that combined design excellence with location independence. What began as a personal experiment has grown into a full-service interior design studio rooted in global influence, artistic rigor, and the belief that design—like life—should be both intentional and inspired.
Travel & Architecture Photography
The Art of Traveling Well is a reflection of a lifelong relationship with travel—one that’s shaped my eye, my work, and my worldview. I was lucky to grow up with a passport in hand: my father was from Scotland, and by the time I was five, I had already lived in France and attended kindergarten just outside of Paris. At fifteen, I spent a summer living with a host family in Corsica, immersed in the language, rhythm, and culture of island life. That early exposure to international living planted the seed for what would become a deep and enduring love for exploring the world. During undergrad at Virginia Tech, a study abroad program took me across Europe—starting in Rome and ending in London—where we sketched architecture by day and captured the texture of ancient cities through our lenses. After grad school, I began traveling solo, with Australia in 2010 marking my first independent adventure. From there, I was hooked: Thailand, Peru, Spain, South America, Southeast Asia, and dozens of other destinations followed. Along the way, I began photographing not just places, but patterns, light, and architectural details that quietly tell the story of a place—often tying back to my education and career in design. Whether wandering the streets of Barcelona (a city I still dream of calling home), visiting Bourdain-recommended restaurants in Panama and Colombia, or working remotely from Mexico and New Orleans, I’ve always viewed travel as both a creative outlet and a design education. Today, The Art of Traveling Well captures that ongoing journey—a lens through which I continue to explore the world, one city, one photo, and one moment of inspiration at a time.
An Online Shop & Blog for Interior Design Styling Tips, Home Furnishings, Décor & Lifestyle.
Style By Cici is the sister brand to Cley Atelier—created to offer everyday design inspiration, curated styling advice, and lifestyle content for those who love great interiors but don’t need full-service design. While Cley Atelier caters to a luxury clientele with bespoke, high-touch design solutions, Style By Cici lives online and speaks to a broader audience: design enthusiasts, renters, new homeowners, and anyone looking to elevate their space through thoughtful styling. From shoppable blog posts and affiliate-linked product guides to curated home scent collections and framed photography prints from my travels, Style By Cici blends content, commerce, and creativity. It also represents a new kind of business growth—one built on flexibility and scalability. Through affiliate marketing, dropshipping, and digital storytelling, this platform allows me to work remotely while expanding my design influence beyond traditional client work. As I continue to build partnerships with affiliate brands and dropshipping vendors, Style By Cici will evolve as a go-to destination for all things home, décor, and modern lifestyle—grounded in good design, elevated taste, and a passion for living beautifully, wherever you are.
Soundscapes ~ Art in Motion ~ Ambiance ~ Meditations ~ TV Art
The Art of Tranquility is a creative escape—born from my need to occasionally step away from the structured, detail-driven world of interior design and reconnect with a more fluid, meditative artistic practice. With a background in fine art and a minor in studio art, I’ve always found peace in visual expression, and this project is an evolution of that—melding sound, color, motion, and mood into something immersive and serene. Originally launched as an Instagram account featuring AI-generated visuals and digital artwork, it has since evolved into a YouTube channel offering ambient videos, meditative soundscapes, and “Art in Motion” digital galleries. While it stands apart from my interior design work, it shares a subtle link to the luxury design world through the rising popularity of TV Art Mode—a feature in high-end homes where framed TVs display art when not in use. The Art of Tranquility fits seamlessly into this lifestyle, offering calming, atmospheric visuals that serve as digital decor, background ambiance, or quiet moments of pause in an otherwise chaotic world. For me, it’s not just a passion project—it’s a creative release, a mental reset, and another facet of a design-driven life that values beauty, balance, and intentional living.