Mom spends months designing daughter’s pink UGA dorm room

From People magazine:

ByJordan Greene

Published on August 11, 2025 04:30AM EDT

Ashley Jernigan prides herself on being over the top, in the best way. Whether she’s designing a room, planning a party or decorating for the holidays, the Georgia mom of three goes all out to make people feel special and bring her creative vision to life.

So when it came time for her daughter Ava, 18, to head off to the University of Georgia this fall, Ashley was determined to give her the most stylish — and thoughtful — dorm setup possible.

“I envisioned it being a space that truly felt like home to her,” Ashley, who lives in Evans, Georgia, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “She’s worked so hard to get to this point, and I just wanted everything to feel perfect for her.”

Knowing dorm rooms are notoriously small, Ashley focused on making the space both functional and beautiful — and, most importantly, a reflection of Ava’s personality. Since her daughter loves pink, incorporating the color was a must.

“I started pulling ideas together and made a mockup with different options so she could tell me what she liked,” says Ashley, 46. “Once she settled on a design, I started sourcing all the pieces.”

She adds: “I guess I’m a professional shopper!”