Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic Interiors
Rachel Ashwell is the creator of Shabby Chic: a peaceful yet practical way of living that embraces a respect for the things we hold dear and puts them at the heart of our homes.
Romantic florals against pure white linen, ruffled muslin skirting a bed base and brushing bleached floorboards, the deep comfort of a nest of fluffy towels: this is Rachel Ashwell’s signature style. Shabby Chic Interiors, an eclectic book of quirky inspiration, is divided into chapters according to location, beginning with Rachel’s Los Angeles home. We then wander into a photographer’s minimalist mountain-top residence in the Hollywood Hills before heading to the coast to visit a Malibu beach cottage. A bohemian hideout in southern California is next on our journey, followed by a peek at fashion designer Betsey Johnson's one-time New York apartment and a house that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe. With rooms combining flea-market finds and objects of pure functionality – an elegant French mirror reflecting a vintage oil painting, a bejewelled metal candle holder beside a cluster of Willow pattern china, and a velvet cushion lounging under the twinkle of a crystal chandelier – this book celebrates all that is wonderfully Shabby Chic. First Published in 2009, this is a new edition.
Rachel Ashwell founded her iconic Shabby Chic brand in 1989. Her online store offers furniture, bedding, her fabric designs and decorative pieces as well as one-off flea-market finds. In 2011, Rachel opened The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell, her B&B in Texas. Her previous titles include Rachel Ashwell: Shabby Chic Interiors, Rachel Ashwell: Shabby Chic Inspirations and Beautiful Spaces, Rachel Ashwell: Couture Prairie and Rachel Ashwell’s Painted Stories (all published by CICO Books). Rachel divides her time between Los Angeles and rural Somerset.