Think Marie Antoinette in jeans and a cowboy hat - that is Rachel Ashwell's prairie style. Rachel Ashwell Couture Prairie takes her signature pastels, ruffles and whimsical prettiness right to the heart of cowboy country. This is a journey in pictures and words, following Rachel through the fields of a little town called Round Top, home to one of the largest, most eclectic and vibrant antiques and flea markets in the world, and then back to Rachel's bed-and-breakfast in Texas. Here Rachel's inspired finds, her creative imagination, eye for detail and her commitment to beauty, comfort and function have finally come together in one location: The Prairie by Rachel Ashwell - an irresistible destination. This book takes Rachel in a new direction, bringing her eye for cherished patinas and pastel prettiness into the endless landscapes and diverse architectural styles of Texas. Here you will see how her style adapts to corrugated metal sheeting and weathered timbers and how it brings new life to elegant period mansions. Chapter by chapter, the book leads you through Rachel's little houses on the prairie, from the Ranger's Lounge where hearty breakfasts are served, to the Pearl Barn, scene of wedding parties and celebrations, stopping off at the evocatively named guest accommodation: Blue Bonnet Barn, Cornflower Cottage, Meadow Manor, Faith Cottage and Liliput Lodge.

Step inside Rachel Ashwell's beautiful world of shabby chic interiors and be guided through stunningly beautiful homes that are bursting with design ideas and sumptuous details. Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Interiors showcases the many ways that shabby chic design can be applied with gorgeous results. See how Rachel has used grand items, such as crystal chandeliers and aged furnishings, to create a calming, romantic and imaginative retreat. Across numerous stunning locations you'll explore colour-schemes of off-whites and discover the power of detail with beautiful shells and flowers. You'll even visit a gorgeous Spanish hacienda that was once lived in by Marilyn Monroe, and the stylish New York apartment that was lived in by fashion designer Betsey Johnson. In the sixth chapter, Rachel will take you Behind the Scenes where you will delve into her passion for fabric and vintage clothing before teaching you how to mix and match elements to create a perfectly imperfect shabby chic paradise.

Discover Rachel Ashwell's floral inspirations and the unique touch she brings to interiors in her first book dedicated to flowers, a deeply-held passion come to life. Flowers and floral decoration are at the core of Rachel Ashwell's world and her designs. From her showcase rose garden in California, she set out with photographer Amy Neunsinger to capture the full-blown romance of the quintessential English country house, the dramatic colourways of northern Europe, and the faded opulence of a Parisian apartment. This is the story of that magical journey, which takes us through a variety of beautiful spaces large and small, some ornate and others simple. Every aspect of floral accents is showcased, from wallpaper to fabrics, floors to ceilings, architectural details, lighting and, of course, flower arrangements, some breathtaking and some simple... but all beautiful in their own right. Rachel Ashwell is the author of Shabby Chic Interiors and Shabby Chic Inspirations.

In "The Shabby Chic Home", Rachel Ashwell brings readers into her own living space to show every design-focused and frugal homemaker how they can create beautiful, inviting, cost-effective improvements to their homes. With easy-to-follow instructions and detailed before-and-after photos, Rachel reveals the secrets of any effective and affordable design update: how to assess what needs to be replaced, make structural changes, and keep costs down while adding Shabby Chic touches. Rachel's journey to "The Shabby Chic Home" began when she first saw the house destined to be her future home - and found herself dismayed by its gloomy interiors and overgrown garden. But after a closer look, she saw a world of opportunity waiting beneath the weeds and shadows. With her fabulous eye for design, Rachel transformed it into her bright, cosy, dream house, one that had all the hallmarks of a Shabby Chic home: a practical amount of space, a relaxed atmosphere, and a comfortable beauty, all achieved without breaking the bank. Now, the secrets of making your own living space into the home you've always wanted are at your fingertips in "Shabby Chic Home".

In this inspiring and useful design bible of the ever-popular Shabby Chic style, creator Rachel Ashwell shares her twenty-five years of work, showing readers how to apply her look to their own homes. A large, comfortable slipcovered sofa. Painted antique furniture. A palette and patina of soft colours and faded antiques. The essence of Shabby Chic is a romantic and charming interior filled with well-worn and well-loved objects, a look that is about comfort yet always remains chic. Celebrating the now-iconic Shabby Chic aesthetic, this design bible includes all the best of the look-from furniture, linens, paint colours and wallpaper, to lighting, accessories, and table-tops. Organized thematically, this volume is full of inspiration for every room in the house, as well as the garden. Sections include: Foundations (assessing the space, determining colour palette, light); Furnishings and Fabrics (creation of mood boards, linens, mixing and matching patterns, furniture styles, and space planning); Accessories (lighting, mirrors, arrangements); Entertaining and Gardens (table-top, flowers, outdoor spaces); and Pulling It All Together (showing a range of favourite homes, illustrating modern shabby, romantic shabby, or cottage shabby). Appendixes include information on sourcing, how to identify hidden gems at flea markets, and how to clean and restore them. The most lavish, thorough, and comprehensive book on the Shabby Chic look, this beautiful volume celebrates the enduring timelessness of Ashwell's creations while providing practical instruction on how to decorate your home in the Shabby Chic style. Rachel Ashwell is the creator of the Shabby Chic brand and line of stores. She lives in a shabby chic cottage in Los Angeles.

It helps the healthiness both of body and soul to live among beautiful things. --designer William Morris, 1882

Shabby Chic -- the rich, inviting, practical, time-worn style created by one of America's top designers, Rachel Ashwell, is a style of living that reflects the grace and simplicity of another time.

Now you can do more than just dream of living in a Shabby Chic home. You can create one yourself. With invaluable treasure-hunting advice and tips for essential materials, furniture, objects and decorations, you can live a life of simple, but rich, beauty.

With her practiced eye Rachel takes you on a tour of flea markets, antique malls, and a variety of secondhand sales -- estate, tag, yard, church, garage -- to demonstrate how, with a little taste, imagination, work and ingenuity, you can turn trinkets from the past into treasures for today.

As Rachel sifts through the discarded, the crumbling, the shabby, she takes you step by step through her personal process, sharing how you, too, can spot a fabulous buy, repair and alter it, and by following her guideline words -- comfort, function, and beauty -- develop your own distinctive, original look that is down-to-earth yet truly exquisite.

Following her sensible advice you can exchange the anonymity of mass-produced furniture and home accessories for unique, inviting surroundings for a fraction of the cost and decorate comfortable, livable rooms in which family heirlooms blend with flea-market finds and the new combines gracefully with the well worn. Lavishly illustrated with lovely and informative photographs and drawings, Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide shows you how to have the home you've always dreamed of, a place where children's dinners are served on mix-and-match antique plates at a table covered with lace from a renovated curtain set with unironed linen napkins. A space where fresh flowers stand in antique jugs, complementing comfortable furniture covered in crisp white denim that is enhanced with each laundering.

For Rachel, Shabby Chic is not just style. It is a way of living. With her trademark warmth and charm she reveals how she sleeps on embroidered antique linen and dresses in cashmeres and bias-cut silk dresses discovered in vintage clothing shops and flea markets. Throughout, she teaches you how to recognize and appreciate beauty in unlikely and often overlooked places, as well as how to define and refine your individual taste.

Worn damask, relaxed velvets, tea-stained florals, washed-out cotton prints, tattered lace, monogrammed linen....

Comforting colors: celadon, mint and seafoam greens; dusty rose; ivories, creams and faded grays; a touch of pale sky-blue; crisp, clean white....

Faded grandeur: the incomplete, the neglected, the crumbling, the cracked, the mismatched, the wrinkled....

Ruffles, gathers, tucks; scuffs, chips, imperfections; worn moldings, tired elegance, peeling paint....

An appreciation of vintage and history....

This is Shabby Chic

Now your gifts can reflect your warm, caring thoughts and reflect the beautiful and comforting style that is Shabby Chic. Rachel Ashwell shares the wonderful gift ideas she has collected throughout the years and shows you how to express your sentiments with a classic alluring style. She shows you how to pick the perfect gift for the perfect person or occasion and then how to wrap and decorate it with style. For example, instead of giving your fashion-obsessed best friend a sweater in a box, why not put it on an old antique dressmaker's dummy? Instead of giving an impersonal holiday card from Hallmark, why not create personalized cards that fit every occasion? The Shabby Chic Gift of Giving is a perfect book for the holiday season, and it will offer year round gift giving guidance for birthdays, Valentine's Day, Christmas or Hanukkah, Mother's Day, Father's Day and other special occasions.

Rachel Ashwell uses her signature style to make any event a special occasion.

This beautiful, accessible book proves that entertaining need not be expensive. Making every day into an elegant extravaganza is a matter of inspiration and imagination, and shopping is a great way to get inspired. Travel with her to unique locations like a Chinese grocery store, local antique mall, a flower market, or a flea market to search for the perfect accents that will give your event unexpected charm without breaking the bank. Use the treasures you find to jazz up average items - sometimes it's as easy as adding a little paint, ribbons, or flowers. Decorate the chairs, create a themed meal, or custom design menus and place cards. When it comes to setting a scene, Rachel is an expert and with her easy how-to advice, you can be too. She has practical ideas for any occasion - baby showers to weddings, birthday parties to bar mitzvahs, even old-fashioned family dinners.

Valuable flea market finds . . .A peeling, antique vanity in a muted sea green . . . An elegant, cracked chandelier . . .An enormous, slipcovered sofa with deep, plush cushions . . .

Comfort, the beauty of imperfections, the allure of time-worn objects, and the appeal of simple, practical living: these are the cornerstones of Shabby Chic style. Like the cozy familiarity of a well-worn pair of faded jeans, the dilapidated elegance of an Italian villa, or the worn grandeur of faded velvets and mismatched floral china handed down from your grandmother's attic, the Shabby Chic style is a revived appreciation for what is used, well-loved, and worn. It is a respect for natural evolution and a regard for what is easy and sensible.

The hundreds of lavish photographs in this book invite you inside the unique world of Shabby Chic. Rachel Ashwell, founder of the Shabby Chic home decor stores, provides her invaluable and much-sought-after advice on how to re-create Shabby Chic style in your own home. With engaging text and easy-to-follow instructions, Rachel details the Shabby Chic basics in a way that will put even the most apprehensive or novice decorators at ease. From flowers to fabrics to lighting, Rachel illuminates all of the elements essential to this unpretentious yet truly exquisite style.

A behind-the-scenes look at a flea market lets readers in on Rachel's personal secrets of how to cull hidden treasures from flea market trash--an old trunk, its paint peeling around the edges, can be given new life as a coffee table, while a chipped white iron salvage piece becomes the perfect frame for a vintage mirror. This book tells you not only how to restore these pieces but how to find the perfect place for them in your home. Gorgeous color photographs and accompanying text reveal how this relaxed look works with a variety of different styles, from Victorian to Mediterranean to contemporary.

Shabby Chic - the rich, inviting, practical, time-worn style created by one of America's top designers, Rachel Ashwell, is a style of living that reflects the grace and simplicity of another time. With Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting and Decorating Guide, readers can do more than just dream of living in a Shabby Chic home. Using Rachel's invaluable treasure hunting advice and tips for essential materials, furniture, objects, and decorations, readers can actually create one for themselves. Using it as a decorating companion, readers will learn how to exchange the anonymity of mass-produced furniture and home accessories for unique, inviting surroundings for a fraction of the price, and to create comfortable, livable rooms in which the new combines gracefully with the well worn. For Rachel, Shabby Chic is not just a style, it's a way of life. By definition the Shabby Chic look will never be outdated. And today, more than 23 years after she coined the term Shabby Chic, Rachel has accumulated millions of followers around the world. New generations of homeowners are continuing to discover her and, like the generation before them, quickly becoming enthralled by her and all things Shabby Chic.

In this beautiful, practical decorating and entertaining guide, Rachel Ashworth reveals how to make any event a special occasion using her signature Shabby Chic style. In this beautiful, accessible book, Rachel Ashwell, the founder of Shabby Chic, shows that sophisticated entertaining doesn't have to be expensive. Transforming the every day into an elegant extravaganza is a matter of inspiration and imagination, and in Shabby Chic: Sumptuous Settings and Other Lovely Things she offers exciting ideas to help you create beautiful settings of your own. Travel with her to unique locations, including a Chinese grocery store, a local antique mall, a flower market, and flea markets, to search for the perfect accents that will give an event unexpected charm-without breaking the bank. Rachel teaches you how to use inexpensive treasures to enhance ordinary objects-from adding a coat of paint or some ribbons or flowers to decorate chairs and tables, to creating a themed meal, to easily customizing menus and place cards. When it comes to setting a scene, Rachel is an expert, and in Shabby Chic: Sumptuous Settings and Other Lovely Things she offers easy how-to advice for making any occasion extraordinary, including baby showers, weddings, birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, and even old-fashioned family dinners. Illustrated with 200 full-color photos throughout.

Valuable flea market finds...
A peeling, antioue vanity in muted sea green...
An elegant, cracked chandelier...
An enormous, slipcovered sofa with deep, cushions...

Comfort, the beauty of imperfections, the allure of time-worn objects, and the appeal of simple practical living: these are the cornerstones of what has come to be known as the Shabby Chic style. Like the cozy familiarity of a well-worn pair of faded jeans, the dilapidated elegance of an Italian viIla, or the worn grandeur of faded velvets and mismatched floral china handed down from your grandmother's attic, the Shabby Chic style is a revived appreciation for what is used, well-loved, and worn. It is a respect for natural evolution and a regard for what is easy and sensible.

The hundreds of lavish photographs in this book invite you inside the unique world of Shabby Chic. Rachel Ashwell, founder of the Shabby Chic home decor stores, for the first time provides her invaluable and much-sought-after advice on how to re-create Shabby Chic style in your own home. With engaging text and easy-to- follow instructions, Rachel details the Shabby Chic basics in a way that will put even the most apprehensive or novice decorators at ease. From flowers to fabrics to lighting, Rachel illuminates all of the elements essential to this unpretentious yet truly exquisite style.

A behind-the-scenes look at a flea market lets readers in on Rachel's personal secrets of how to cull hidden treasures from flea market trash--an old trunk, its paint peeling around the edges, can be given new life as a coffee table, while a chipped white iron salvage piece becomes the perfect frame for a vintage mirror. This book tells you not only how to restore these pieces but how to find the perfect place for them in your home. Gorgeous color photographs and accompanying text reveal how this relaxed look works with a variety of different styles, from Victorian to Mediterranean to contemporary.