The Blurred Lines of Fantasy and Reality
At 16 I moved into my first home rental. It was a one bedroom with a hot plate to cook, filthy well-trodden wall to wall carpet, and each renter in...
RACHEL
CHANGING SEASONS FROM SUMMER TO FALL
Truthfully Summer is not a season that resonates with me. Having lived in California for 40 years, where mostly the temperature is warm and blue skies abound, I had always...
The Romance of Flowers
As Valentine’s Day comes around again, I find myself thinking about expressions of love - not only romantic love, but love for friends, for family, and for ourselves. For me,...
Reflections in the Mirror
As the beginning of the year gets underway, I have been carving out moments of time to reflect on the whys of closed chapters and to dream of what could...
Meadow Manor Book Signing Events
Upcoming Book Signing Events Additional dates and locations to be added. Date Venue Location Wed, Sept 23, 6–7pm Godmother’s Bookstore Summerland, California Sat, Oct 24, 4–7pm Leftovers Antiques Brenham, Texas...
The Practice of Looking - and Knowing What to Leave Behind
I often say that my home is never finished. It continues to evolve, shaped by time, by use, and by the objects that gather there gradually rather than all at...
Shabby Chic® Holiday Decorating: Soft Pastels, Vintage Ornaments, and Christmas Magic
Embracing a Soft and Soulful Christmas Palette Christmastime has always been a season where I lean deeply into beauty, comfort, and gentle sparkle. I’ve always loved the rhythm of winter...
Shabby Chic® Roses and Beyond: Watering a Garden of Growth and Grace
My garden at Meadow Manor, in the English countryside, has over the last couple of years become a gift of learning—for its literal sense of beauty, as well as how...
A Letter From Rachel
Dear Shabby Family,I founded Shabby Chic® in 1989, and thru all the ups and downs, my guiding light has always been my unwavering passion to bring beauty, comfort and meaning...
MAGICAL MALIBU
As with so many people these past three years have been all about dealing with the unexpected. Unplanned situations that lead us to re-evaluating our lives. AS many of...
SECOND CHANCES
For those of you who have my Shabby Chic® Sumptuous Settings book you will know many years ago I designed Jennifer Lopez’s restaurant Madres. It’s one of my proudest projects. That...
LET THERE BE LIGHT: WINTER DECORATING WITH RACHEL ASHWELL FOR 1-800-FLOWERS
Rachel Ashwell has always lived on the light side of life. Not only does she split her time between the idyllic English countryside and sunny Los Angeles, but her Shabby...