The Shabby Chic Home

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".

Most people are familiar with the hallmarks of Rachel Ashwell's shabby chic style: fabrics in pastel florals and stripes, chintz sofa covers, antique-store and yard-sale finds turned into home furnishings and accessories. At the heart of this breezy style is a very practical idea: don't buy new--use what you have or can find at thrift stores and secondhand shops and enjoy the old-fashioned charm that only aged pieces acquire. The same idea goes for houses. The Shabby Chic Home shows how an older home can take on a shabby chic appeal by being brought up to date without sacrificing any of its charm.

In The Shabby Chic Home, Ashwell walks readers through the renovation of her own 1920s home, from the purchase of the originally dark and gloomy house through the repainting (using layers and layers of white paint) of the home and the rebirth of the garden, yard, and pool, to the final decorating of the home for herself and her two kids. Along the way, readers receive advice on how to choose from among the thousands of paint colors, how to decide whether to live with the old or buy new, and why remodeling an older home might not be such a good idea. The latter part of the book explains how to add touches of shabby chic style to every room of a home--old or new--for a finished look. The result, shown in dramatic before-and-after pictures, is a home that's comfortable enough for a family to relax in, but still elegant and beautiful.

Don't let the floral patterns and chenille bedspreads fool you: Ashwell's advice throughout is common-sense and economical. For instance, she recommends not wasting your time looking through every decorating option--if you like the first idea, color, or plan well enough, save yourself the time and stress and go with it. She also suggests resisting the immediate desire to throw out the old and bring in the new; try living with things as they are for a while, and you may find yourself surprised at how well you've come to like the funky tile in the bathroom or the noisy glass-door refrigerator. Here lies the appeal of a shabby chic home: sometimes old has a charm and lived-in look that can't be purchased from a home improvement store. --Kris Law