click below for more images Rachel Ashwell Victoria Magazine    Email to a friend  Printer friendly version Related Resources • More Designer Interviews • Decorating Books About Interior Decorating Subscribe to the Free Newsletter Your Email Address:

Shabby Chic® style

Rachel Ashwell, founder of the popular Shabby Chic ® style, began her decorating quest in the late 80's, searching garage sales and flea markets for furniture with "good bones" and nice lines. Then she took it home and painted it all white. Upholstered pieces were dressed up in loose washable slipcovers, and vintage accessories were collected to complete the look.

She started doing it to furnish a home for her young family, but has since expanded from these humble beginnings into designing her own custom furniture and fabric lines, opening a network of Shabby Chic(r) stores, writing style books, and becoming a TV how-to expert on E network's style channel. She is also a featured designer in Victoria Magazine's book, Designers In Residence .

Shabby Chic(r) is a look that's easy to live with and remarkably versatile. It's a study in contrasts between casual and elegant, fresh and traditional, simple and ornate, plain and patterned, rumpled and tidy. And it is a style that easily merges a variety of objects into one harmonious whole through the liberal use of white and pastels.

If you love to collect mismatched teacups, vintage lacy linens, soft floral fabrics, painted furniture, crystal chandeliers, and lots of white accessories, this may be the style for you. Like "comfort food" it seems to appeal to our "grandmother's house" sense of beauty and belonging.

In this interview Rachel Ashwell discusses some of her unique decorating ideas, her tips for new decorators, and which fabrics she recommends for easy care slipcovers.

For best viewing, open browser window to maximum size

Q. What are some of the common decorating mistakes made by homeowners? What's your advice on how to avoid or correct those mistakes?

Rachel Ashwell: "One of my pet peeves is too much matching, clutter, frills and people being too quick to complete the decorating process. The solution is to simplify. Be without, rather than making a wrong quick choice. Less is more."

Q. What would be your recommendation for "what to do first" in a decorating project?

Rachel Ashwell:
"1. Clear out anything that is not used and get rid of it.
2. Lighten furniture with slipcovers
3. Paint
4. Add lighting
5. Make list of items to look for, i.e. chandelier, rug, side table"

Q. What tips do you have on decorating a room for a baby or young child?

Rachel Ashwell: "Don't use miniature furniture as it is too short-lived. A crib should always be new in case child chews on railings, and obviously avoid lead paint."

Q. What advice do you have for someone with a new house to decorate and perhaps a limited budget? What advice do you wish someone had given you about funishing your own home when you first started out?

Rachel Ashwell:
• "Less is more.
• Choose a few select items -- a sofa, table, rug, chandalier.
• Keep whatever you have simple.
• Try and have fresh flowers, even three separate buds vases which adds luxury and beauty.
• Fragrance is nice as well, so incorporating candles (vanilla) is always nice."

Q. Can you comment on what you see in color trends?

Rachel Ashwell: "I don't really follow trends as I stick to my palette of pale green, pale pink, pale blue, cream and ivories."