Editorial Review

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. Read more

Reviews (34)

The Shabby Chic Home
I received The Shabby Chic Home on Friday, and it was such a joy to spend a night with the beautiful and warm-hearted book of Rachel Ashwell, her family and sweer home. Nothing luxuary, only lots of love!

Fabulous!
I look at this book again and again.The colors inspire me, and I seem to notice something new everytime I look at it again.

Admirable.
This woman is truly admirable. She is financially successful, yet it is clear from the way she organizes and decorates her dream home that she values her family life and simplicity above all. Shabby Chic is not my style. However, I find myself benefiting from her advice again and again. Mostly to help me find my own sense of beauty every time I need to purchase something for my home. This is a wonderfully useful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Hobbies/Crafts    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House furnishings    7. Interior Design - Style Books    8. Interior decoration    9. Interior design    10. Residential Interior Design    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Decorating    12. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (40)

The "Shcbby Chic" home design
This book protrayed the essence of the Shabby Chic home
A total joy!
This was the first book I bought when I closed on my country home. My style has always been contemporary and I wanted ideas for decorating a turn of the century farmhouse. This and Shabby Chic Home is to decorating what Betty Crocker is to cooking. You will never go hungry again!:)

Good info
I've find the information in the book (text) very useful in creating a soothing, unfussy, shabby environment at home. However I was expecting it to be the otherway around; I thought there'll be beautiful photographs in the book and the text just going to state the obvious...
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Fiction    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House furnishings    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Social Science    10. Home furnishing & decoration    11. House & Home / Decorating   

Editorial Review

By now most readers even marginally interested in home decorating are familiar with the democratic principles of decorating elaborated in Rachel Ashwell's first book, Read more

Reviews (39)

A Wonderful Guide.
I find this book incredibly useful for tips in buying things, old and new, for my home. The handwritings in this book are readable, and I am not a native speaker! And it is interesting to see how Ms. Ashwell's taste and eye get more and more refined over the years. I appreciate work by other great interior designers like Jacques Grange and the late David Hicks and my style is not very much shabby chic at all. But for everyday living, I find Ms. Ashwell's advice to be adaptable and elegant. This book does not disappoint.

Beautiful!
Ms. Ashwell continues to inspire me with great collecting and decorating tips.She actually shares her sources, which is refreshing.

Inspiration for those who love vintage things
Before I even finished the book, I had to rummage out my odd selection of cream pitchers and glasses to fill with wildflowers.The photos inspire you to enjoy vintage fabrics, china and furniture in a fresh way.
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. House furnishings    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Secondhand trade    10. Art / General    11. Home furnishing & decoration   

Reviews (16)

Shift in Focus to Parties, Away from Home Decorating
Maybe "Elegant Shabby Chic" would have been a better name for the book.The photos are gorgeous.The events the author created are lavish affairs for Hollywood socialites.The reader can find inspiration from these and depending on the budget, create your own event.
Beautiful picture book.
I was in great anticipation of this book because I found her previous ones (with the exception of the Gift Giving one which I have not read) to be beautiful, inspiring and filled with great, new to me, information. I wasn't expecting another book like the first ones and had I, I think I would have been disappointed. What I was expecting, however, was just another beautiful book filled with wonderful images to give my brain a creative spark. And it did just that.
best cottage style reference
If you like the casual comfortable look of overstuffed slip covered furniture, this is the best reference you could buy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Design - Decorative    4. Dining rooms    5. Entertaining    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Interior Design    9. Interior decoration    10. Party decorations    11. Table setting and decoration    12. Etiquette & entertaining    13. Home furnishing & decoration    14. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (16)

Great pictures, but lacking ideas
First off, I do not regret buying this book. The photography is simply phenomonal, and it is inspiring just to look at the pictures. But unfortunetly, there are not really many gift giving "ideas". So if you bought this book looking for a new twist on gifts, you will be disapointed. A bit of a let down
I really liked her other Shabby Chic books and enjoy reading and looking at them this one was a bit of a let down.It would have been better in a magazine format

Well Intentioned But Disappointing
With her fourth book, "Shabby Chic: The Gift of Giving" Ashwell stays true to her core style but injects stronger color, upbeat energy, and modernity. All of this is fun for the reader and the photography from Amy Neunsinger is beautiful.Unfortunately, the book contains very few clever or fresh ideas for gifts.Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Guides    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. General    4. Gift wrapping    5. Gift wraps    6. Gifts    7. Hobbies/Crafts    8. Reference    9. Secondhand trade    10. Shopping    11. Crafts & Hobbies / General    12. Handicrafts