Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic

I was so sad to hear the news today (yes, I'm always late with news) about Rachel Ashwell, Shabby Chic filing for Chapter 11. Rachel Ashwell & her story & her company have been an inspiration for me from Day 1 when I first started thinking about opening Pure Style LLC.
They're in the process of restructuring now & I just hope they make it through okay. Rachel's creativity is amazing & I have a feeling something even bigger & better will come out of all of this. So, I just wanted to share with you a few of my favorite photos from the Shabby Chic website.
I think when we typically think of "shabby chic," we imagine ruffles & skirts & flowers & feminine furniture, but as you can see from the pics on this post, that's not all the company & the aesthetic is about.

A lot of her pieces have a cool modern edge like the coffee table below:



And hmazing is this little pendant (below)?!


Check out this gorgeous tufted leather sofa: And how beautiful would this little pendant be in the corner of a room?:




I love how these simple, farmhouse lines take on a modern edge when paired with this clean-lined white sofa: (This is really perfection to me because of the lines, colors & natural feel of the raw table.)


This shelf (below)looks like an authentic rustic shelf that someone's grandfather could have built out of scraps of wood. Adding a piece like this to a room provides instant character & age.

This giant pendant light (below) has such a beautiful finish. I would love it over a desk floating in the middle of a room.

She offers such a variety of styles (compare the refined pic below with the simple one below it) and even just one of her items in a room add timelessness.
This one makes me think "beach" & reminds me of a piece I found at a thrift store, repainted & used as my outdoor potting station. And that's what's so great about Shabby Chic- you get inspired by the pieces they carry & they get your creative juices flowing. Rachel's whole company was founded on her love of flea market finds & it's easy to get excited about your own future projects by seeing what she has to offer.
I LOVE the lines on this bed (below). I used to have am English Caribbean mahogany 4 poster & loved it at the time, but over the years, my tastes have gotten simpler. It's in storage right now & if I could have an bed I wanted right now, I would probably have something very similar to this bed in a raw wood or mahogany... or an uphostered linen headboard... it depends on the room ;)
And, below, I just wanted to show this photo again. I really love this room. The paneled ceiling, the chandelier, the white upholstery, the amount of white in general, the raw wood table and the little modern ottoman/stool = beautiful. I love all the french doors & how airy & open the space is.
Anyway, if you get a chance you can head over to the Shabby Chic blog where Rachel is giving updates & I know that she appreciates everyone's support. She's an amazing person & I'm hoping her creativity & ingenuity will pull her through this & I have a feeling something even bigger is in store for her. She's been such an inspiration & I just want her to know that she's touched a lot of people.
xoxo,
lauren

21 comments:

Beth said...

I love it!
i love the antiquey look of everything!
the bed and couch are amazing!

simply seleta said...

I read that on her blog too. I was so impressed with her positive attitude and great perspective on it all. She's inspiring. Love the images you selected here.

Rachael said...

yep, i just sat here for 2 minutes slowly scrolling down this post - totally calm and relaxed just from looking at the images...she is one talented lady.

Linda@ Lime in the Coconut said...

I loved her message to her peeps. Very honest and true and sweet. The woman is so talented and certainly carried a decade if not more of her unique style. Hoping she comes out the other end. Stronger still.

Unknown said...

Sometimes Rachael Ashwell's style can be a little bit too feminine and frilly for me - but these pictures are just perfect. I have a couple of her books and her energetic personality shines through. I hope her company pulls through this difficult time.

Maria Killam said...

Well I'll have to check out her blog! She's got to come out of it because all that chocolate brown out there will eventually be painted white and she'll be back in business like in the 80's when she started painting all the pine furniture! Great post, thanks!

Velvet and Linen said...

Rachel has been such an inspiration for so many of us.
I poured over the information in all three of her books when I was designing my own home.
She is a smart, determined, incredibly creative woman, and I am sure she make it through this economic downturn to inspire us all again with her amazing vision.

xo
Brooke

Haven and Home said...

Oh No! I had not heard that yet. So sad, hopefully she can pull through. I love her style.

Room Service ~ Decorating 101 said...

Loved this post L, a true artist will never be stopped. We have not heard the last of Rachel!

Lauren Jade said...

all her designs are very soothing, i love them. I am very into creating calm and collected environments right now. I'm working on making my living room more like the pics you posted. Thanks for the inspiration!

My Notting Hill said...

I was just in a Shabby Chic in Atlanta - it looked like it would be closing down. Hope their restructuring works out for them.

marmee said...

all of this is so wonderful i do especially love that last photo.
it is so sad so many people are losing their ability to do what they love because of this financial crisis.

Michelle said...

great images...I love the idea of hanging a chandelier in front of a mirror like that!

Thanks! Oh...I'm working on my binders...Merci!

Ivy Lane said...

I heard this news a few weeks ago and was so saddened. I used to watch the t.v. show and always got great inspiration from it. I hope the restructure plan works. Rachel seems to be a very saavy business woman. Fingers crossed....

Michelle said...

I'm an avid reader of your blog and you've been TAGGED!!!

Please write 6 interesting things about yourself, tag 6 more people, and then let them know they have been tagged.

Let's keep this circle going.

Get to writing!

DesignTies said...

Beautiful rooms, Lauren. "Shabby Chic" as a style may not be the trend, but the use of natural woods and classic whites continues to be really big... reminds me that trends go in cycles. This lovely eclectic style continues to be very popular - it won't go far!
Victoria @ DesignTies

Anonymous said...

i love the lighting

shi(f)t said...

stunning! love the vintage feel...

Anonymous said...

Another victim of this terrible economy. Rachel was my inspiration for many years. She has a gift that I hope she continues to share with the world!

No.35style said...

i loved her show years ago on the style network...i love that leather sofa and those industrial looking lights.

The girl with the pretend crown said...

Beautiful blog! :) xxx