Shabby Chic (ISBN 0060823690)

Pretty but useless book; bathroom reading:
This is one of those books that is great to flip through in a bookstore or friend's house but never buy. And I am quite a fan of Shabby Chic and Rachel Ashwell. So if you don't even like her stuff, nothing in this book will sustain your interest. There is not much copy to read, her "tips" are very generic or just off-the-mark (she says it's ok to buy termite-ridden antiques because "a simple commercially available spray" gets rid of termites - somehow I don't see many women attempting this), and the book is mostly photos. While pretty, the photos are sourced from the same few celebrity homes she knows, so one feels a bit shortchanged.

The "Shcbby Chic" home design:
This book protrayed the essence of the Shabby Chic home decoration. It has a good balance between the written word and photographs. I did enjoy the book and got a lot of ideas from it.

Uninspired:
Frankly, I was expecting more from this book, particularly because of the lovely cover. However, I was left uninspired. Perhaps it's because it's an older book? Perhaps I had the wrong idea of "shabby chic"? The book is filled with pages upon pages of white rooms with white furniture. I would suggest investing your money in a different book if white rooms aren't your thing.

Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell:
The book was in very good condition. Very fast delivery. Great communication from the seller. Would buy from again! The book is wonderful... If you like Rachel Ashwell and love Romantic things then this is the book for for you. Her style is warm and subtle and soft. Not in your face baroque and not too cutsie, the guys have to live with it too! Her book inspired me to redo my kitchen in a very warm pale pink and her book taught me how to use my shabby and chic things.

Magic and Absolutely Must-Have Book:
This Book, I would say this dream world, is a must-have for any person who loves true design, home or garden decor, flea-markets finds and/or who has children (or even just one kid). The ideas are great and simple, the style is typically Shabby Chic, as its creator wrote this book, but in a little bolder and more flashy colors than in her other books, as many projects are outside and need to be seen under a very harsh sunlight. It is Rachel Ashwell's fifth book, so, we could imagine it is the same as her four preceding others, but no, she manages to surprise us in it : by remaining true to her palette, we can guess an evolution in her tastes and choices, which are always so chic, so elegant, so British, quite elegant enough for any French Castle, and I know what I am speaking of, as I am French and have been raised in a very chic Parisian family. As you understood, I am a big fan of Rachel Ashwell's design, I only regret she's not more well-known in Paris. So, if you like or are curious of Shabby Chic, this book is more that a must, the kind of book you will keep your whole life. By the way, the pictures are gorgeous, a usually, and the explanations honest and easy to understand, as usually too. I recommend strongly. Yael from Los Angeles