Rating: 
Summary: a very useful book
Review: From time to time over a period of several years, I pull this one off the shelf and flip through it. Not only is it refreshing to have someone tell you (for once) that it is okay to have an imperfect house, but to go on and say that well worn slightly imperfect items have a personal value in their own right. This philosophy, very different from the holier-than-thou decorators, immediatley caught my attention when I grabbed it up.
This book is very practical because of the furniture fix-up guides located throughout. Sand it down, putty up the holes, slap on a new coat of paint (although Rachel is fond of pastel pink and mint green, I personally prefer darker tones, either way, it works, you can create something very personal) ta-da! It's like having all new furniture, and you just saved a ton of money. This book is filled with advice on where to find bargains, how to repair and refurbish used goods, and take care of what you own (complete with a guide to how to remove different types of stains on different types of surfaces). It also lists the best places to find good bargains, flea markets, tag sales, antquie malls, etc.
Combine this book with a few faux finishing techniques, and you'll probably find a way to be more comfterable with the decor of your abode, then when you get bored again, you could always sand it down and try and different color paint, or make a new slipcover, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: Handsome but narrow,style-wise
Review: Gives a good look at one style related to decorative treasure hunting. If you want more options, my favorite new book of the spring season is Flea Market Decorating, which for me captures the fun of finding flea market treasures and then using to create highly personal rooms that range from cottage to contemporary.
Rating: 
Summary: Question is more like it!
Review: Hello, I am trying to e-mail Rachel Ashwell about (Shabby Chic). There was no e-mail included! Is there any way that u can provide me with her e-mail add? Or even phone #. Got some new information to deliver . Please e-mail me as soon as possible. Thank you so much Nesreen Masso
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic photo gallery of clients' and friends' homes!
Review: I enjoyed Ashwell's first decorating book, but this "guide" is among my favorite decorating books. I enjoy the wide range of homes she shows. The only drawback is that a few of the little homes seemed so nice and perfectly organized--and then the photographs were limited. If the pictures for these homes were more extensive, I believe I would have given this book 5 stars. I love the white, off white, and antique white walls. The rooms have a very pure look to them because of the wall color and a limited wall decoration, and yet there are delightful splashes of color in the prints. Ashwell's restrained, yet lovely approach to decorating is welcoming and relaxed. I like it a lot. I'm even starting to enjoy pink!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, yes, but ...
Review: I enjoyed the beautiful photography in this book, even though the hand-writing around the little sketches was very hard to read. And I admired the author's keen eye for treasures and the hard work she put into refinishing pieces of furniture. I drooled over the stunning photos of the curtains and hand made lace and linens, the old heavy linen sheets she tracks down, the wonderful coordinating faded chintz ruffled pillows. I just have a couple of questions. 1) Where exactly does one go to find this stuff if you don't live in a major city? Our flea market has X-rated exercise videos and beanie babies and old magazines, but is very short on quaint furniture and heavy old linen sheets and handmade lace. 2) Should one manage to lug home quaint old wooden furniture, fix it up, and cover it with all the quaint old antique knicknacks (obtained for JUST PENNIES, of course) - where in the house does one put all this stuff? I reiterate, this is a beautiful book to look at, and dream about, and it could serve as inspiration. But I think it's kind of impractical if you don't live near an enormous flea market. The "pickers" snatch up all the good stuff before the general public ever sees it, and what is left is so ridiculously expensive it's not worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring
Review: I fell in love with "Shabby Chic" a couple of years ago when I visited her store in New York. While I found a lot of her things to be quite expensive, they did inspire me to be far more creative and open-minded. This book is a wonderful source of information from flea marketing to how to fix and clean your finds. Like Rachel, I grew up flea marketing with my parents, and now as an adult I am applying her philosophy to my marketing and decorating. I highly recommend this book, along with her others and if you are a real die hard, check out her show on the Style network. Thank you Rachel!
Rating:
Summary: My Inspiration
Review: I have been waiting for this girl, Rachel, for a long time. I came out of the depression area and all I have in my home is used furniture. Well, Rachel showed me how to turn my early and late depression furniture and items into a beautiful shabby chic home. I love all her ideas. She is the perfect person for people like me. She shows me how to use flea market finds and turn them into pieces that my friends would die for. I refer them all to Rachel and her books. I had rather go buy a piece of used furniture now than go buy a new piece that cost thousands. I can make each piece of furniture my very own with her help. Thanks Rachel.
Rating:
Summary: My Inspiration
Review: I have been waiting for this girl, Rachel, for a long time. I came out of the depression area and all I have in my home is used furniture. Well, Rachel showed me how to turn my early and late depression furniture and items into a beautiful shabby chic home. I love all her ideas. She is the perfect person for people like me. She shows me how to use flea market finds and turn them into pieces that my friends would die for. I refer them all to Rachel and her books. I had rather go buy a piece of used furniture now than go buy a new piece that cost thousands. I can make each piece of furniture my very own with her help. Thanks Rachel.
Rating:
Summary: Overall, a nice book for inspiration!
Review: I have enjoyed the shabby style way before it bacame "chic",so I was curious as to what the "inventor" of the look had to offer. I like the How To section on repair and cleaning,I found it refreshing that someone was willing to share trade secrets! This book is a woderful tool for personal inpiration. Nice photos of rooms for ideas. My only regret is that more people will find out about it and make flea market shopping that much harder!!!!!
Oh well, that is part of the fun..... enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: What is this book about--decorating or Rachel?
Review: I like the shabby chic look, and I love looking at the photos in the book, and I would even buy the other books in the series. But like Martha Stewart, Rachel is trying to make this all about HER. ...where does one find flea markets of this caliber? Most flea markets around here (Kansas City) sell beanie babies, fake Tommy Hilfiger, and overpriced figurines. Flea markets are becoming increasinly expensive, as vendors who have no idea what they're selling put marked-up prices on their trash. Sorry, but I can't afford a trip to Paris to scavenge for furniture. Buy the book for the photos and ideas, but don't expect to cheaply duplicate her look, and don't say I didn't warn you that you'd get sick of Rachel-this and Rachel-that.
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