SHABBY CHIC
The name Shabby Chic was a perfect match for me from the very beginning.
I love and appreciate everything shabby as I do everything chic.
I have questioned over the years if it was due to my…….
not wanting to commit,
not wanting to stand behind what I believe in
not truly having an opinion.
Wanting to cover my bases.
But actually I have learnt I have a very strong opinion of appreciating
things for what they are, and for what they are not.
Once again your comments on my blog have been my source of inspiration.
Someone wrote a deeper explanation of Garth Brook's song,
“Sometimes gods greatest wishes are our unanswered prayers”.
She wrote, “Just because our prayers weren’t answered in the way we wanted,
it doesn't mean they weren’t answered”.
During these past few months I have tried to save Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic
stores in the way I thought was best for the company.
But it wasn't meant to be.
And still the future is uncertain.
But what is certain is that the sadness, loss and pain of this experience
to all has created the most extraordinary bond between me and all of you.
Faith has created the fuel to drive the train, and at some point the train
will be on the track.
I am not a practacing religious person. But I do have great faith.
And that is so comforting and freeing of fear.
Especially for a character like myself. So often I think I know
the answers and I put up a good fight.
But I have learnt the art of letting go and I am safe.
I just have to be quiet to hear the direction.
I am attracted to the opposites in life.
When I purchased this in Brimfield, Massachusetts a few eyeballs rolled.
But to me it was one more example of the rawness of a skull, with the
femininity of a parasol. All sharing the support of a chair.
While 99.9 percent of my employees, my vendors, my customers have been unwaveringly supportive, there have of course been a few that are enjoying my setback.
This past week my manufacturing plant has been selling off fabrics,
much of it of course is plain white.
Some are Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic floral prints.
Most of the buyers coming through have been sympathetic and nostalgic.
However some attempted to steal Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic tags and
labels so they can sell them an authentic Shabby Chic product.
This was disappointing to me.
This feels dirty.
But in the end again it reminded me, how honest and genuine
and pure thinking most people have been through this process.
People of no moral character are great reminders of the beauty of goodness.
While the fabric is of course Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic,
the products that they will be made into are not.
So for any of you who care whether you are buying authentic
Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic products, there will be some impostors for a while.
I have always wondered what if feels like being in the head of person
that copies. To me that is life as a destination without a journey.
Why would anyone want to create something that wasn’t their own heart
and soul?
Just for money I suppose.
That’s something I don’t understand.
While I love going into my stores and seeing the end results of the efforts of design, it is the process of design, reworking, rethinking that is the fuel.
I have always said mediocrity has no place in my world.
Unique and authentic are what I am attracted to.
That doesn’t mean a beautiful velvet floppy flower is less beautiful
than a beautiful rose…
But they are both the best they can be. No short cuts to create.
Unfortunate circumstances happened in the past two years that caused me to fall.
But for 18 years we were strong, surviving earthquakes, divorces, economic downturns. I do hope for anyone affected negatively will remember the years of strength and support Shabby Chic offered and supplied.
The biggest lessons of my life have been learnt this past year.
As I have said tears have been plenty, hearts hurt.
But my spirit is flying pretty high, trusting this is happening
the way it must.
I am in London at the moment. Writing and designing my book.
I take the bus to and from the publishers office.
I have always dreamed of the life of Jo from Little Women.
And even though I am not writing a novel,
the process feels very true to me.
The publisher's offices are modest but have the warmest of energy.
Funny how often people think of the English as snobby. That can be true.
But they are also humble, real and so very authentic.
And the best part is the kettle goes on for tea at 4p.m. sharp.
(Haven't had that since my lovely Carla left my Shabby Chic.)
That is what I am experiencing, every day.
I have a rented flat with no shower and only a washing machine for clothes.
That does seem to be British to have to dry clothes either on a washing line
or on a rack.
I have not felt so attached and involved in my day to day living for
such a long time.
And that is a gift for sure.
Life seems to be in Technicolor for me, with surround sound.
I am living in my life.
And without the risk of sounding schmaltzy, it is all because of you.
I am humbled that you thank me and love me for the beauty
that I have bought into your lives.
But your gift to me is far superior.
Wow. What a post. What a heart-felt post. I am so glad I stumbled upon your blog in the last month. It's refreshing to hear your gut-level honesty about your feelings, your life. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteRuth
those that know your products will know the fakes. you ran an amazing company and i LOVED LOVED LOVED working for you! times will get better and you will rise again and have soo much inspiration pouring out of you that people will once again flock to the stores to buy your products!
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to share my experience over the last year.
I had been living the last fourteen years in Holland and had not yet discovered the Shabby Chic ideal.
In December of 2007 my husband and I relocated back home to Long Island N.Y.
That December I happened upon a small shop in Cold Spring Harbor who sold your linens and had photos of you during a book signing. I bought all your books immediately.
In 2007 my husband and I were hit hard by the economic crisis. I could not find work and we were already knee deep in debt for IVF treatments. I found solace in reading and re-reading your books. I took pleasure in small things like flowers, old linens, and searching for cheap flea market finds.
I had an IVF treatment in San Diego last week. We flew into L.A. and I made it a point to stop in your Santa Monica store. Though money was tight I bought a beautifil floral wall sconce and said my good-byes.
I wanted you to know that the inspiration you gave will help make these difficult times a little easier...and alot more beautiful.
Forever Grateful
Sanne
from Northport N.Y.
Your first store was beautiful.I am sorry about those that made it feel dirty, greed unfortunately is why this country is in the shape it is in. Enjoy your trip to England, can't wait for the new book and hope you continue to blog. You have been a part of so many of our lives for so long it would be sad to lose track of an old friend. Have never been able to go to England would love to see pics of some of your favorite spots. Breathe deep and enjoy your special moments, that is what allows us to overcome life's little hurdles. Have a wonderful time! Sandra
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYou know, I will ALWAYS be grateful to you for the times you filmed in my store, Country Roads, when you were on the Style Network many years ago. I got such positive feedback from that. I felt very touched and honored that you appreciated Country Roads. I have always been thrilled to see how far your success has gone with Shabby Chic. The sad part to me is about the people that steal Shabby tags, or delight in seeing you and others that have been so successful and are now beginning to stumble, and they find "pleasure" in that. It is really tragic to me that people can be that way. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that your fans, friends, people that have worked with you all these years are saddened, deeply saddened, by what you are going through. I use to love when you shopped at Country Roads. You were so easy to work with, pleasant and NICE!! I think being nice in this crazy world is important. I have these bumper stickers I give away at the store that say, "Because Nice Matters". And it really does. If you ever feel like e-mailing me, my address is cradealers@aol.com I would love to share more with you. Stand tall, pat yourself on the back because you are a good, talented, creative, caring person with a good heart! And when all is said and done, you will come out just fine!
Take care, Sue
Rachel, I have always loved your products and your books. True beauty and quality combined. I must admit I never thought about the person who created all that. How nice to know they are exactly the same, true beauty and quality combined.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I do hope you get to read this...I believe you will. I thought of you the other day as I went into a lovely store with your style in every corner. Do you realize how you have affected women everywhere with your lovely style...people excited to decorate their homes with loveliness, your fabrics, your style...
ReplyDeleteYou have truly had an affect on people everywhere with your warm style and look. That is forever...people will always remember and know it was you that started this look! A beautiful look. Rachel, don't ever ever give up. They told Walt Disney he had no talent as a young man, he was bankrupt before he created Disneyland...but he came back stronger, with new vision and new destiny! So will you sweet one...so will you.
IN my thoughts and prayers,
Debbie
hi rachel iv been checking youre blog so i can hear what is going through youre life,what steps i hope you are in acalm place that inspires you in all ways,im a true fan ,i mean i have everything from youre target line and what was mervins because it was what i culd afford i sign up on youre website to get emails ,and they email me about youre blowout sale in glendale,that was the first time i bought something from youre boutique, o you dont know how it felt when i first was able to buy aduvet cover from youre store it was like the best present i ever got in my life ,and then i found out by reading youre blogs what was ahead, i always ,would go to youre stores and say some day but i had target and i think there both perfection in qualityand warm at night , i purchased two of bemberg duvets and sold one only because i wanted to get youre beautiful pillows the velvet ones green and pink the round one its like candy on my bed my point i only sold it to get my other treasures to keep, i cant let go of my collection ,i think i treated like jewel even when i wash them ,my husband does laundry but i tell him i do the shabby because its weird it relaxes me when i wash them i wish you happines and health and love
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful and such a joy that you still share so much with us! What an awesome time of transition and so many possibilities for you! Exciting and scary to be sure. I envy your time in London. I was able to visit there over 6yrs ago, and then, was only there for a day. So much I want to go back and revisit, to absorb more and remember more. Take care and I am looking forward to your next post!
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteThis is the first post I've ever left on any blog, but I just had to comment! I've been lucky enough to do a fair amount of traveling, and have seen some beautiful, creative and original shops along the way, but I say with all honesty that Shabby Chic is my very favorite. From the moment I would walk through the doors I was enthralled and soothed and inspired. You are a true original in a sea of imitators, and your vision and philosophy have greatly influenced me. Thank you for sharing so openly of your life and experiences. I treasure all my shabby chic pieces.
p.s.(I love London and have always found the people some of the kindest in the world!)
Beautiful post, Rachel. Did you ever see the movie You've Got Mail? I love when Meg Ryan's character is getting ready to close her bookshop and her mother's friend tells her that closing the shop "is the brave thing to do." It may not seem like it now, but one day, you will have another door opening and will look back upon the lessons learned and the heartbreak will be worth it! I hope the sun shines down upon you soon.
ReplyDeleteYour friend in Chicago,
Melanie
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteReading your words brings me a bit of sadness, for I can FEEL your sadness. I am so sorry for the loss of your company. I am so sorry that ANYBODY would take pleasure in your loss. Words cannot express how truly sorry I am. This is a devastating loss for you and for many (myself included-for I so LOVE your products). With a loss there are many tears and much sadness. A loss is NEVER easy in the beginning, as you must know from having just lost your beloved mother. Time, of course, DOES heal most wounds. Your daughter is truly so wise. Her word of wisdom play over in my head "Nothing last forever". The most beautiful of all God's creations, from people to flowers, must come to an end.
But having said all that, this is Spring Time!! A time for a new begining. A time for new life!! Being a "religious" person myself, I cannot help but think (for this is Holy week) of Christ death and His rebirth on Easter Sunday. As with you and your business, this is a new life and a new begining.
I truly CANNOT wait for your new book to come out! I am also looking forward to whatever new business endeaver you may take! You are such an inspriration! NOBODY can duplicate your amazing energy and fabulous products. They are truly a bit of Heaven in this sometimes not so wonderful world.
Thank you, and May God Bless you always,
Maria
rachel...you are and always will be the queen of your shabby chic...thank you for sharing with all of us....rest...re-charge...reinvent and return....we will all be waiting....cate
ReplyDeleteImagine my suprise as I turned on my computer and my home page said that all of Shabby Chic is closing! I didn't know. I didn't read the blog. I am so sad. Here in the midwest, there is no Shabby Chic store near. I so relished my time visiting family in California and taking one day to go to Shabby Chic and Bountiful. I just wanted to sit in the store for hours but didn't want to look too weird just sitting there! I will have so many memories of your store to hold me for awhile, but please come back. I will watch all of your Style Network shows again that I have on tape! (And your books!) I told my daughter that Shabby Chic is no more and she said she would help me with a day of mourning! My friend and I will sit in our white livingrooms, dressed in white, drinking white wine and remembering all the good times. We had an antique store and shopped at Country Roads, too. I stuffed suitcases full of shabby things for the store! (Probably why the airlines charge us for luggage now, sorry!) I am so sorry about your mom, too. I lost mine four years ago. I know it is hard. I pray for you good health and good thoughts about your new adventures. I am waiting for the new book and new things at Target to tide me over until your new store opens! I have been a customer for at least 15 years and can't think of decorating and being without you for too long! I so wish you all the best and please keep blogging! One of your loyal customers, Amber.
ReplyDeleteThank you for keeping your blog updated so everyone can know what is going on in your life and with Shabby Chic. I can't wait for the day that I can once again purchase your lovely things. I had the wonderful opportunity to meet you in New York at the Country Home fair and that meeting remains one of the highlights of my life! You are just as nice as you seem in your books and on your blog. I am sure there are many people that, like me, wish you only the best in the coming days. You have touched the lives of so many more people than you can ever imagine. I will continue to live the Shabby Chic life having learned so much from you!
ReplyDeletePlease don't take the business downturn personally. All retail businesses are suffering, many chain stores are closing and people just aren't shopping like they used to. You did not create this problem. It sounds to me like you've been wracking your brain trying to figure out where you went wrong, but you didn't go wrong. You didn't let your employees down. You didn't let your suppliers and manufacturers down and you didn't let your customers down. Stuff Happens. Period.
ReplyDeleteYou started a movement. You brought shabby chic into the mainstream and made it not only acceptable, but you made it trendy. Until you came along, people painted furniture as a temporary measure until they could afford "nice" furniture. You showed the world that painted furniture was as nice as anything out there, and we responded to that . We displayed our painted flea market pieces with pride, and now we're considered "Green" and it's all thanks to you. Take pride in that, and use it to take your company in a new direction. Green living is the rage right now. You've already set the foundation for that with your recycled furniture pieces, now build on that. I have full confidence that Shabby Chic will return, stronger then before.
Hello Rachel! This is probably the most beautiful post I've ever read! I've only known you from magazines, your Target products & your wonderful store (the one in Austin at The Domain)& it's amazing to know that your brand comes from the heart of a truly remarkable woman. You & your store has been an inspiration to me. Your thoughts on mediocrity & being a real, authentic & good person has been my life philosophy. Thanks so much for sharing
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel,You have an undeniable talent for sure but also you are so authentic as a person that many are drawn to you. I feel your authenticity in your blog, in your words. I think that many of us feel even though we have never met, we would love to join you for that cup of tea. Shabby Chic has made a huge impact on my life and I wish I could have found you sooner than I did which was about 6 years ago. I have acquired a number of your products and tried to buy some of the new bedouin collection but your stores were no longer doing phone orders. I have already preordered your new book, I know it will be spectacular, as they all are. I am glad that you are finding some peace "at home" and wish you much calm. Selfishly I hope you will reopen a store so I can continue my Rachel collection but I know that whatever you do you will have many fans. It is very disappointing to have certain people turn against you or try to copy you but I think we all know there is, and always will be only one authentic "Shabby Chic", and that is you. Take time, take gentle care,
ReplyDeletexo
I was so exited when i found simply shabby chic in target. Then when I tried to find a way to purchase more online I was very sorry to discover it had to be put on hold. Your patterns and designs are the most beautiful I have ever seen! I have my heart absolutely set on my room decorated in shabby chic! Keep on holding on, for the sake of the feminine 3/4 in all of us
ReplyDeleteGod Bless,
Authenticity, Rachel, you shine with authenticity and always have. You inspire others whether you are up or down. I love your description of your experience in England, it sounds so perfect, crusty towels and all! Thank you for sharing so openly with us all, though we have never met you seem like a friend. As friends do, I wish you the best with all that the future holds~Jacque
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to tell you that those who really, truly love Shabby Chic, are able to make the difference between your products and the fake ones. Usually, people who imitate your style absolutely don't know how to do it. It is so obvious.
And by seeing all the clients who are still in your store in Santa Monica every time I go there, and how Shabby Chic is selling so madly on Ebay these last days, I can tell you, Shabby Chic is still a big success and it would be insane to believe the contrary.
By the way, I find your rack to dry your clothes very stylish and elegant and I can tell you I have the same here, very convenient after all.
I am waiting for your book with impatience and for your come-back, I will be there too.
All that is just a setback, not the end of all, I am sure.
Thank you for your linen and towels that I appreciate every day.
I am ready for your next adventures.
Yael
Rachel -
ReplyDeleteI am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of your company. I, like many, many women have been following your talents for 20 years. You alone have created the inspiration of Shabby Chic world wide. You brought Shabby Chic into the mainstream and made it trendy.
We all love you for your inspiration, warmth,vision and talent. I believe with all my heart that greater things are in the future for you. You have alot to be proud of in what you have given to the world. Thank you. The letter from your daughter was inspiring and a true testament to you as a woman, mother and visionary. We Love You.
Toni
Hang in there girl! I, for one, can't wait for your new book!
ReplyDeleteBless you Rachel Ashwell! from Rachael in NZxo
ReplyDeleteWelcome home! There is nothing like the comfort of home when times are hard. And you have all those amazing tea rooms to discover and recharge your batteries. Nice to know you are close by.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
Liz
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI cant pinpoint when I first discovered shabby chic but it was sometime in the last 5yrs when I brought my first home.
I live in Melbourne, Australia so it has always been a struggle to buy both your target and store ranges, ebay was my first source.
Until 2yrs ago I travelled to the US and spent $70 US for a taxi( much to the horror of a work college I was travelling with) to get to your Santa Monica store. It was there that I meet your gorgeous manager ( her name escapes me) and I indulged or over indulged in your beautiful range. I then carried 2 large bags and a floor rug across the Santa Monica beach until I reached the ferris-wheel and got another taxi back to our Hotel. It always makes me smile when I look at that rug and remember my first visit to a Shabby Chic store.
Since then I have been to your NY store twice ( again your beautiful staff- a lady with short blonde hair remembered me from 2yrs apart and helped me with curtain measurements ). I have been to your SF store and back to beautiful Santa Monica where thankfully I purchased some items for the baby I plan to have in the future. Your gorgeous manager again helping me hide the baby items from my Mum ( didnt want her to think I was pregnant before I even start trying!) And we joked about how wonderful it would be for you to open a store in Australia ( we cant buy the target range on line either they dont sell internationally any chance you can change that and keep us from going to ebay?)
Target found me shipping back rather large boxes to OZ before I had even spent 2 days in LA. My dogs have 2 large beds and the cats a basket in front of the fireplace thanks to Simply Shabby Chic ( my husband couldnt believe all the stuff I posted back )
I wish you all the love and peace you can find and will be checking your blog regularly for your updates. Keep us Aussies in mind when it is your time again. You have a massive following here and we WILL be waiting for you when you return LOVE YOU RACHEL
Rebecca xxxxxx
Rachel, What a wonderful Post, It sounds like you are finding some comfort back home where you began and it all began. That is good. You WILL heal... You know my story by now (well part of it) we filed last Oct and we were discharged in Feb, I honestly went to hell and back... We had other complications too and it just got worse and worse... The last hurdle i have now is they are about to start foreclosure on my home and in 6 weeks I have no where to take my family and pets, we have an income but hard to find rentals that want us.... I find myself in Moments of extreme panic, but then calm myself down with how far I have come...I have this one hurdle to get over and hope I can find somewhere that fills me with peace so I can move on with my life and rebuild.... I am nearly at the end of this horrendous journey that has taught me so very very much, and you will be too... very soon, My heart goes out to you and you are well loved!
ReplyDeleteRachel have you moved for good or just for a while?
ReplyDeleteMy Darling Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI am very heart broken about whats going on with shabby chic. I cant sleep, I think about shabby all day everyday. Last month I droped out of design school.I was hopeing to one day work for your company but I guess my dream did not come true.2 weeks ageo my mom and I drove 7 hours from the SF bayarea to Malibu just to buy the darcy chairs and lots of other things and to say goodbye to the santa monica store. we have a shabby where we live but we had to take our last trip to your santa monica store. we had my range rover filled to the top.IT made me very mad seeing the people come to your store and not buy anything.I blame them for the fall of shabby chic.They steal your ideas and sell them on ebay. Me and my mom are very loyal customer at shabby chic, she showed me your way of life when I was a kid and we have been loyal customers of your store and only your store ever since. since the stores are closeing we have been buying everything we can. There are a few thing that I dont have and it makes me sick knowing that I dont have them. After shabby chic closes I will never buy anything for my home every again, until you come back. shabby chic is like a safe spot for me because every year me and my mom come to santa monica on holiday and it feels good knowing that shabby is right there.even thow we are far from home it feels like our home is right there. It felt good walking threw the doors, saying hi to the girls and taking home our treasures. Now when we come to LA it will be lonely and empty knowing are safe spot is no longer there henry
I have always been a huge Shabby Chic fan. My bedroom is filled with lovelies from your stores. They are like a child's favorite stuff toy, comforting to me. We were hit hard by the economic crisis. My husband is still out of work, but we are managing as best we can. My bedroom is my solace. I go in there to cry or have a little peace and I am surrounded by your beautiful things that lift my spirits. I think of you and hope that you too find peace.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I've loved everything you've ever done. I'm am so sure that the blessings that await you are much greater in proportion to the sadness you are experiencing now. Oswald Chambers said,"God does not give us overcoming life; He gives life as we overcome." And you Sweetheart are an overcomer! Look forward to your new book. I'll be the first in Dallas to buy it!
ReplyDeleteHi there Rachel, what a lovely post. I know that after reading this post, your next book will be so precious. I am sure it will be a great success. When will it be released? I wait with fabulous expectation. The best of everything to you Rachel.
ReplyDeleteTides have turned for all of us in this field, everyone is cutting back, getting back to the root of our ancestry, living the life with little left over...to accept the challenge to just be true to yourself. This is a full reawakening, you are a strong talented woman...I have every confidence in you coming back with new eyes.
ReplyDeleteYour palette is beauty and you can't live without it...we'll see you again soon Rachel, as we await your new book...you are loved by the little people!
Be happy...
sharon
Dear Rachel, Everyone thought Martha Stewart's empire would come crashing down, the woman went to jail. People wanted her to fail, I knew she wouldnt, the woman came back stronger than ever. She now has a best seller book in the New York Times. What am I saying, you are a very talented woman, one of the bloggers said reinvent and come back stronger. I believe in you, I have all of your books, I remember when you used to have the television show, I loved that show. I have your dvd's, slipcover from Target, I have all of your tablecloths, and the pink velvet curtains. I believe in you, you have no idea how much talent you have. Theres always someone that wants you to fail. Now is the time to show them! Show them that you will be back AND we will ALL be waiting for you! If Martha Stewart did it, so can you!
ReplyDelete*Thank you sweet lady* Your beauty inside + out is inspiring.
ReplyDeleteCupcake Hugs, Diana
Rachel, as I was reading your latest blog, bringing back warm memories about England for me, I was thinking that this is your time for a breather. Maybe this is the time for the other chapters in your life. It could mean more of an expansion of your items at Target, more books and DVDS? Maybe get back into to TV? Your still young and talented and as you can see, still wanted. Your store and another one of my favorites, Hilo Hatties had to close, I know a world of difference apart, but these times are killer, but I think an awakening for us all. I hope that you are able to take this time for you and do what ever you haven't had the chance to do. through this it will be exciting to see what emerges for you. Maybe Hawaiian Chic? LOL. God bless and keep you happy and safe.
ReplyDeleteFor all of my life I have been a Shabby Chic girl (even before I knew it)! I grew up sewing (by hand) purses, pillows, blankets...you name it. One Christmas about 5 or 6 years ago I begged my mother to get me a sewing machine. Low and behold...she did it. I got my sewing machine. I took a sewing machine lesson and was setup and ready to go. You can only imagine how I took off. The very next year my mother had an incredibly special surprise for my birthday. She purchased and gave me a few yards of your fabric. I think I screamed with joy when I received it. It literally took me MONTHS to decide what to do with it. I did not want to waste it on any 'ole purse or pillow. Finally (after much contemplation), I made a quilt highlighting your Shabby Chic fabric. To this day, this is one of my very favorite items and will always be. When I look at my quilt I will always cherish and remember my Mother's gifts to me. I recently founds the phrase - When life throws you scraps, make a quilt. Kind of like the saying when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. The Shabby Chic brand will persevere. I am sure of it. Shabby Chic has heart and soul. Rachel, I know that you will make a quilt. You are innovative and smart...and the pure beauty of Shabby Chic will be IMPOSSIBLE to silence.
ReplyDeleteBonnie
There is a plan. I am sure of that. So often we forget through our struggles that the journey is the real deal. You are a gifted and beautiful person...no one can take or steal that from you. I have closed a business of 25 years and most recently sold my interest in another business that I founded 10 years ago. I poured my heart and soul into JunkMarket and wasn't sure if I had the energy to do it all over again. I too am thankful for the folks that gave their support and amazing words of wisdom. I am enjoying the journey. I am happier. I know you will be too! Goodluck and God bless.
ReplyDeletePeace,
Ki
I heard about your misfortune the other day. And I was heart sick!! I have all your books, and have loved your designing for so long!!! I wanted to name my photography business Shabby Chic photography, NOT to steal your name, but more in honor of you and what you have created.(I never did I realize it's copyrighted)LOL. But somehow I wanted to bring your style into my work. You are so gifted!!! Decorating is really hard for me. My walls are still a pastel yellow with bead board. AND nothing else. I'm just stumped. So I can really appreciate the gift you have! I hope you find your way back into the industry so that we can all benefit from you and your talent! I'm so happy you are writing a book. You just seem like a very kind and genuine women. And I wish you the best of luck! It will all work out the way it's suppost too.I just know it!
ReplyDeletewhen a romantic runs her business as successfully as you did for so long, it is not a failure. your style has been one of my favorite "room moods", and will continue to be so. as for faith, you've got to give it to Jesus. He is bigger than any setbacks we face.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel:
ReplyDeleteLast week, I had read in another blog that you had closed your store in Malibu. My heart just sank when I read that. Why? Because I'd been in that shop. I went there last May while vacationing. To me, going to the Shabby Chic store there was just as exciting as seeing the celebrities across the street at that other shopping center...maybe even moreso. I bought a starfish from there, but now I wish I had bought more but I figured, "oh, next time...."but sometimes there's not a next time as I'm learning.
Shame, shame, shame on those who would take advantage of you during this time! Karma will come back to bite them you-know-where, you can be rest assured of that.
In the meantime, I'll continue to hold you in my thoughts and prayers and I look forward to reading your upcoming book. Even though the Storefronts are no longer there...I will always in my heart be a "Shabby Chic" girl.
Sincerely,
Sabrina Messenger
Corvallis, Oregon
DEAR RACHEL,
ReplyDeleteSHABBY CHIC WILL FOREVER BE A WAY OF LIFE. YOUR FAILURE IS NOT FAILURE. OUR FAILING ECONOMY IS WHAT HAS BROUGHT DOWN MANY DREAMS IN THIS COUNTRY. LET THERE BE NO SHAME IN YOUR MISFORTUNE. I STARTED ENJOYING SHABBY CHIC WHEN MY SON WAS A NEWBORN, I AM NOW ALMOST 30 AND IT WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF MY LIFE. ODDLY ENOUGH I FEEL A BOND WITH YOU ANYWAY, MY GRANDMOTHER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BATH ENGLAND AND CAME TO THE US AS A WAR BRIDE. I MISS HER TERRIBLY, AS SHE IS NO LONGER HERE, AND I DREAM TO ONE DAY VISIT BATH AND WHERE SHE LIVED. SHABBY CHIC BRINGS A SENSE OF HER BACK TO ME, WHETHER IT BE A VINTAGE TEA CUP, A UNION JACK OR AN APPRECIATED OLD LINEN. ENJOY YOUR STAY IN ENGLAND, TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND REMEMBER WHAT IS. LIKE YOUR MUM AND ALL OF HER CREATIVITY. REMEMBER YOUR ROOTS AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU. THE SMELLS OF FAMILY DINNERS AND THE LAUGHTER. YOU ARE AND ALWAYS WILL BE A SUCCESS, YOU ARE RACHEL ASHWELL.- HEATHER FRITZSCHE- VINTAGEBLISSCOTTAGE.BLOGSPOT
Like everyone else leaving comments here, I, too, love your work. You are a source of constant inspiration for me, and my dog-earred-to-death copy of your original book on my chippy-white night stand is a great testament to that. Until I stumbled upon your Style TV show back a few years ago, I did not really know who you were, but since that time you have been my sultan of style.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing more amazing to me than finding something that is a diamond in the rough and adding touches to it so that it becomes my own. Without you as my inspiration, I would have simply stuck to the way I decorated my home and even went about my life for a decade before, which was never personal and heart felt.
I am sincerely grateful to you for teaching us to use the things that we love, and to use them everyday. Your product lines are among those that I love dearly and actually do use every day. I thank you for enhancing my life, and my family's lives, with beauty and grace.
Ladies like you are always hard to come by and your work is evidence of that through and through. The best in life always makes it through the storm somehow, which lets me know that you will come out on the other end of this situation with your encouraging style shining through.
Much love and best wishes,
Gina
I PRAY THAT IN THIS TIME OF SUCH CHANGE FOR YOU, YOU WILL CONTINUE TO REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE, FROM WHOM YOU'VE COME FROM, AND WHERE YOUR HEART, SPIRIT, AND LOVE LEADS YOU.
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE WHO YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN. YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE TO LIVE, EVERYDAY WITH THE REAL YOU. YOU FRIEND, ARE BLESSED. AND SO ARE WE TO HAVE YOU IN OUR MIDST.
HUGS FROM MAINE
Thank you so much for the update. Thank you so much for your strength and optimism mixed with practical reality at this trying time. I'm on your team. <3
ReplyDeleteHello Rachel -
ReplyDeleteI am going to sit down and handwrite you a letter so please look out for it but for now I'll tell you this. New to New York, I never heard of Shabby Chic until I stumbled upon the store in Soho one day. I have gone back again and again in the last few years to pick up little things I could afford or for a much needed pick me up in a new & sometimes lonely city. Shabby Chic has become a part of my life and made my little apt here special for me. More than this - it will always be a part of what makes me happy! Someday I'll have a house just like the one in your book.
I once stumbled on an essay you wrote in a compilation book and it was very inspiring.
I am sorry that this has happened to your lovely company. Please always remember the joy you did bring into some peoples lives.
Life is a mix of good and bad.
You will continue to be you and will bring yourself into another project that I will be looking forward to be a part of .
You really did make a difference. Thank you. Look out for my letter!
And remember, take care.
Margaret
Rachel, what a wonderful post. I am so sorry about your stores closing. But this doesn't mean you have failed or that Shabby Chic is gone. There are many people who will always love Shabby Chic. I just want you to know how many people LOVE your Simply Shabby Chic line at Target. Including me! I have purchased bedding,shower curtains,lamps,picture frames and many more beautiful things. But what i really love is the Simply Shabby Chic white furniture. I have purchased the dresser,blanket chest,amoire,coffee tables,side tables,headboards,vanity table,secretary desk, etagere, bath cabinets,tall and short bookcases. There is'nt a room in my house without your furniture or Simply Shabby Chic items. I also bought two of your white wicker dog beds. Daisy my dog loves them both she is also a shabby chic girl. I could go on and on about all of the things i have purchased from Target. Thank you much for bringing us all these beautiful things. I hope you take some time off and get comfort from
ReplyDeleteGod and from being in England. I know you will come back stonger than ever. God Bless you Rachel.
I have been inspired by your designs and knack for taking nothing and turning it into SOMETHING! After my husband died I wanted a "girly girl" room and your ideas and collections are all around me. Your collections are like comfort food, chocolate and Prozac! They have made me feel GOOD! People like you don't fail, you already know one door closes and another door opens and I can't wait to see what you do next! I am quite sure it'll be the next huge trend. I was told once by a really crazy (so I thought) person that God puts people in your path for a reason, and that he never doles out more than you can handle. I've been through some traumatic stuff I didn't think I'd survive emotionally or physically, but a few years have past and those things that were told to me ring clear and true. life really is too short but you've added so much beauty to it and all the reproductions, copies, fakes are truly the best form of flattery! Oh and because of you I have learned a lot about more textiles and am huge textile nut! Especially vintage barkcloth! Thanks for helping me keep my spirits up! The Best of Luck to you! Gail
ReplyDeleteFrom the first Shabby Chic slipcovered sofa I bought in the Soho store in 1992 through the bedding and cots and campstools, etc I have always appreciated what your sensibility has brought to my life. There is a sense of thoughtfulness and appreciation not only for beauty, but for the everyday ritual of real life. I was struck on your blog that you mentioned the clothes drying on the rack. I have always felt a sense of calm and appreciation when caring for things that I love - sometimes expensive and sometimes found. It sounds like you are using your time well to slow down and continue to live a beautiful, connected life. When I change the slipcover on the sofa this weekend, wash my beautiful linens, bang the dust from my pillows and welcome spring to my house, I will think of you and be grateful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post...and thanks so much for keeping talking to us!! I am sure that spring in England will gladden your heart..come to the giant flea market in Shepton Mallet this sunday and you will see hundreds of people all looking for lovely things for their 'shabby chic' home..you are an inspiration and remember ..all things will pass..
ReplyDeleteEvery single post these days is making me alternate between sadness and such abounding HOPE! Adoring you from afar, Sonya
ReplyDeleteThis post touched my heart so much. Sometimes, it takes going home ~ back to the place where the dream began ~ to find ourself again. I remember you writing in your book, as a little girl, you would go antiquing with your parents...perusing the antique books of your father, and the joy it would bring you. You're home again. I pray the comforts of home bring restoration and peace to you. You, and Shabby Chic, are in my prayers.
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteI am so shocked and saddened with what is happening with Shabby Chic :( i am newly married, and now on my own i have decorated our apartment in the style of Shabby Chic- i absolutely love everything Shabby Chic conveys! i could never afford items from your stores, though i looked online everyday for inspiration. i've purchased nearly everything from your Simply Shabby Chic line and love to walk target just to see your items.I want to thank you for all of the inspiration you have given me in developing my own personal style. Anytime i am in need of placemats,lighting even a purse i always ask myself, what would Rachel do? Though you do not know me, you have been a huge part of my life, because i have been creating my home through your vision and style. Thank you so much,
Amanda
The Journey
ReplyDeleteOne day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice --
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do --
determined to save
the only life you could save.
~ Mary Oliver ~
HOME IS WEAR THE HEART IS :00))
ReplyDeleteWELCOME HOME ~ x
and get the kettle on.
Can't wait for the new book.
Best wishes always Ginny
(sitting at her own desk in sunny ??? England lol)
Rachael - I have walked those steps back in 2001 when I closed my store of 19 years because of bankrupcty.My heart hurt like a true death of a family member. But when you put your heart and soul into something everyday it becomes your soul. I want you to know the sun will shine again on you. I am enjoying living once again and now get to do what I did for 19 years without all the day to day struggles. NOthing heals the soul like creating - keep creating and you will find the sun again! Its the time in your life to recreate yourself. Very few people get to start over in life- there is some excitement in that.You are in my prayers and thoughts.
ReplyDeleteMolly
I don't know a lot of your stores , but I know that word Shabby, and what it represents and I realize you are the one that gave it meaning to me and many other in need of a clear beauty , thanks for that now I have a face to put on it all. I have to say I feel you are coming back up again , you might surprise yourself this time around too. XOX
ReplyDeleteRachel- I am so glad you are looking at the big picture of this situation. To me, Shabby Chic is so much more then a store, or a fabric, or a tag (although those are all so lovely).
ReplyDeleteTo me Shabby Chic is a lifestyle.
A level of comfort only attatined through honesty. A concept pleasing to the eye because it was *first* pleasing to the heart.
Something like that does not go away because of stock markets, slupms, less then honorable business persons... it is not dependent on them for its survival.
Shabby chic will always be with me...even when I put Lightening McQueen sheets on the kids beds instead of the lovely blue and white ones I invisioned..even when my 'tea cup' is really a massive white mug that holds cocoa instead of Earl Grey... even when I have to pack away the pink, pale blue, and white decorations for my Christmas tree in favor of the hand made ornaments from precious little fingers.
Even though a stranger might not initially see Shabby Chic in my choice of sofa, they will eventually feel it in my home... in our attitude and demeanor.
I am so sorry that things are so hard for you and those who work with you... I am so sorry.
I hope you know... I am always here with you... as so many of us are.
Blessings to you and yours-
Amanda Rettke
dear Rachel, as i sit here reading your blog i can see all of your books nexxt to my bed out of the corner of my eye. my husband and kids live on and love our shabby sectional. i live in miami, my sister called me from the sale on montana 7 years ago and told me it was the only one there and she bought it for me. i have re-slip covered it twice (i cant lay off the white, two kids and a brown labradoodle) and love it more each day. i am sad that some have not been respectful to the rachel ashwell shabby name...i grew up in LA moved to miami and my daughter's crib and first big girl bedding was all shabby. London is lucky to have you, i hope one day i will have the honor to meet you.
ReplyDeletegood luck on your latest journey...
fondly, Eydie
I'm speechless other than to say "thank you" for the beauty you have brought to my life.
ReplyDeleteThis story will continue to write itself, Rachel. I am sorry that the purity of your vision has been blurred by this economic downturn. I will cherish my Shabby books and linens but most of all I will cherish the ideas behind the designs. There is something you are starting to say that needs saying, a commentary on what's really important. You have an unfailing eye for beauty and by the words I just read from your last post, a heart for speaking the truth.
Say it and don't be afraid.
Dear Rachel, I remember your show on TV. Loved watching it. You are the only one who knows how to do Shabby Chic Well, that is why when I thought of trying to create it here at home, I thought of you and the shows I watched years ago. I looked you up then found your blog. I'm glad to have found your blog and disappointed at the same time. I'm going to buy your books. Best wishes to you!
ReplyDeleteSo so sorry Rachel. The Phoenix will rise and your faithful fans will be there to support you. I cherish all my Shabby Chic bedding.
ReplyDeleteSo so sorry Rachel. The Phoenix will rise and your faithful fans will be there to support you. I cherish all my Shabby Chic bedding.
ReplyDeleteYou really are my inspiration...i admire your strong drive and your hard work...you have always sent out the message that anyone can succeed...your path may have altered but sounds like you are still going strong...good things will come!!!! Continue being who you are and follow your heart...you will be amazed at the outcome.....there is a reason for everything...sometimes it's just hard to see right now... right now just fill your cup with all the love that is coming your way ...and carry on in true "shabby chic" fashion.
ReplyDeletewow, just chanced upon your site to find the distress you're in. The reason I learned about shabby chic was because years ago, I used to sew. I collected materials from my great aunt and mom. That beautiful old cotton with delicate and lovely floral designs. I would make quilts and pillows, etc. A friend of mine told me I should look into this line called "Shabby Chic" as it was just like my own style. I didn't look into it as I thought, why would I? I have my own style and can make my own stuff. Anyway, life got really busy, I stopped sewing. My machine and materials went into storage. Years later, while browsing the isles of Target I was pleasantly surprised to find bedding so scrumptiously soft, crisp and absolutely dreamy to behold. It was everything I had desired to create with my material. Lo and behold, it was "Shabby Chic!" Love at first sight. Fast forward, I'm in the need of new sheets and a quilt. For the first time I visit the Shabby Chic website and find the creator, downtrodden, with tragedy in her life, yet with a small glimmer of hope. Your words touched me. I am here to tell you and promise you that there is a divine reason for this happening in your life. I cannot get into all that has occurred in my life in that past few years but the brief is, a month after closing on a property 1520 miles away from where I lived in New England in late 2005, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Not capable of relocating to my new home, due to the illness (needing family, health insurance etc.) I had to move out of my apartment and stayed with friends on their couch until the property sold. I bought the property pre-construction a year prior to the closing. I went through surgeries and chemotherapy (all radical approach). Preparing for all this and dealing with the illness issues I put off selling the house until, you guessed it, the real estate market plummeted down south. I lived a year homeless, but thank God, NEVER on the street. I always had a place to stay although I never had my own. I shared a room with a six year old and I stayed on friends and relatives couches while having numerous surgeries, chemotherapy treatments and continuing to work. After a year, still holding on to this ball and chain of a property, I did rent in a run down, transient residents of unfortunate circumstances, neighborhood; let's face it, I lived for the first time in the ghetto. It was all I could afford. This is just one of the experiences that taught me a valuable lesson and a great deal about myself. In all honesty, my tolerance, my prejudice, characteristics I didn't realize I owned. I would not trade the two years I spent there for the world. Well, after living in this area for a year my financial woes became more and more problematic. The house would not sell and went down signifacantly in value. I had to claim bankruptcy and foreclose on the property. All of savings, lost to that property and my excellent credit standing washed down the drain. But a chance now to catch up and start over. Not so fast...soon after this I got laid off from my job of eight years. I worked for a prominent politician. I was considered legally, disabled as I was still being treated for the cancer. This politician literally put a family member in my job, at my desk, using my computer, given my responsibilities, at a higher pay without a college degree (I have one). I was approached by numerous individuals regarding this matter, as I was let go illegally. I did not wish to pursue anything as soon after this lay -off, intimidation tactics were used to threaten me. I let all this go and just wanted to get on with my life. Not so fast...a month after being laid off, I was due for a check up. I was diagnosed with a second primary cancer. Renal. I had to have my kidney removed. I recovered from that and am anxious to move on again, literally. I had plans to move out of the state to begin a new life. At a check up, I am found to have a very rare tumor on my appendix. It had to be removed. It turns out to be benign but contained pre-cancerous cells. Many other very tragic events occurred during these years with my children and family, including my sister's passing of her ovarian cancer. At the end of January 2009 I had my appendix removed. I have finally moved from the state I lived and am beginning a new life. Life may throw me off course again but if it does, it is for a reason. The changes in myself, my experiences I have had throughout these ordeals, the lessons I have learned, and the goodness that exists and has proven itself to me time and time again is what has kept me positive. Through all of my woes, I have always known, deep, deep down inside, where the truth and God exist, that this was all happening for a reason. And it was, and it did, and I would not trade any of this for all the success in the world, as I have gained so much knowledge, strength and most of all faith to carry me through anything. God is right there, with you. There is a plan. You have been selected and you can and will get through it. Please be patient to understand the reason. It is so thrilling when you finally have the ah ha moment. It takes time for something really valuable and beautiful to come to fruition. Of all people, you know this...a final Shabby Chic product takes valuable time to create. A final word of advise...your customers and fans of your beautiful products, (this includes me) understand that you do not have an answer right now as to the future of Shabby Chic. You may be on your way to your next calling, which may be something even more wonderful than your Shabby Chic creation. Imagine that?! Please take this time to rest. Ask and pray to be shown what to do next. Watch for the signs, clues and guidance. What you are supposed to do will be revealed to you. And your mom will also help, if you ask. I was a pure atheist for ten years until after my mom passed in 2003. I was humbled as she went out of her casperish way, to prove to me the life force that exists beyond our human envelopes. My mom has been by my side ever since. Sometimes I think I should let her go so that she can finally rest in peace...but I'm not quite ready for that. It just feels so good knowing she's there.
ReplyDeleteTake care of yourself.
With care, a kindred spirit
Nobody can steal your place in our heart, there is only one RACHEL ASHWELL and one SHABBY CHIC !
ReplyDeleteI wish you a peaceful EASTER, remember we love you !
Your posts are always so wonderful.
Best wishes from France !
Hi Racheal,
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, I am so thrilled to have found your blog I have goosebumps! I have been a fan of yours for so many years! I have admired your talent and creativity beyond words! I adored your show TV show that use to be on and since then, I have had the most wonderful time shopping at flea markets and takeing something that someone was willing to toss aside and make it into something beautiful! I am also an artist and have been so inspired by Shabby Chic that it opened up a whole new world for me!
I am so saddened by the closing of your stores. They do say though that for every door that closes, another one opens. I am sure there will be many doors will open for you! Your talent and creativity will prevail!
Thank you so much for your post. I will always be an admirer of your work and can't wait to see what you will do next!
Enjoy the time you have and enjoy the world in technicolor! It is a beautiful place!I am looking forward to your new book as I have all that you have written!
Best of luck to you for whatever new adventures await you!
I am adding you to my favorites. Please stop by and visit me anytime.
Thank you so much for being an incredible inspiration!
I wish only the best for you!
Debi
Dear Racheal,
ReplyDeleteI seemed to have just lost my comment that I have been writting to you, so I will try again. First let me say that I was so excited to find your blog that I have goosebumps! I have admired your work for so long and I have to say that you have been a true inspiration! Years ago I watched your TV show and from that time on I have so enjoyed treasure hunting at flea markets and have had so much fun finding things that others would have discarded and taking it to my studio and giving it new life! I am an artist and your Shabby Chic style has opened a whole new world for me and has truly been an inspiration!
I am so sorry about your shops as I have purchased quite a bit from your Shabby Chic Shops and have always been taken by the quality and beauty of your products! I am truly saddened but I do know that every door that closes, another will open. You have so much talent and creativity that you will have your choice of doors to choose from!
The world is a beautiful place and technicolor was the perfect word to describe it! I can only look forward to your next venture as I am sure it will be as exciting as is everything that you do!
I hope you continue blogging as I am adding you to my favorites! I only wish the very best for you!
Thank you for making the world a more beautiful place!
Debi
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI was devastated to walk past your Columbus Avenue store the other day and see the note on the door. I am in shock. I just want you to know that in the five summers I spent in Easthampton, I went to Rumrunner almost every day and bought dozens and dozens of your beautiful sheets, duvet covers and pillow shams in all sizes. I have enough for ten people, but I don't care! I loved them and I am SO thrilled that I bought them all when I did.
I love your books and your Target designs (especially the old pale green and pink flowers oilcloth placemats) and think the world of you!
You have the greatest taste and I've loved every single thing you've done.
I was so thrilled when the Columbus Avenue shop opened and bought the mercury glass candles for everyone I knew for the holidays (dozens of them) and received the most enthusiastic thank yous. Everyone also adored the frames.
I loved the shop and am just heartbroken for you and for all of us.
I wish you the very best and know you will be happy doing your beautiful work wherever you are. Just remember how many of us there are out here who are rooting for you.
Your biggest fan.
Mara Kurtz
New York City
Thank you so much for writing again. I hate to hear of the unscrupulous vultures, but I'm so pleased that you have taken the time to think of us and share a bit of your news here.
ReplyDeleteYou've been on my mind quite a bit of late. I've been thinking about the television show that you had on the Style channel, back when they actually had "style": the beautiful homes you showed us, Jennifer Lopez's restaurant, the terrific show with the vintage prom dresses and the pretty young girls on the beach. You once came to the antique market here in my midwestern city! I had friends over and we had a party and watched the show together. We were so proud.
So many memories. . .
People can imitate the fabric perhaps, but you have a unique aesthetic and visual language. You have an eye which is unlike any other. Those things cannot be stolen or copied. They belong to you and they are part and parcel of why so many of us love you. Do you see all of the comments here??? That is an enormous amount of goodwill! You are truly loved.
I'm so glad that you are taking the time to write, to think, to heal. I hope that you and your children have all that you need, and I also hope that you take the time to breathe.
I take great joy in the knowledge that you are writing a book, and I will be right in line to buy it when it comes to my local store.
Spring is a time of renewal, a time of reaffirmation, a time of hope. Let it in. Live! We will all be here when you're ready.
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYou are such an inspiration to me and I can't wait to read your new book... I'll be waiting for Shabby Chic to come back even stronger than ever!!!
Kindest regards,
~nily
So beautiful in everyway~ Rachel I admire the beauty in everything you do, those little details we love to pay so much attention to~ And the fakes don't have nothing on you , there really is nothing like the real thing!I can't wait to get a copy of your new book, I have all your books and dvd's . Maybe some more dvd's?? And I love the soap! Is there anyway to have some of that!! I would love to have tea at 4 and I also enjoy my crispy towels mostly in the summertime!
ReplyDeleteI have loved everything you have ever done and could never get enough of your inspiraton, of your products,your photos, of Shabby Chic.
ReplyDeleteTake time to heal, but please come back to us! I would love to see ALL your shows on DVD, another store, another online store, I feel like it was just beginning for us not in the USA, we were finally able to get your beautiful products. Wishing you all the best, and looking forward to what's
next! Love, Anna xo
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI hope that you find the beauty and comfort that you have given to us all over the years. I will be awaiting your new book. I recently started my own adventure. My Father sadly passed away and left me the gift of his antique store in a century old building on the Town Square of a small Missouri town. I often discover treasures here and can't help but think of you and wonder how you might use these beautiful things. I use your books as inspiration as I try to sort through all that I now have. It is a lot of work so the promise of comfort and beauty keeps me moving forward. I expect you to emerge from this chapter renewed and better than before. Wishing you peace and inspiration.
Pam
I am about your age and I grew up in England. I love going into your shops, feeling that comfort, seeing that ease, seeing your sense of humour....I have your bed linens and they make me happy. I love to look at them, the colors bring my heart joy. I love to see my little cat curled up on my rose covered duvet. I cannot express how satisfying it is to wash my shabby chic bed linens. I love to iron them, and as I do, I notice again and again, the quality of the fabric, the workmanship, the colours, the prints... it makes my extravagance seem negligible and it is strangely comforting, reassuring and homey. I do hope that your business problems will be soon solved and that you bring your stores back to us again.
ReplyDeleteRachel, you are a shining example to us all!
ReplyDeleteLove, Colette
Hi Rachel
ReplyDeleteI can't begin to understand your pain because it is yours alone.All I can tell you is that I wouldn't have stumbled upon your blog or anyone else's if it had not been for an unfortunate business partnership that ended for me last year, I wouldn't have spent the time with my father in hospital as he suffered with emphysemia and I wouldn't have got to know my husband and children as I do today. At the time we don't know it but I firmly & faithfully believe 'all things happen for a reason' & sometimes there is nothing else to do except enjoy the ride.I am not a religious person or a travelling gypsy of sorts but just your average girl trying to live a simple life but I can tell you that the sun WILL shine soon for you.
all the best
Vicki
You have true class - inner and outer. You are a jewel among rocks and sand. You are ready to soar again, but when the time is just perfect. Be patient. You have made this world more beautiful.
ReplyDeleteRebekka
Dear Rachel, You were born with your grace and style and NO ONE can ever steal it, we will all know. I loved your T V show, you always made things seam attainable. Get with Mark and make some more shows, they were awesome. Candice Olsen has her Chico and you had Mark. You should do something like that again in your future. Do your shabby as a travel show!Also, please study Martha Stewart and any other business models that will help you come back to us all. I think about you and your situation and hope so very much that you come back, renewed with more of your heartfelt, genuine designs.You did not do anything wrong, this is a bad, terrible time for so many. You are not alone.I know you will Find your way back to all of us.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you.
You created Shabby Chic. The business, the style, the name, the beauty. YOU did it. RACHEL ASHWELL did it. You've had two great losses & you're still reeling. That is to be expected. Your sweet mum is watching out for you and will guide you. Relax, take a deep breath and write that book...we ALL are waiting!! Remember to 'KEEP CALM and CARRY ON'
ReplyDeleteYou have so many people who are wishing you the best. You are truly blessed. Take good care. Suzan
You have enriched so many lives with your style. And totally changed the way we look at an old tattered chair or chippy little table. The courage that you are showing by sharing with us the journey you are now on, is just as amazing as anything else you have done.
ReplyDeleteI have no dought, as so many others feel as well, that you will come through this stronger and better then ever. Your talent & creativity will always be there.
Thank you for being such an inspiration as much now, as you have always been.
Hugs...
Cathleen alyce
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI recently, as in February 2009, discovered your line, and it's painful, for me to have lost this luxury that was just found! I've spent a good bit buying up duvets and sheets and pillowcases online, and I plan to continue to do so. All my beds will be Shabby Chiced! :)
What a beautiful life lesson. Enjoy the ride, sometimes you end up in a far better place.
ReplyDeleteThank you! ~Brighton
I am so sorry you were unable to 'save' Shabby Chic. As a seamstress, I have sewn on your fabrics many times over the years. I have always loved your fabrics and am sad to know that they won't be out there any longer. I have no doubt that whatever you in the future, you will again come out on top and be a trend setter, as always. I wish you luck and peace and I look forward to your new book.
ReplyDeleteTamerie
last night , feeling a little blue and a lot worn out, i climbed in bed with two of my favorite books...the shabby chic and the shabby chic home....i could browse through them daily & find a little something i missed before.
ReplyDeleteyour style has been a driving force for me over the years.
it saddens me to read some of what you are dealing with.
on the bright side, i simply can not wait to see your newest book!
i'm so excited for you.
best wishes for you future
xo
Dear Rachel:
ReplyDeleteI am not an English spoken person,but I will try to do my best. I just read your blog and I found that you are now in London. I do not know if I understood well, but it is like you sold your shops and factory in United State.
I have less than a year watching your Shabby Chic program in my country, at Casa Club TV channel. You do not habe any idea how your programa and the shabby chic style changed my life. My husband (from Ingland like you) tells me that maybe I was always a shabby chic person, bue I realy do not know.
I wil pray for you, Rachel, and you will have again everything you left in United State and better. In Guatemala, in Central America, you have a truly friend that is trying to live a better and beautiful life shabby chic style.
I just started making may own designs with a shabby chic style, not a copy of yours, I never could do something like that. But you spire my. I invite you to visit mi blog, Regalos Creativos: http://rmpaniaguaregaloscreativos.blogspot.com/
I send you a hug and a friendly kiss. I would like to know about you.
Rachel, you have always been an inspiration , and even during this time of sadness , you still continue to impress and inspire me. Best Wishes and Prayers for you always.
ReplyDeleteyou are such an inspiration even in this difficult time your creative spirit continues. I hope that your stay in London is a positive time for you. Your complete honesty is hard to read about however it gives us all a look into your incredible clarity. Best wishes
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to here about the loss of your mother. It is one of the most difficult losses of our lives.
ReplyDeleteYour beautiful Shabby Chic creation will live on forever in my home and the homes of millions.
Before the days of HGTV or The Fine Living Network, I had my precious Shabby Chic books, and I still look at them often.
You did more than introduce me to a decorating style, but a way of life.
I can't wait for the new book. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely a fellow pink lover.
Mayye
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI've left a couple of comments over the last few weeks. Those comments were written to console you(and myself) for your losses and to encourage you to carry on in the face of the unknown and uncertain future.
I have a few more things to say now because I have researched your company and business model. I am also answering your detractors in this forum because I know a few will read this.
First of all, I would like to say that in terms of product, I have found no one to rival you. Your TM products were manufactured in the USA and are of the highest quality in terms of both design and fabrication. People need to understand that your beautiful TM creations were produced here on these shores and not in China! To you few out there saying that Shabby prices were too high, enough! Rachel's designs are exquisite and worth every dime!
But, I do feel that the word of your expansion and availability of your Shabby Chic goods to a larger market might've been marketed differently. Many people here in good ole' Atlanta did not know of your Lenox Square store until the closing was announced, dear Rachel.
Of course, the state of our economy went from so-so to ICU in a very scarily short period of time.
I own five businesses myself. I've had to make extreme adjustments just to keep my doors open. Profits?? LOL! What profits? I'm barely making it...
Finally, I must admit that I cannot wait to read your take on all of this. Remember, all the business models in the world cannot replace or generate your genius. If you can get back in and do what you do best- design, then I think we your loyal customers and fans will come back. We never left, actually. So, we're all in this together, battened down against the storm. There is hope that things will get better soon for everyone.
Meanwhile, gain inspiration and strength whilst in England.
Thank you for your heart-felt words and honesty.
so strange that i found your blog. and just at this point. i had no idea of any of this.
ReplyDeletei will tell you my small tale of finding shabby chic - it was so many years ago...i was still in my twenties...out on my own with not so very much and coming from not so very much....when i happened upon your book laying on a co-workers desk. i worked nights back then. i have no words now as i had no words then. i thought perhaps it was a lie or a dream or some sort of apparition that book. i was flushed and queasy. it was everything my soul had tried to speak to me of but had no references to put into my head. and there it all was. there YOU were. in your jeans. everything so perfect and yet so unperfect. everything that i wanted to be or felt inside but never knew how to put forth to the world. a lady, a woman, a girl. every night i would go full force to complete all work so i could sneak over and hold that book and stare for the millionth time at those pictures and re-read every letter until imprinted on my brain (i couldnt afford the book back then). you changed my world - yes you did. i am here again so many years later. at night. at a new job. older maybe not so much wiser. and i find you. again. writing things that again touch something in me i knew was there but couldnt name.
just recently i was at a library book sale and there was a book of yours. i almost fainted. my eyes shook. i felt flush. i grabbed that book and wouldnt let go. they told me i could put it with my other books i had waiting at the desk to purchase while i continued to browse. i said "no, dont you understand - this is a rachel ashwell book - a shabby chich book...!!!!!!!" its wrapped at home in some vintage fabric and i still get the same feelings when i hold it. it isnt even necessary to open your books. for me just holding them brings such peace. such knowing that all is well and there is hope and love and beautiful things.
i wish you everything you have given all of us. and i know you will find again everything you need. of course, its all right there inside you. and you are one of those souls who is strong enough to be able to pull it forward.
still as i pick thru life i think in my head of you and your shabby chic.
thank you for everything.
be well. take care of you.
-yours faithfully
Paula
When I first heard that Shabby Chic was in trouble, I was shocked. I couldn't and still can't believe there will be a world without Shabby Chic. I went to your web-site and found your blog. I am one of thousands of women who have purchased your books and peruse them over and over again. My favorite stores are the ones that carry your furniture, fabric and bedding, not because of your name but because of the serenity and beauty of Shabby Chic.
ReplyDeleteYour vision of beauty has been shared by women of all walks of life and circumstance and you have single handedly created a look that has proven to be timeless. If "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", then you have been endlessly flattered. I truly hope Shabby Chic will be re-incarnated.
I was waiting and waiting since your last post for this next post, thanks for writing it and thanks for keeping us informed.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel
ReplyDeleteMany people have "Hollywood" or sport star heroes. I have only one, YOU!!! Although I have never been able to travel to the US to visit one of your stores, it has always been a dream of mine...Yet, your books continue to inspire me, cheer me up when I'm down and enable me to enjoy my home so much more. You ARE the QUEEN of shabby chic. You invented the concept after all. Everything after that was not as REAL and beautiful. You don't even know how many South African "fans" you have and how you keep on inspiring us. Thank you for the beautiful blog. I cannot wait for your new book. May you be blessed. I am sure SHABBY CHIC will be back even bigger than before. Please keep on making our lives beautiful.
Amanda,SOUTH AFRICA
I watched Adam Sandler's movie "Bedtime Stories" last night. Am I correct in thinking it was your pretty pink rose bud Simply Shabby Chic sheet set on the little girl's bed? That made me happy. I have that sheet set. : ) Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I wish you only the best in your future endeavors and you will continue to be in my prayers. Don't give up! God has a plan for you!
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
Julie M.
ps I miss your t.v. show too!
Enjoy your time in London - can't wait to see your new book!
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteI am deeply sadden at your loss. I have been a big fan and supporter of your business, many of your books and products grace my home and I adored your show that used to come on the Style channel here.
I am amazed at your buoyancy and thrilled that you are finding meaning and purpose in each new day. I am praying that good things are in store for you in the future.
I sort of just stumbled across your blog this morning and this is my first visit. I certainly hope you will continue to share your journey here as I will be sure to return. Have a blessed day!
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI do so agree with your friends analogy of the Brooks song. This reminds me of it also...
There was a mass e-mail in my in box one day. It showed a bunch of cartoon people carrying crosses. One cartoon person would stop and ask God if his load could be lightened, so the cross became shorter and shorter (lighter and lighter). After a while he came to a large and deep crack in the earth. He could not get across, but others who worked through their journey just laid the cross over the crack to the other side.
Some people just meanly say, "ah, we all have crosses to bear." However, we can offer help, such as those in your life have and here in blogland do for one another while we still learn.
Before this cartoon entered my life I by chance saw the movie "The Hiding Place". It greatly helped me to understand that we can survive and that we all have troubles (to say it softly) but we all can love each other through it.
I do so look forward to your new book. I believe it is going to be even better than any of your other books (which I dearly love). Are there enough words to describe how happy I am that you and your family (business and personal) are here in this world!?
Hugs,
Mary
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI was shocked to learn about Shabby Chic closing it's doors. Your designs inspired me to study interior design at UCLA and sparked my passion for vintage fabrics. Your work taught me the beauty of "perfect imperfection". I am so terribly sad that the stores are gone but if I have to fly to the Santa Monica store to buy a sofa for my new house in Austin before visiting my girlfriends in the canyons than so I shall. I am so familiar with your furniture and fabrics and accessories and people seem to have been selling knock offs for years but I've never settled. I continue to admire and respect your aesthetic. Thank you, Rachel for showing me an exquisite mix of beauty, comfort and scrummy pinks that inspired a timid young girl growing up in Venice Beach to follow her own passion for design and creativity. When I finally was able to afford building a home of my own I installed a claw foot tub with a gorgeous crystal chandelier above it and I thought, Rachel would love this.
The future is never certain - the one true constant is change but I'm still an unwavering fan of Shabby Chic and your designs as are my girlfriends and even my brother, who complained about the flowery guest bedding but never wanted to get out of it!
Whatever you unveil to the public in the future I will be one of the many who look forward to it and will be supportive.
Be well
Anna Sarafina
xx
I have loved, loved, loved, LOVED Shabby Chic from the moment you came out with your first book and when I moved to San Francisco finally (am originally British) as absolutely delighted to find your store in town. I was driving past last night and saw the going out of business sale, and am so sad to hear the news. Anything that I can do to help you - in any sense of the word - I am only too delighted. You are extremely talented and gifted and will rise again. Warmest to you, Fee
ReplyDelete.... it seems to be an end of an era. I will always treasure the books I bought of yours. Good luck. When one door closes another will open and you appear to be the type of person that will recognize it!
ReplyDeleteThis is going to sound incredibly selfish given the life-changing circumstances you are experiencing, but I am totally devastated that your online shop has closed. I was (am) desperately yearning for a couple of light pendants and now I won't be able to buy them. I had my heart well and truly set on them and now I don't know how I will ever find something even remotely as lovely. Your loss will be sadly felt by us, the design/detail obsessed. Good luck and come back soon - very soon!
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard that Shabby Chic was in trouble, I was shocked. I couldn't and still can't believe there will be a world without Shabby Chic. I went to your web-site and found your blog. I am one of thousands of women who have purchased your books and peruse them over and over again. My favorite stores are the ones that carry your furniture, fabric and bedding, not because of your name but because of the serenity and beauty of Shabby Chic.
ReplyDeleteYour vision of beauty has been shared by women of all walks of life and circumstance and you have single handedly created a look that has proven to be timeless. If "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", then you have been endlessly flattered. I truly hope Shabby Chic will be re-incarnated.
Rachel: I have been reading your books and your blog for some time now. I just wanted to tell you how brave you are to share your feelings. I recently have gone through a very difficult time and reading your blog has help me. Thank you, Martha
ReplyDeleteCame across your blog some months ago and has been a follower since then. You have had a most extraordinary life with beauty, style and charm surrounding you as far as I can understand, and I´m convinced that you will go on with it eventually. Please do, you´re an inspiration to many of us.
ReplyDeleteGood luck in the future.
Helle
This is sad that a business can fail so quickly by falling so hard- While you had 95% of employees that were hard workers, you had 5% that were filled with egos and underlying malice that was hidden from you. Such a shame- it caused you to loose those that could have been very good for your company. I hope at your next go around that you remember to be humble and to surround yourself with those that will tell you the truth-not what they think you want to hear. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteRachel, I too lost my mother 18 months ago. I feel a missing part of my heart everyday. I was a customer for 20 years. My husband was military and when living in California I found your store. I didn't have a lot of money but did get some lamp shades, and some bits and bobs. I met you in your Malibue store and you signed all my books, it was an honor to meet you. We moved to Virginia and we took a trip to NYC for Christmas 07. My family took my picture outside your store. I was so excited. I will treasure that picture. I know we will see Shabby Chic again. Thank you for sharing your passion with us.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel, I want you to know that your vision was planted in my soul from the beginning, and it always will be. I still have (vhs) tapes that I recorded when you were on the Style Network and I remain watching them over and over today. I was married then and was divorced soon after the show launched.
ReplyDeleteYour beautiful style lightened up one of the darkest moments in my life... You helped me to create a 'home' for me that I never knew, via your products, books and show, and it has carried on ever since. Reading your blog, it reminds me of my first place when I was starting out again. (I too was hanging clothes on a line in my home to dry).
Two years ago I was traveling around the outskirts of San Francisco and stumbled upon one of your stores -- I screamed, grabbed my boyfriend's hand and dragged him off the bus to see the store. In the midwest, as mentioned by others, it was hard to come across... and it was a JOY to be standing in your store. I never wanted to leave.
Your vision is what I have always considered a haven, a place so special, feminine and light. I am happy you have created this happiness for yourself, even amongst the tears.
Soon, you will see your path, scream, grab what you need and will run towards what makes you tickled with pure delight. I promise.
We will all be awaiting your lovely book, and your return, when you are ready to bestow your lovely intelligence upon us again. We do need you.
Before you know it, the scars will become your greatest beauty marks.
With love. Katie
Dear Rachel...I just had to send my heart felt condolences to you as I've just stumbled upon your blog...I was in Lenox Mall in Atlanta last weekend and had hoped to bring in my new baby girl to introduce to your wonderful staff who were so helpful and instrumental in the decisions of how I wanted my baby girl's nursery to be set up...I have adorned each square inch of my daughter's nursery with your beautiful creations...and had hoped to continue to do so as she grew older...however, I will pray for you to continue to drawl strength from your amazing talent and passions and that there will again be such a fabulous creation as Shabby Chic...I wish you well with your new book and will look for it in the future...I send many blessings to you that the next chapter in your life is everything positive and wonderful...thank you for sharing your such beautiful creations these last 20 yrs...blessings to you...
ReplyDeleteSusie
Dearest Rachel,
ReplyDeleteShabby chic has not gone any where.....she is sleeping a while,she is in your heart.. your dreams and in your memories ,she lives and breathes inside Rachel Ashwell ..... your sweet mother made your heart and she lives on with every beat and every dream and memory.
Its good to have you home and i don't care if it sounds schmaltzy.. i love you Rachel Ashwell ......from a UK girl who wants to live Shabbily Ever After xxx
Enjoy your time in London. You do inspire always.
ReplyDeleteHugs!
~Abby
Wow. I am sitting here at the computer just blubbering after reading this post from you. You write from deep within your heart. You truly have a gift for writing...little one or two sentences that cut right to the chase and the crux of the matter. It's very impressive; you simply must continue to write, write, write. I welled up because it comes right through that you are strong, finding your way on a new path, making new discoveries and just evolving. I keep thinking, "THIS gal will not just survive, she will thrive; she's doing it..she's doing it." Bravo, Rachel. Bravo. You've got grit, you've got determination, you've got talent...but most of all, you've got soul. YOU GO GIRL! I CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT BOOK!!!
ReplyDeletei just found out that you are leaving the shabby chic business. i nearly cried for 2 hours. i will miss your store more than anything because it has been a part of my life ever since i was born ( i am only 12 years old ) and most people are astound that i even know what shabby chic is. my mother has bought everything you made. my favorite pattern is the bella rose witch is the pattern on my bed and lamps. i even have all your books and gone to 70% of your stores.
ReplyDeletei hope that you come back as soon as possible. i am still sad as i am writing you this but i know that you will come back better than ever.
- Abigail
i just found out that you are leaving the shabby chic business. i nearly cried for 2 hours. i will miss your store more than anything because it has been a part of my life ever since i was born ( i am only 12 years old ) and most people are astound that i even know what shabby chic is. my mother has bought everything you made. my favorite pattern is the bella rose witch is the pattern on my bed and lamps. i even have all your books and gone to 70% of your stores.
ReplyDeletei hope that you come back as soon as possible. i am still sad as i am writing you this but i know that you will come back better than ever.
- Abigail
i just found out that you are leaving the shabby chic business. i nearly cried for 2 hours. i will miss your store more than anything because it has been a part of my life ever since i was born ( i am only 12 years old ) and most people are astound that i even know what shabby chic is. my mother has bought everything you made. my favorite pattern is the bella rose witch is the pattern on my bed and lamps. i even have all your books and gone to 70% of your stores.
ReplyDeletei hope that you come back as soon as possible. i am still sad as i am writing you this but i know that you will come back better than ever.
- Abigail
Look, I have to just say another thing. I go to Target once per week to kill time after I've chauffeured my dear mom to a rehab facility where she swims and gets water therapy for crippling arthritis. Even though money is tight, I make a point of buying one Simply Shabby Chic thing each time I go (we need more...I want a whole new line...soon!!!). When I buy my one treat, I think of you now, and it's my show of support for all you do and how you've changed my life with a sort of re-learned appreciation for all things beautiful, vintage, gently-used, etc.
ReplyDeleteYour blogging has introduced the woman behind the creativity, and she's awesome! I love the way you write and think...and how your brain works!
And, another thing, we people out here who love your stuff...WE CAN SPOT YOUR PRODUCTS A MILE AWAY. It doesn't matter if it's Shabby or Simply Shabby...nobody can copy you. It's a signature style and craftmanship that is unique. Like, on eBay, people will try to sell things where they've used your fabric or copy the name, and we know it's not you. Believe this: Anybody who knows your products can spot the fakes. It'll never wash...these other creeps trying to pass stuff off as their own? (Stealing the tags; you're right...dirty and crass...always somebody out there, lazy low-lifes, trying to live by scheming...I'd find it absolutely exhausting but, thankfully, I have a CONSCIENCE as do the majority of folks out in the world.) Well, forget the crooks; they won't succeed in the mainstream or the long term.
The comment you made, so spot on, that "People of no moral character are great reminders of the beauty of goodness." What a perfect observation. Let me illustrate something I experienced one week ago: I was driving on an access road next to a freeway in a non-residential area and I came upon a screaming baby, alone in a stroller in the middle of a sidewalk, just a few feet from the occasional car going 50mph. I couldn't believe my eyes; it was as if someone just vanished and left a baby...walked away, checked out. Horrified, I skidded my car around and went back. The beautiful thing is that, simultaneously, a man jumped out of his truck in the middle of the roadway, and another man pulled over, and all three of us ran to the aid of this precious child who was almost completely out of his stroller straps. More people gathered to help and support. For one monster (unless there's a side to this I'll never know, such as a mentally-ill person involved...how else could it be explained...no sane or normal person leaves a little baby unattended like that)...for one seriously-dysfunctional human being who would abandon a helpless child, many angels flocked to shelter and comfort. (I don't consider myself personally an angel but I watched those men cradle and soothe that baby and I can't call them anything but angels because they were so wonderful.) In a true-life, unbelievable occurrence such as this near-miss with a toddler, there was goodness. It was this instantaneous dualing emotion of one second railing at humanity--that someone could so endanger a baby--and another second feeling such love and warmth for my fellow humans who raced to do good (a reminder that for every bad person, there are many more good ones, and the good guys will prevail...the bad ones have a lot to answer to, if not now, certainly later as they face their maker). The people who are trying to scam you with the Shabby Chic name and label...they will not succeed. You are right to wash your hands of scum.
Keep living your truth...and living, as you said, in your life. It's pure, clean, honest. It will always triumph. Just look at yourself if you need an example...you've risen above the garbage and pain. And as my cousin often says, to coin an old cliche, "living well is the best revenge."
One last thing...I was involved in a messy inheritance and my name was trashed all over my small town. I avoided people and hung my head, became reclusive, because the lawyers told me to stay out of it. I'd never lived with any kind of scandal or controversy; it was new and it felt awful. I wanted to stick up for myself but I had tape across my mouth. It was so unfair. I wanted everybody to know the truth but I couldn't speak my truth. My dearest, wise and good dad said to me, "your life, your reputation, your demeanor will speak for itself...you have nothing to be ashamed about...rise above the circumstances...other people are smart and know there are always two sides to a story...WHO you are and how people know you will stand up against rumors or preconceptions, misunderstandings or lies." My dad...age 84 and brilliant; he died last year. But he was right. Bad things pass. Bad times pass. We grow, and we flourish...again and again...if we just stay authentic, have faith and tap into our reservoir of inner strength.
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeletePlease know how comforting and uplifting your style has been to so many over the years. I own all your books (and am eagerly anticipating the new one) and DVDs, and am constantly accessing them for inspiration. I've been a fan since I bought my first home, a condo, 11 years ago. Now settled in a Massachusetts home just a mile from the ocean, the Shabby Chic style is a perfect fit. No matter what happened with your stores and business through this difficult economy, your creative genius will remain. We are always evolving, and your next steps may bring you to an even better place. Stay true to yourself, and thank you immensely for sharing your talent with us.
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI hope that this reaches you. I am a 32 y/o Israeli- British woman, living in the States. I have been so extremely influenced by your style and so very touched by your words and recent losses.
Recently my Father has been taken terribly ill, and sitting by his side at the ICU for weeks and weeks, watching him suffer was hard. One of the few things that would soothe and comfort me, was to close my eyes, and think about all of your beautiful creations that adron my little flat, and all the new things I look forward to decorate with. Lovely things that make it a home.
You must never doubt yourself, Rachel. You are an important figure in my life despite the fact that I have never had the pleasure of meeting you. I am a traditional illustrator, and have such a deep appreciate to all that is feminine and beautiful.
Sending a big hug,
Katia.
www.KatiaEsh.com
I have enjoyed your blog and heart felt thoughts. Nothing lasts forever...but a new vision may take you down a new path. Perhaps better than the old. Keep the faith.
ReplyDeleteLook forward to your book.
Your flat looks amazing. Love the fabrics on the table. Could we see more of it??
Connie
thank you so much for your raw open honest posts.. I hope they are as therapeutic for you as they are for us.
ReplyDeleteI love your fabrics, your sheets, your furniture... and I love the person who posts on this blog. Peace and happiness.
Nobody can equal the "real thing". I know you will be back and even better, stronger, more lovely. Keeping the faith here, enjoying all my beautiful, genuine Shabby Chic bits of heaven.
ReplyDeleteMarti
Rachel, Love the new book cover, it's beautiful! I've already preordered it(Amazon.com). Can't wait for the new book and for you- please hurry back!!
ReplyDeletexo
i just want you to know that your sense of style has a way of making my world feel in control. The crowns, the calming fabrics and yummy pillows- That, I just want to lay in bed all day feeling...which is the best. Thank you for what you have given me.
ReplyDeleteI am only 20... I WANT MORE.
I can not wait for you to come back, I will wait for the real thing.
I had a thought...perhaps you should market your Shabby Chic fabric...and maybe a line of patterns that coordinate with the fabric.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought...might appeal to the home seamstress/sewer.
I myself enjoy making up a simple pillow, a shaped valance, which add a great decorative touch to a room for not a lot of money. The problem is finding fabric designs I love/enjoy...they are quite limited nowadays. Used to be lots of fabric shops..now it's a thing of the past--almost. With this era of going back to basics, this might be a good time to market your products in their base forms. Your Shabby Chic name is already recognized. Put it on a line of fabrics and patterns that you've designed..who knows?
If I could purchase Shabby Chic fabric by the yard at an affordable pric--wow..that would be awesome.
BTW--thanks for sharing your whole story, even the bits about the hard stuff..it's very encouraging to the rest of us who are also going through 'stuff'..to see you persevere and rise above the ashes inspires all of us. Way to go!
it was an absolute pleasure working with your talented staff at the montana store on design projects for clients and my own home.your beautiful cinderella chandelier in my entry welcomes me home every day you have always been an inspiration to me, both as a designer and a single parent,your shabby chic home book has been my design bible. i have been blessed to share your journey.
ReplyDeletei wish you all the best.
wendie
wendie goode dox design
Hello Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear you had to close. Your beautiful designs are timeless. I used to sell you items in our shop. I too might have the same fate coming to our shop as well. We are trying to decide to stay or go. Many tears.
It's hard when you have found your lifes passion and it all can be taken away. Maybe tho' if we do come back later our customers will be more excited that we are back.
You make everything beautiful. I look forward to your book. You truely taught me through your books how to make my shop a beautiful place as well, and for that I thank you.
Keep the Faith,
Carrie
I must say that I am sad to see your stores & website go! I didn't know that this was happening & went to the store in SF & found all the signs. I really felt sad & called my friend to tell her. We were first inspired by your show & books and we have become fans of the style & shopping flea markets! I hope that we will see you & your inspirations again soon! Best Wishes, Dawn
ReplyDeletewow...I was so stunned to read about you and what you have been through ....and are going through...so touching, so tender....so real.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are in transition...changes have come your way....and you are trying to settle into what they mean and what they bring....
( come see me at watergate summer anytime...have hope dear lady- you have taught so many of us about hope, and grace....you inspired us to embrace what was tarnished or dusty or forgotten- that is a gift....I am a single mom, a nurse...I have lost everything these past 8 years from homes to marriage to work...but one of the things I learned from your show was how to find the simplest beauty in things around me- from a counter made with an old shutter to a simple mason jar with a rose.....you helped people like me see the world differently....and embrace all of it...have hope...)
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteThankyou for making your dream a reality. I used to watch your show religiously and I have since become an Interior Decorator, without a doubt due in some amount to your influence. My own home itself pays tribute to many Shabby Chic ideas. I stumbled across your blog as I will be in the US in two weeks and one of the many things I had been dying to do was to see one of your stores.
Keep your chin up, Rachel. Don't let the detractors get you down - the best revenge is living well. Sometimes getting back to the simple things grounds us in ways that nothing else can. You've provided well for your children and taught them to follow their inspirations without fear of failure. Take good care of yourself, and I know that we will see you again.
Warm regards
Vanessa
www.merryweather.com.au
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteThankyou for making your dream a reality. I used to watch your show religiously and I have since become an Interior Decorator, without a doubt due in some amount to your influence. My own home itself pays tribute to many Shabby Chic ideas. I stumbled across your blog as I will be in the US in two weeks and one of the many things I had been dying to do was to see one of your stores.
Keep your chin up, Rachel. Don't let the detractors get you down - the best revenge is living well. Sometimes getting back to the simple things grounds us in ways that nothing else can. You've provided well for your children and taught them to follow their inspirations without fear of failure. Take good care of yourself, and I know that we will see you again.
Warm regards
Vanessa
www.merryweather.com.au
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteThankyou for making your dream a reality. I used to watch your show religiously and I have since become an Interior Decorator, without a doubt due in some amount to your influence. My own home itself pays tribute to many Shabby Chic ideas. I stumbled across your blog as I will be in the US in two weeks and one of the many things I had been dying to do was to see one of your stores.
Keep your chin up, Rachel. Don't let the detractors get you down - the best revenge is living well. Sometimes getting back to the simple things grounds us in ways that nothing else can. You've provided well for your children and taught them to follow their inspirations without fear of failure. Take good care of yourself, and I know that we will see you again.
Warm regards
Vanessa
www.merryweather.com.au
Thank you for the beautiful post. London is a great place to hide, isn't it? I took off there during my divorce, and the closing of Shabby Chic is certainly as traumatic for me as it must be for you. In that space, cliches about it being for the best feel about as comforting as polyester on bare skin. You may never know why things worked the way they did, and you may still have questions about what you could have done better, but if you continue living in the present, you will remain connected to yourself.
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading four of your books, and I'm on the waiting list for your newest one from Amazon. I draw so much inspiration from the original Shabby Chic book and Shabby Chic Home, even after all these years. In some ways I wonder if Shabby Chic's untimely end is a reflection of our times, a time when cheap imitations are more valued than the authentic because we equate speed with progress.
Your influence may take on a different medium, but your voice is still clear, even if I now have to buy your linens from Target as I search for my own vintage items in local flea markets and stores. The bloom may fade and eventually drop off, but the root of the plant is still alive and vibrant.
And we who love Shabby Chic are anxiously awaiting your next incarnation.
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI went to your sight today,after awhile, and was sad to see the state of things there. However, I was happy to know that the Santa Monica store is still humming away. I will make a point to visit.
I am a full-time working single mom, so, money has never been plentiful. But, my appreciation of all things shabby, unique, and full of character is overflowing. When I first knew of you and your business, I felt so excited that a kindred spirit was out there creating things that spoke to my sensibilities.
My first Shabby Chic purchase was from a local retailer, Subtle Tones, who are no longer in Calabasas. It was a pair of pillow cases. Red roses on white. They are so worn in and soft, yet still look great! Over the years, when I can, I splurge on a new pair of shams, or comforter cover. My favorite recent treat was the union jack pillow.
Enjoy.
Cycles, change......both welcome growth. As difficult as it is to let go and re-group,.......look forward to inspiration!
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI signed on today to view your beautiful rooms and was shocked! I have loved everything you have done forever, although can only afford Target, have quite the collection. I have a suggestion for an inspiring song for you - "At Least Your Breathing" by Chris Trapper (www.christrapper.com) very upbeat! I'm so excited to see what you'll do next! Chantel in Buffalo, NY
Your heart is beautiful. I know we probably all wish that we could change this for you but God is blessing you in new ways and we wouldn't want you to miss that. (hugs) ~Polly
ReplyDeleteMy home is filled with Shabby Chic furnishings ... Thank you so much for the vision! I will phone the Santa Monica store to find out what they have ... I look forward to your future ideas!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post!
ReplyDeleteWhile I have been saddened by the closing of Shabby Chic, and for you and your dreams as a woman and business owner, I have known that you will bounce back. You have so much style and strength and I'm sure what doors open next will be better than ever.
Many blessings to you,
Cerri
I have always admired you for your amazing, innate talent and impeccable sense of style. I first learned about Shabby Chic back in the '90s. I remember being so mesmerized by all the lovely images and beautiful creations you showcased. Looking back, I believe it was you who have opened my eyes to the wonderful world of decor and design.
ReplyDeleteI know in my heart that your legacy will live on and on. And I am confident that your life will continue to be blessed.
You will always be the inimitable Rachel Ashwell.
My best wishes go out to you, your family, and your staff.
I have to tell you that I was in one of your New York Stores over this past weekend. I was so happy to be there. I felt like I was part of something very special. There is no way this is the end for you. You are AMAZING and I'm looking forward to hearing all about your new adventures. I'm so happy I was able to buy some little beauties for my home. Every time I look at them...and darn it I will everyday...I will think about you your amazing store!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for wonderful memories!!!
I absolutely have loved and enjoyed your stores, your books, your ideas and your ethos over the years. You have inspired my own beautiful home, and my own thoughts of reclaiming and reusing and finding uses for different things. I wish you the best of luck in your next exciting adventure and I cant wait to see what it is!! XOXOXOXOXO
ReplyDeleteRachel, I'm so sorry that your stores are closing. I know you're endorsing the Target line, but I can't believe that they're the same product. I want to continue to support you & your great products. Can you reassure your loyal following that the $50 sheet set on the Target website is the same as the $300 cotton poplin set that I've purchased in your SF store over the years? I would love to believe that it's true.
ReplyDeleteAlso, any chance of another source for the fluffy bath towels (not the fleur de lis line) that were discontinued last year?
Best of luck in your continuing endeavors.
dearest rachel please dont publish this i dont know howelse to get hold of you
ReplyDeletei just say the following so you know im that not crazy! but that this is real -
I would NEVER normally do thisbut i have literally been kept up at night over this
i am cofounder and creative director of a global christian tv network - not one of the american ones! though we are in the usa now broadcasting on direct tv but we are substantial
we started in london at a kitchen table in 1995 with absolutely nothing and now run eight tv channels round the world to over 150 million connected homes and are the third largest christian network globally - our style is far more uk/new york!were not kitsch!!
anyway i only say that to say this so you dont think i am a crazy for what i am about to say to you
i have for YEARS absolutely ADORED your work
in fact weve once again moved to the usa in january and i ordered 2 florence beds and quite a bit of other beautiful things
yourstyle is absolutely bEAUTIFUL
but this is why im writing
For the past two months approx - since it came to my atention you were in chapter eleven
the lord simply has NOT let me GO over YOU - his beloved Rachel Ashwell
He LOVES YOU
He has NOT FORSAKEN YOU
Rachel this is what He would say to you
Beloved - my precious beloved daughter
I have seen the tears that have soaked your pillow each night
I have seen the agony - yes the many agonies of your heart my child
I have heard your cry
I have seen your tears
I have seen as you have not blamed me but have reached out yourhands and heart towards me
and beloved - oh greatly beloved
even as your hands and your heart have reached out to me
so my hands and MY HEART are now reaching out to you
For this is what I would say beloved
THIS IS NOT THE END
THIS IS NOT THE END
Lift up your head
Lift up your broken heart
For I tell you child that EVEN in a short matter of time
even in a moment it shall be that A DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY SHALL OPEN AGAIN FOR YOU
A DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY SHALL OPEN WIDE
AND WHEN IT OPENS YOU SHALL KNOW THAT I THE LORD GOD HAVE NOR FORSAKEN YOU
FOR I AM OPENING A DOOR WIDE TO YOU BELOVED
AND ALTHOUGH YOUR HANDS HANG HEAVY IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
YOU WILL ONCE AGAIN ARISE WITH A SONG IN YOUR HEART AND WITH MY CREATIVITY IN YOUR HANDS
YOU SHALL ONCE AGAIN DREAM IN COLOURS AD FABRICS
IN RIBBONS IN DESIGNS
FOR YOU WILL BE APPROACHED BY A MAJOR
A MAJOR
AND NEW LINES SHALL BE CREATED
NEW LINES
NEW DESIGNS
IY SHALL BE A BRAND NEW THINGS
AND YET IT SHALL BE YOU
IT SHALL BE A BRAND NEW THING AND YET IT SHALL STILL ENCOMPASS WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
For I shall wipe away your tears
I shall put a fresh spring in your step
and fresh hope in your heart
BUT Beloved daughter
WHEN these things start to happen and when your buds once again bllom on the branch
DO NOT FORGET ME
DO NOT DISCARD ME
but this tme as you entrust all things new to me in the business arena watch and see
watch and see
For truly it shall be like you have woken up and gone to heaven
dear rachel im about a year or two younger than you
my names wendy
the Lord loves you so very much
i so hope you read this loveletter from him
im hesitant to leave my address
but i WILL be praying for you
and if you ever really need to find me
heres one of my websites
www.journaloftheunknownprophet.com
anyway with very much love
wendy
but far more importantly FROM HIMX
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteYou absolutely amaze me. I think you may have missed your calling as a poet. You express yourself in such a raw and genuine way. I thank you for that. Perhaps maybe you'll write some poetry? Whatever you do, or don't do for that matter is just fine honey. Also, I thought I'd tell you that I was in the SoHo store a couple weeks ago and bought a couple things to remember Shabby Chic. The girls working there were so sweet. I asked them if I could take their picture and they were quite happy when I said I'd post the pic on my blog. Anyway, much love to you dear. I look forward to reading your next entry- patiently of course!
~ Steph
Dear Rachel
ReplyDeleteYour grace and beauty have been a constant inspiration to me for the past 20 years. And for this I thank you from the bottom of my heart. God Bless you and I wish you all the joy you have brought to me and so many others to return to you tenfold!
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI was working yesterday at Country Roads and a customer came in from the East coast. She told me that every time she comes to CA, she comes to my store because years ago she watched Rachel Ashwell's show where she had featured Country Roads. As I said in an earlier post, "THANK YOU"! Years later, I'm still receiving promotion thanks to your kindness.
Take care, Sue
Rachel I have been in love with your creations for years. It was so exciting for me to buy my first duvet from your Target line. I can still remember how I felt as I made the bed with your beautiful fabric. I have been to the Fashion Island store many times and walked around just taking in the beauty. I have your books and you have been such an inspiration to me. It does sadden me that I have never been able to afford anything in the Shabby Chic store. I have always walked out empty handed. Maybe with this you can create a shabby chic that everyone can enjoy. I love your Target line but even that I can be a bit pricey. What I have bought, I do treasure deeply. So in the end thank you so much for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteJane,
ReplyDeleteThe products at Target are made in China. The slipcovers and all the bedding (sheets and duvets and shams) were made in the factory in Bellflower. They are two entirely different products with the the similarity being Rachel's design aesthetic.
You hang in there girl! You have created a lifestyle of beauty and creativity and you will be back! I am confident of that. And I will look forward to seeing my old friend again someday. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy all of my Shabby Chic items and books I have acquired and loved over the years. Thank you for the beauty you have brought into many lives.
ReplyDeleteI always pop in on your web site to be inspired and to see what is new. So sorry to see this chapter is now closing for now. Shabby chic has always inspired me and still does to this day. I have a very well worn pink cotton t-shirt sheet I purchased from shabby chic so many years ago it is pretty much thread barren. I simply cannot part with it though. It is a treasure I have neatly placed away in my linen chest where it will stay for safe keeping. Look forward to keeping in touch. Another place another time. God Bless.
ReplyDeletethank you for what you've done so far. I read and reread your books when I need a moment of quiet beauty in the midst of chaos or suffering (as recently with the death of my lovely furry friend Grace)
ReplyDeleteblessings and hugs from Italy
btw I'm sure something blissful is preparing for you right now
Goodness so much to say, but I think it is best simply said that you still have what it takes to make the world swoon with beauty of your creations. In a post I did yesterday on my blog there is a quote that says...
ReplyDeleteSometimes things have to fall apart for other good to come together. This may look like the end in so many ways, but my friend it is only the beginning! Stay big in faith hope and finding smiles in everything!
Thank you for your honesty and just being real throughout everything. It helps people like me know how to stand with you and send you sparkles of faith and smiles.
Have a beautiful day!
Good luck with your next book Rachel...I shall be one of those waiting in line to buy it, as soon as you announce the launch date!
ReplyDelete'Shabby Chic' continues with you...
With love from a gal who also likes to take her tea at 4pm sharp!
Niki x
Well my dear I have read all of your blogs and I want to give you a piece of what you have given me. Permission and validation to collect feathers and hang each one above my bed on a long string and watch them move as I stare up at the ceiling as I lay in my puffy bed. Please visit me and have a little tea I have made especially for you to thank you for an escape for all of us women you helped to keep our sanity in this shabby world.
ReplyDeletehttp://s96.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid96.photobucket.com/albums/l193/maugie1914/wallart_0001.flv&fs=1&os=1&ap=1
I came upon your blog while surfing other blogs.
ReplyDeleteI just wanted you to know what an inspiration you have been to me, your beautiful design ideas, and also your lifestyle ideals.
I have such an appreciation now for the treasures that are timeworn and have been well used and well loved. You have helped to make my house a home. I wish you all the best in future endeavors.
Wonderful Post Ashley! Thank you! With a hevey heart I am sorry to see you leave. I know that you have done everything you could to save your stores but some times we just can't do it all. Good luck with the rest of our adventures.
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteI am extremely sad.
I had discovered your blog as well as your website last year.
In 15 days I will be in NY and for me passing by one Shabby Chic store was a must have.
Unfortunatelly, it was.
I believe that life goes the way it should be. Probably we do not oversee the main reason at a glance, but it will turn into your eyes soon.
Warm Brazilian ragerds,
Flávia
HI Rachel,
ReplyDeleteUntil a few days ago, I didn't know that Shabby Chic was a business, and a beautiful business it is...was? I had no idea that you had created this whole genre, gave birth to a whole style of decorating. I know you will be 'back'... you are an inspiration to so many people, so many women and so many artists. Here is a quote that has given me strength recently - strength to keep making my art and being true to myself...I'm not sure who said it but here it is...
The barn burned down. Now I can see the moon.
all the very best
Chrissy
Rachel...I am so devastated to hear about Shabby Chic. When I first discovered Shabby Chic, I discovered me. Your designs and inspiration have made my house a home and make me smile everyday. I idolize your talent and eye for beauty...please never give up, you have a true gift :)
ReplyDeleteI don't know you but I know Shabby Chic - couldn't afford it for a long time. Finally bought an entire ensemble for my brand new three-thousand dollar mattress in my brand new to me house. I have tried others since in the 3 years, but tonight I put back on my Shabby Chic sheets/duvet/pillow cases and they smelled of fresh lavendar (thanks to fabric softener) and somehow it kept all these months that I had forgotten about Shabby Chic and now that I came to visit your website after a few years, I was very upset to find that I couldn't order anything even though there were "sales" going on. Then of course I was led to your blog and...well, it is sad. I don't know what happened but apparently all stores closed, you've taken some trips, you have fond memories, and maybe most importantly, you hold on to hope for a future for Shabby Chic. But, there's also a sense of dispair in not knowing the answer to why? It's going to be ok. I used to watch your show like years ago before you had all the stores and your eye for beauty and simplicty will always be there. It's just too bad that now that I can afford your products, I can't get them! As a consumer, I'm mad but I guess I will have Target still. :) Take care and thanks for inspiring and furnishing mine and my daugher's Shabby Chic bedrooms - my husband never minded the roses.
ReplyDeleteOh no! Im heart broken. back in 1999 I was a punk goth body piercer with everything in my house medieval burgundy, black curly iron hated pink, hated flowers - then I watched your show, I was heavily pregnant with my little girl. Then the next day starting with the nursery and every day since I have become a shabby chic girl, I bought my next house with your books in hand filled it with vintage, cream white, chandeliers and my daughter has followed with her obsession with pink cup cakes and velvet flowers! I was just reading your book the last i needed to complete my collection Treasure hunting and decorating guide and I thought, "I wonder if there is a Shabby Chic Website??" I looked it up just then and NOOOOOOOOOOOO what?? Im in Australia and completely out of touch obviously!! You have honestly changed my life, I mean really. My dream was to go to America, visit your shops (see an Aerosmith concert) and then to paris to eat pink cake. My husband even helped me paint furniture white then bash it and distress it, he even slept on floral velvet and pink satin ha ha and he was a tough tattooed dude (He was killed last year in a motorcycle accident)!! Please keep strong, your an inspiration. Im just starting up another shop in a month with vintage prom dresses and frothy vintage clothing and furniture and now Im a bit scared!! Oh well, I would have loved to have held the things you have, and achieved even a quarter of what you have!! (I found a pair of original really old 501's and a pink cashmere cardigan today and Im wearing them now!) God Bless you and the way you changed us all, embraced our feminity and the frou frou in all of us!! stay strong! (always wondered - for years if you were virgo?? maybe taurus??) good luck! and thankyou Kerryn
ReplyDeleteRachel,
ReplyDeleteI hope you will continue to check the growing list of comments so that you can feel the impact you have made on so many. I first discovered you on the Style network and could never get enough. I missed that so much when the episodes were discontinued. I believe that you will come back when the time is right...in the meantime you'll continue to be inspired by all that surrounds you as you always have.
My visit to England was lovely, and the people made it more so. Thank you for sharing your creativity thru the years and now for your story, and please come back soon.
I just wanted to say that I love your store and that whenever I was in your soho nyc shop I would have to force myself to leave! I am away at school and just found out what happened. I love the images you show and how you show where you get yout inspiration. I find them absolutly inspiring. Everything that I bought from your store is well loved and in a happy home!
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI live in Georgia. I've been totally submerged in my businesses and family as of late, and was completely unaware of what was going on with Shabby. The Lenox store here in Atlanta has already closed...
As a remembrance of Shabby Chic, the first 20, I had a family member who lives in LA, drive to Santa Monica and buy the Indigo Floral collection and FedEx it to me. I will now perform the ritual of reading your books(again) and then paint my bedroom walls white, all the while projecting positive and good, uplifting thoughts of beauty. There is no telling what inspirations I'll come up with! I'm sure I'll cry, too. But, I'll remember the creativity you've inspired in so many of us. That will go on indefinitely as your meaningful and true words will be remembered in my own heart and in the hearts of your readers.
Rachel, I've always believed that beauty and love are Divine. They will be passed on. The designs in your books were beautiful because they were also loved, both in the creation and the use.
The blogger Paula, April 13,2009 said it best of your work, "everything my soul had tried to speak to me of but I had no references to put into my head."
This is major stuff!
I'll conclude by saying that when I look at your work, your designs, I see a bit of the divine in them. What fun the Almighty must've had designing the flowers! Thank you for reminding us how lovely our world is if we just have that reference!
So sorry for all the heartache you have been through in recent times. Just wanted to say what an inspiration you have been, and I'm sure will continue to be. I look forward to whatever you decide to do next as I am sure that will be great - such talent can't go unrewarded for too long! Enjoy your time in England and recharge. Much love, Sophie xx
ReplyDeleteYour book was my first book bought online, not knowing much English and I understood very well. You have many skills to make you understand your new book will be a success.
ReplyDeleteStill dreaming but especially do not doubt your abilities.
What you say about faith is beautiful.
have all my support and my compliments to your style.
Thanks for sharing.
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteShabby Chic will be taking a break soon. I believe in my heart that someday soon you'll be back in your spot of beauty, creating and designing beautiful images. You have a rare purity of vision. No one can match you in that. You took already existing elements and combined them with an aesthetic that has GREATLY influenced an entire era. The beauty you create is breathtaking!
I am so impressed with all of this; the blog, the response to your words and current circumstances by these wonderful kindred spirits.
Carry on, dear Rachel. All of your many fans and admirers will be cheering you on!
You are not the only one who has been hit by this depression. Many, many people are also shuttering their businesses.
I know that you are finding much inspiration and gaining in strength as you rest and write there in London. Remember, tomorrow is a new day and this too shall pass.
I look forward to that exhilaration that I will feel when next time, I view your collections! It is a response that I get only when I see your designs. Thank you for all the beauty you create.
How I will miss Shabby Chic! It was my personal "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in Chicago. I loved to go there whenever I was having a crummy day...your store always made me happy. That happiness translated into my home. It's a place my family & I love to be. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhen you decide to come back , we will be waiting for you.
:) Melissa
Beauty lives with and in you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing so much of it to us!
Sandra Evertson
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI think I am your biggest fan.
I wanted to be a wholesale store , and everything happened. I probably have the largest SS collection around, and I am so proud of it , it is both beautiful and nostalgic. I , am one of those who could open a store! I want very much to keep the RASS name alive, Even to painfully sell ANY of my collection would be to simply keep the Shabby people happy until your return. I hope you know this. I am dedicated to keeping this brand alive, unlike others, who do things like steal labels---how disgusting. There is only one YOU, and I will in my small way , always keep the spirit alive----an await your return, and in the meantime, celebrate, the legend that is you.
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI live in Australia and always dreamt about shipping over one of your lovely squishy sofas to enjoy. Imageine my surprise when I visited your site and saw Shabby Chic was no longer...and you sounded so sad. Now I am sad that a creative, inivative person like yourself has had to say goodbye to her baby; her brainchild that others around the world copied..I only have on of your books and memories of watching some of your episodes on LifeStyle but I hope you will bounce back and enter a new faze in your life that ends up being just as rewarding as Shabby.
Thank you for your contribution to our world,
I J Henskens
Australia
Dearest Rachel,
ReplyDeleteSince I discovered your blog, I have tried to read every word that you've written. Your writings have given me many smiles and many tears!
Rachel, I can surmise from your writings that all you REALLY ever wanted was right there in Santa Monica, which is where you started!! That place holds much magic and special memories for you. It would be so fitting if somehow, you could regain a foothold to relaunch everything from that very spot.
No one can steal your magic. My God, woman-you've inspired half the world to create their own little shabby chic heavens and to cherish imperfection, and what was previously cast-off. Very un-commercial and anti-consumption...hurray for you. We all knew in our souls that it was so right!
You should do whatever it is that you decide to do on your own terms. Go 100% with your gut, to put it indelicately.
Your new book will be a good start, and if your writing in the book is anything like your last blog entry, it'll be your best yet.
Best of wishes and warmest regards to you, Rachel! Thanks for all the great inspiration and beauty you've brought to all of us! You've enriched my life very much by inspiring me to make my home more warm and inviting.
You've taken lemons and made lemondade... I love everything you wrote from your heart in this last post. It's good to go home; a source of comfort I'm guessing. Your drying rack represents so much more than a place to hang clothes to dry. It looks lovely and elegant in your room.
ReplyDeleteAll my best to you... Donna @ An Enchanted Cottage
Dear Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI have been a fan of yours since the beginning. The beauty you give to the decorating world is so inspriring and touches my heart. Continue to be true to yourself and the rest will follow. I look forward to your new book and the new adventures that are in the future for you. Lots of hugs.
Michele
You are so lucky to have a new beginning. Hug.
ReplyDeleteThere are many, many who have been touched by Shabby Chic. I am one. Its an integregal part of my life and has for the past decade. Its a philosophy that cannot die. You have created quite a body of work that no one on Earth can take from you.
ReplyDeleteYOU will always be in my heart.
Your post was sweet, sad and honest...I have always loved your stores and books...Shabby Chic will be forever in my home.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel- thank you for sharing more of your thoughts with us this month & those wonderful photos too! I especially love the one taken at Bellflower- the lady with the fluff of dark hair working at her sewing machine, engulfed in Shabby Chic fabric bolts & layers of ruffles- just delicious. Last month when I wrote you I was only too grateful to know you'll have a new book for us.Now I'm thinking I hope it's a big one! Your inspiration continues, even in this interim - my husband & I are furnishing a little beach cottage on Cape Cod Bay & right now a slipcover maker is cutting a pale twill fabric to recover an old sofa & chairs for the cottage - nice & loose I told her, like Shabby Chic.My husband made a little dining table with a plain planked top & I gave it a whitewash.The tiny bedrooms will come to life when the beds are dressed in Shabby Chic sheets- can't you just see it? Your shops might be gone for the time being but your influence is still running at full speed. Last month I began my comment with "Dear Brilliant Lady" & here's where the brilliance really shines: styles come & go & so do retail shops but you created a new & timeless definition to comfortable/elegant rooms,& you reinvented the slipcover & the way we perceive fabric.Imitators & scavengers will pop up & disappear,but your name will remain.
ReplyDeleteKeep your eyes fixed on the sunny side -
Linda Park, Westborough, MA
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your honesty and your integrity. I caught the shabby chic fever about 10 years ago now and it was because of you. I was just a lowly student trying to get into medical school and just starting to find out my likes and dislikes, and a desire to make my hectic life a little more peaceful. That's what Shabby Chic has brought to me. I used to watch you on style and tape the shows and it was always such a joy. Little by little, I have enjoyed finding little treasures and relishing in things of the past. I just want you to rest assured that "this to will pass" and you will be able to see and understand it more clearly when you are no longer in the situation. The death of my beloved grandfather 2 years ago was the most difficult time in my life, but looking back on that now I see how much that helped me grow as a person and strengthen my faith. You are a woman of principle and integrity and nothing can change that. Never forget that! God Bless, Michelle.
Rachel, I live in England now too (W Sussex) and love the picture of the English clothes dryer. How true??!! I am American at heart and have the biggest washer and dryer my little house will fit! Just to say that I was planning on ordering some stuff to ship to England and noticed you've closed. I'm in shock!! I used to go to your June sales in West LA (I used to live in Pacific Palisades) warehouse... 5 am bright and early to get the deals!! So glad I did now! STILL loving that stuff!! Where can I get such beautiful linens? You're style was truly amazing and I was hoping to one day be able to do my entire house with Shabby Chic! Very sad and I will check back in!
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry to hear about the closing of Shabby Chic stores. Your products were beautiful and your story empowering.
I am an Interior Redesigner in Calif. and have shopped on occasion at your retail stores. As I try to incorporate as much of what a homeowner has as possible, I don't do a lot of purchasing but did very much enjoy the bedding that had been purchased.
I had no idea that your stores were closing. I have a $400. credit balance! The manager of the Montana Ave. store had told me that credit information was always kept on file, so I cannot understand why those of us with balances were not given a chance to use our credit and notified by e-mail to come in immediately to use our credit.
As a small business owner, $400 is a lot of money. I am so distressed at this. Your policy was not to give cash back on a returned purchase. I respected that policy, knowing I would somehow use this money toward a future purchase. Your closest store was over 75 miles away, but I could have made a trip in an afternoon and used up this credit.
How can this be rectified?
Phyllis
It is truly sad that Shabby Chic has closed. I hope this doesn't discourage you to rebuild the magic of shabby chic. I would love to see you bring your beautiful products back. If you do, I hope the products combine the luxe of the original line (which tended to be very expensive) with the affordability of the Target line (which shares the idea but lacks the quality of the original line). I think a lot of people love your shabby chic products, but couldn't afford to indulge. The target line can be pretty (I've bought a quilt and sheets - but the sheets are very itchy) There must be a happy medium between quality and affordability. I've loved your shabby chic line, your books, and your Style Network series. Please bring back the beauty of shabby chic when you can!
ReplyDeleteYou have a wonderful eye for the beauty in simple things. You also have a beautiful soul!! God Bless and Good Luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rachel, for the beautiful goods, the friendly helpers, but mostly, for your inspiration. I treasue everything I have bought from you.
ReplyDeleteMy money, exchanged for your goods, gave you a "leg up" in life, but it was a fair exchange. And, now I hope the prayers I send your way also give up "a leg up". May God Bless you and carry you forward to re-invent yourself. It's the perfect time.
Oh my gosh!! I am just a girl that LOVES your shabby chic line. I have bought your sheets for YEARS and years! They are the ONLY sheets I ever buy! My mom had to force me to stop buying so many because I had a whole closet filled of them. I have a baby now and of course I immediately wanted to share my love of Shabby Chic with her! I had no idea you were going through such a hard time and I am deeply sadden as I truly love everything you make!. It is the only thing I have ever found that just "fits me." I hope things work out for you because I cannot imagine my life without Shabby Chic!!!
ReplyDeleteRachel Ashwell –
ReplyDeleteI have been reading your blog for a while now. When I first learned that things were not looking up for Shabby Chic, my heart sank.
I discovered Shabby Chic around 1999 or 2000. It spoke to me, straight to my soul. The style made sense. It brought together my love for forgotten antique pieces that I had collected through the years and my love for white. I immediately started buying your books and threw an old white chenille bedspread over a chair while I saved for my first authentic Shabby Chic chair and ottoman. In the meantime my husband’s work sent him to training in Costa Mesa. When he came back, he surprised me with a pillow from your Wildflower pattern… later I added bedding to my stash and yes, I have saved all of your beautiful paper tags. They decorate my workspace in my little studio. This may sound silly, but two years ago while on vacation in Cali, the original Shabby Chic store was top priority on my list!
I want to thank you for sharing your creativity and talent with the world. You have given so much and influenced so many lives. You have made millions of people happy! I am sure that things will look up for you again. Once a creative person, you will always be a creative person. Creativity is like a bubbling well that lies deep within, and it cannot ever be suppressed for long. Take heart!
Looking forward to more happiness ahead!
A. Cole
P.S. Can’t wait for the new book to come out!
I LOOK AROUND MY HOME & I SEE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS WANTED TO FIND, AND IT TOOK RACHEL TO SELL THEM. MY COT, AND COT COVER, MY BODY PILLOW & LINEN COVER, MY BLUE TICK STRIPE SHEETS & MY FEATHER BED & FEATHER BED COVER. MY DRIFTWOOD TABEL & BENCHES, MY FEATHER-LIGHT, BREATHABLE DUVET COVER.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THEM AND WILL TREASURE THEM FOREVER. RACHEL, THANK YOU & LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE "GOT" THE BEST PART.
Your posts are beautiful and always bring me to tears. They ooze with your unique style and creativity- even when you are hurting it flows freely from you. As you rest, you will heal and from that place you will create in a deeper, more powerful, even more connected way.
ReplyDeleteThe years that I worked in your Malibu store were some of the most treasured thus far in my life. I have hoped that I would have the opportunity to work for you again one day and I will continue to dream in that direction. I'm so glad that there is a Rachel Ashwell in this world! You inspire me greatly! If your next turn leads you to a bakery- be sure and let me know!
Your posts are beautiful and always bring me to tears. They ooze with your unique style and creativity- even when you are hurting it flows freely from you. As you rest, you will heal and from that place you will create in a deeper, more powerful, even more connected way.
ReplyDeleteThe years that I worked in your Malibu store were some of the most treasured thus far in my life. I have hoped that I would have the opportunity to work for you again one day and I will continue to dream in that direction. I'm so glad that there is a Rachel Ashwell in this world! You inspire me greatly!
Though I have never had much money to purchase many of your lovely creations, I have always revelled in their beauty and simple elegance. You have inspired me to create a home that is simple but utterly delightful and filled with things I love completely. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us - I am devestated by your set back, but I look forward to your magnificent return!
ReplyDeleteLindsay
wow. I dreamed of filling my home with your products for the past 20 years. I now have the money to buy them, and they are almost unavailable. How horrible. People may steal your fabrics, but they can't duplicate the way you see things. There are still those of us out here that will not decorate our homes in anything else. I will go to goodwill if I have to.
ReplyDeleteyou know, you could always come back, and maybe lower your prices so that even poor ladies who love beautiful things could have them. I know that the fabrics would not be as good quality, but at least they would still exist. This is terrible. Now we are stuck with this nasty "throwback to the 60's and 70's ugly" stuff. I will NEVER put that in my home. I would rather die than look at 70's retro every day.
ReplyDeleteDear Rachel...I am so sorry for your sadness at this time. I am a huge fan of Shabby Chic and have purchased so many of your products from my local Target store. You have put a smile on my face and will continue. Thank you for creating such wonderful and beautiful merchandise. May you find peace within your heart. Things will get better.
ReplyDeleteThough you may never know me personally, I've always felt a common heart with you when it comes to appreciating the beauty in imperfections, and to hear of the plight of such a lovely line saddens me because the world is losing just a little bit more light.. Thank You for sharing the beauty of the softer side of life with us all theese years and don't give up the fight! God Bless You and your family at this time my prayers go out to you all.
ReplyDeleteanother shabby soul
i really really love reading your blogs,you have been such an inspiration to me over the years.I cant wait to see you back again and i know you will be.
ReplyDeletetake the time to smell the roses,relax and just have fun for a while.
All the best!
I think I was born to be a shabby chicer...loved thrift stores and church rummage sales, yard sales since I was just a wee girl and still do ! Your shops are an inpiration as are your books and creativity..love what beauty and fun you have brought to us all these years Rachel, wish you all the best !
ReplyDeleteLori
Canandaigua ny
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have written our thoughts and wishes for you previously on this blog.
Now reading about your factory and selling off fabric makes me wonder if you can help me...
We have been buying your furniture since the beginning. Last fall added a Modern Sectional sofa and Plump chair to our collection. I am wondering how we will ever be able to order new slipcovers for this furniture? Is anyone previously working for you going to continue to support the line?
If you have a suggestion please email me at arunachala22@yahoo.com I won't be checking back here for a response. Thanks so much and good luck.
Cathy
Hi. I remember when I first fell in love with Shabby chic, it was back when you use to have a TV show, showing how to make a room, table etc. look shabby chic... I think that I was about 12 or 13 years old, I am now 27 so it has been a long time. I have always wondered what happened to your show. Thanks for creating such beautiful products.
ReplyDeleteRach, I am so disappointed to see that you have closed doors!! I have been planning on going out to Malibu & peek in your store w/in the next month!!! Such quality & it's always been my taste which I had thought of as cottage chic but shabby worked as well.
ReplyDeleteThe weather difference between Malibu and England is so different. Drying your clothes on the line makes the smell so fresh & refreshing!
I come from near Brimfield, MA & have been to that flea market! Yeah! Fun! My closets friend here in Los Angeles is a gal named Claire from England! Such a lady & she also loves tea!
Your daughter is all grown up & what a lady she has become! Loving Mum's shopping pattern!
Bright & happy thoughts your way! Hugs & love! Katie
I wish you the best! I hope you meander on back this-a-way at some point. There is no place like home to heal some hurts that happen & renew yourself.
I will be first in line to purchase your next book -- I won all your others.
ReplyDeleteRemember the old words, "This, too, shall pass."
Good luck moving forward.
Tish
Does anyone know where I can order replacement cushions for my sofa or know the manufacturer that she used?
ReplyDelete