Rachel ashwell dishes6/26/2023 From a life-changing feature on The Oprah Winfrey Show to reclaiming her company after its recession-era bankruptcy, Rachel has weathered the highest highs and lowest lows-and she's quietly building a business that's designed to stand the test of time. Now, as the company turns 30 this year, Shabby Chic has taken on a life of its own. Rachel's dream of a quiet life was soon upended, replaced with a bigger dream: "inspiring women to put together a home that feels like a really great nest for them." She got to work, designing her own products and creating a brand that transcended slipcovers or a single storefront. "Truthfully, within three weeks of opening the store, it was like, 'Whoa, this is-this is going to be quite different.' I had to work out how to handle that." At the time, that high-low mix wasn't all that common-but it caught on like wildfire. "I like that juxtaposition of having a humble home, maybe a little cottage, but giving it that twinkly kind of glamour," Rachel explains, walking through her store. She highlighted a range of items early on, from “cheap and cheerful” table lamps to gleaming chandeliers. The designer had been working as a stylist for commercials, but she'd always been drawn to reimagining flea-market finds-her mom sold antique dolls and her dad dealt old books-so she applied that passion to her shop, Shabby Chic, selling vintage decor and slipcovered furniture. "I just envisioned a small, quiet store," Rachel says.
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