Comfort, the beauty of imperfections, the allure of time-worn objects, and the appeal of simple practical living: these are the cornerstones of what has come to be known as the Shabby Chic style. Rachel Ashwell, founder of the Shabby Chic home decor stores, provides her invaluable and much-sought-after advice on how to re-create Shabby Chic style in your own home. With engaging text, lavish photographs, and easy-to-follow instructions, Rachel details the Shabby Chic basics in a way that will put even the most apprehensive or novice decorators at ease. A behind-the-scenes look at a flea market lets readers in on Rachel's personal secrets of how to cull hidden treasures from flea market trash - an old trunk, its paint peeling around the edges, can be given new life as a coffee table, while a chipped white iron salvage piece becomes the perfect frame for a vintage mirror. This book tells you not only how to restore these pieces but how to find the perfect place for them in any home, from Victorian to Mediterranean to contemporary. From flowers to fabrics to lighting, ''Shabby Chic'' illuminates all of the elements essential to this unpretentious yet truly exquisite style.