Rachel Ashwell was a single mother when she opened her first Shabby Chic boutique in Santa Monica, California, in 1989. By 2008, she had six stores selling comfortable but stylish furniture and a licensing deal with Target.

Who started the shabby chic trend?

Rachel Ashwell launches shabby chic into popularity

Shabby chic took the design world by storm with the help of London-born stylist Rachel Ashwell. For the past 25 years, Ashwell has been developing the definition for this design with her brand, Shabby Chic Couture. Her interior design line began for practical reasons.

What is the history of Shabby Chic?

ORIGINS. Shabby Chic originated in the English countryside, where the houses were furnished with old and faded furniture, without too many pretensions. Typical elements, such as worn out chintz sofas, old paintings, wallpapers, white curtains, large chandeliers, were present in every stately home.