<p>It helps the healthiness both of body and soul to live among beautiful things.<br />—William Morris, 1882</p><p>Shabby Chic—the rich, practical, and time-worn style created by one of the world's top designers, Rachel Ashwell, mixes new and gently used items to create original, refined designs. In <em>Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide</em>, Rachel takes you on a tour of flea markets and secondhand shops to give you a behind-the-scenes look at her process for finding vintage treasures—materials, furniture, and decorations—so that you can design a Shabby Chic home.</p><p>As Rachel reveals, the Shabby Chic principles—comfort, function, and beauty—mixed with a dash of imagination and courage, and an understanding of how to spot a fabulous buy, will allow you to create a home that is beautiful, comfortable, and inviting. A place where children's dinners are served on mix-and-match antique plates at a table covered with lace from a renovated curtain set. A space where fresh flowers stand in antique jugs, complementing furniture covered in soft white denim.</p><p>This gorgeous volume will teach you how to recognize beauty in often overlooked places. The photographs and step-by-step guidance featured inside make it easy, fun, and affordable to create the kind of breathtaking, practical home you've always dreamed of.</p>