You know what I love about Rachel Ashwell? There is nothing fake about her. What you see is what you get and what you get ain’t necessarily the epitome of perfection: which does of course mean that there is hope for all of us.
Take the pictures of her little beach-house above. Wires showing! Shock!! Tv’s not disguised as French Armoirs! Horror! (I mean really, how annoyed do you get when you see homes featured without T.Vs? It makes me mental.) Dogs on the furniture!! Yikes!! And Ye Gads! What is that I spy? Rubbish in a bin??? Well let me tell you that if Oprah and her entourage were coming to tea I’d no more leave wastepaper in my wastepaper basket than I would serve French Fancys with my knickers on my head.
But the problem with me is that it would do me a great deal of good to GET A LIFE.
Shabby Chic, you see is more than a label we have all stolen to describe all manner of household arrangements from chippy minimalism to lacy frou frou Victoriana. It is more than that. For Rachel Ashwell it is a way of life and she get’s it oh so right because she concentrates on the bigger picture. She’s busy living. She doesn’t get bogged down by incy details that might tie you and I in knots, but lets the fact that she is so true to her very authentic aesthetic speak for itself. And what she ends up with is a house that neither stands on ceremony, nor scares us witless.
A house I want to scrunch up in with a pretty platter of cheese and biscuits and a whole evenings worth of good tv…
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
Dear Kath and Eleanor. This my darlings, is an apology and a scrumptious Thank you for the bouncy castle party you oh so delightfully threw yesterday without a thought it seems for the havoc a three year old’s party would reign on…
Listen, I don’t care if dressing the baby up in his snuggly blue jumper means he’s in a permanent hot sweat. And yes, I do know that there is no need for the heating to be on, and that closing the curtains…
Should you ever find me lecturing you about the importance of routine again, do remind me to watch this little gem from Delaney Januzzi won’t you?  Happy Monday Housekeepers.x Other Things To Do At BrocanteHome Browse the Bookstore Discover a curated list of…
Oh that we may always have books! Out of all the things that bring me comfort in this scrumptious little world, books are right up there with dark chocolate and a cuddle with my babba. I need them you see. In the…
My Dream Bathroom Did I tell you that I was a victim of a DIY hit and run? Oh yes indeedy. In fact allow me to lead up my stairs, step down into the bathroom and try, oh please try, to disguise…
I have been a bad Mummy. I have made a show of my son. I have scarred him for life and he now considers me to be a “BumBum-Head” and does not intend to be my friend until “Twenty Million and Ten”….
4 Comments
I agree! I am the proud owner of all of ms ashwells lovely books and i never tire of looking at them,every page is a delight and an inspiration,I especially like "the gift of giving" which inspires us to put a bit more thought into gift giving by using lovely vintage trimmings and so on to make gifts extra special,they are all available on amazon,I would advise anybody to treat themselves to a Rachel Ashwell book,it will be a great investment!
LOVE Rachel Ashwell and LOVE her books too…they're wonderful just to stare at. My dream home is much more shabby chic than my reality, but I sneak in bits and pieces where I can. I totally agree Alison; she's so cool and living and she's the real deal!!
I also agree Alison. Think it is the first article that I have actually seen wires and a tv! Have all her books and just adore them. Read them over and over. I must admit though I have a pug, but she is black and she is not allowed on the lounge suite!
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":300,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"http:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tipjar-2.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"BrocanteHome","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"BrocanteHome","form_subtitle":"Help Me to Keep BrocanteHome Online","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much: helping me keep Brocantehome online really means the world to me.","payment_confirmation_title":"BrocanteHome","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
I agree! I am the proud owner of all of ms ashwells lovely books and i never tire of looking at them,every page is a delight and an inspiration,I especially like "the gift of giving" which inspires us to put a bit more thought into gift giving by using lovely vintage trimmings and so on to make gifts extra special,they are all available on amazon,I would advise anybody to treat themselves to a Rachel Ashwell book,it will be a great investment!
LOVE Rachel Ashwell and LOVE her books too…they're wonderful just to stare at. My dream home is much more shabby chic than my reality, but I sneak in bits and pieces where I can. I totally agree Alison; she's so cool and living and she's the real deal!!
well written, alison…with words so true!
I also agree Alison. Think it is the first article that I have actually seen wires and a tv! Have all her books and just adore them. Read them over and over. I must admit though I have a pug, but she is black and she is not allowed on the lounge suite!