These design elements are a few of the lasting legacies of Shabby Chic, the home décor empire founded in the late ‘80s by British transplant Rachel Ashwell.

"Shabby chic" may be part of the everyday style lexicon, but before 1989, the phrase simply didn’t exist—until Brit-born, LA-based interior decorator Rachel Ashwell introduced her family ...

There are few who will declare their love for squeaky cupboards, wonky drawers, and dripping faucets like Shabby Chic's Rachel Ashwell. In an era full of luxury apartments and McMansions, Ashwell ...

Photo, top: Rachel Ashwell arranges flowers at a table fashioned from reclaimed oak. Photo, bottom: The house, including its saltillo tiles, may not be perfect.

Run by British transplant Rachel Ashwell, Shabby Chic spent 20 years pushing adorably worn-in furniture and flowered sheet sets before declaring bankruptcy this year.