Shabby Chic in Soho

Meandering through the lovely streets of  Soho, I was beyond excited to spot Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic storefront.  Shabby Chic is a term so entrenched in our current vernacular, that many are actually unaware of how it was born and of Rachel Ashwell, it's pioneer.  Of course, not those of you savvy enough to be reading this blog, but there are those out there! The term was coined in 1989 when Rachel opened her first store in Santa Monica, California. 

I was still in high school at the time and had no plans or inclination towards interiors and design, yet I still remember being excited by this new phase of design which embraced the old and beautiful and paired it with washed out pastel colours and crisp white backgrounds.  It was such a change to the bold brash style of the 80's and I loved it.  I've always been drawn to the romantacism of this style and it's a true testament to its popularity that over twenty years on, Shabby Chic continues to remain a strong design influence.