Product Description

Rachel Ashwell uses her signature style to make any event a special occasion.

This beautiful, accessible book proves that entertaining need not be expensive. Making every day into an elegant extravaganza is a matter of inspiration and imagination, and shopping is a great way to get inspired. Travel with her to unique locations like a Chinese grocery store, local antique mall, a flower market, or a flea market to search for the perfect accents that will give your event unexpected charm without breaking the bank. Use the treasures you find to jazz up average items – sometimes it's as easy as adding a little paint, ribbons, or flowers. Decorate the chairs, create a themed meal, or custom design menus and place cards. When it comes to setting a scene, Rachel is an expert and with her easy how–to advice, you can be too. She has practical ideas for any occasion – baby showers to weddings, birthday parties to bar mitzvahs, even old–fashioned family dinners.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #98973 in Books
• Published on: 2004-12-01
• Released on: 2004-11-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Over the last decade, since opening a home furnishing store in Santa Monica, Calif., Ashwell (Shabby Chic; The Shabby Chic Home; etc.) has built an empire around a decorating style that involves equal parts flea-market salvaging, craft work and mix-and-matching from different ethnic cultures. In this uneven fourth book, she instructs readers on how to create striking settings for entertaining and special events. While there are some useful ideas here for anyone who wants to create a unique party on a budgetâ€"for example, hanging flower-adorned thrift-store hats on the backs of chairs or mixing vintage pieces of glassware with more ordinary tumblers for a funky effectâ€"the usefulness of other do-it-yourself sections, such as a page devoted to instructions on how to make a traditional English maypole, may elude the average reader. Some might also be alienated by the celebrity sheen of other projects, which range from the makeover of a Pasadena, Calif., restaurant for Jennifer Lopez to a birthday party designed for Pamela Anderson's six-year-old son. Although this book is a bit more glitzy and produced than Ashwell's previous works, her old-fashioned yet fashionable style is appealing when she focuses on basic decorating tips. Newcomers to the shabby chic aesthetic might do better to seek out previous volumes in Ashwell's oeuvre, but confirmed fans will probably find something to enjoy in her ideas on how to transform a party space into something unusual and memorable.
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About the Author
Rachel Ashwell was born in England and has spent the past eighteen years in Malibu, California. She created the Shabby Chic style in 1989 and is the founder of the Shabby Chic home furnishing stores and the designer of a line of slipeovered furniture, bedding, and fabric sold worldwide under the Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell label. She is the author of the bestselling Shabby Chic and Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide, and is the host of E! Style Network's Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic on Style.

Amy Neunsinger is a freelance photographer who lives in Los Angeles and New York City. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines and ad campaigns ranging from beauty to travel. She is currently working on a fine art book of flowers.

Deborah Greenfield, Rachel Ashwell's sister, was born in London. She studied art at the School of Visual Arts and Parsons School of Design in New York. She is a cho reographer and an award-winning flamenco dancer She lives in Los Angeles, where she divides her time among illustration, acting, and dance.

Customer Reviews

A little disappointing...
Firstly, let me say how much I love Rachel Ashwell's previous Shabby Chic books...she is so talented and a real inspiration for people like me who love the casual, beach, Caribbean, French and English styles all mixed up to create the fabulous Shabby Chic.

However, this book was slightly disappointing. I honestly think Ms. Ashwell should stick to books about her amazing decorating, and treasure hunting guides. I, like so many others was trying to get a glimpse into Pamela Anderson's house, as I hear she has a very shabby chic residence, and that would have been a nice touch for the book.

We the fans read these books to glean ideas and to be creative with them, and I am not too sure if I would use some of these ideas in the "sumptuous settings" version. They are okay, but I think Ms. Ashwell's strengths lie in her Decorating and putting together of homes and restaraunts. The pictures of Madres, Jennifer Lopez' restaurant are lovely - what a great job was done there.

Please hurry and do your next book Ms. Ashwell, but please, please keep the theme along the lines of the first three books!! We love them!

She almost got it right...
I am glad Rachel has done a book about entertaining. As is her special talent, she showcases great new ideas for vintage items. However, I would love to see her do a book about entertaining in general and not for celebrities. I would give this book more stars if so many pages had not been devoted to Jennifer Lopez's restaurant - and I couldn't figure out why J-Lo had a tight budget. (I'm also wondering how the 'accidents' that happen in restaurants are going to keep those vintage china pieces in tact.) Next time I'm hoping for birthday parties for women, men, boys and girls. I would love to see Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day, Thanksgiving, or just theme parties for no reason. The photography, as usual, is gorgeous.

HUGE FAN OF SHABBY CHIC
and very dissapointed with the latest book. I was hoping for HOUSEY pictures. I want what she is known for...... decor & pictures of beautiful rooms with beautiful one of a kind treasures. I would love to have seen homes or rooms she has done for clients. Or from her new home. This book just felt like a dissapointing waste of time. I can't believe anyone would be interested in seeing what Pamala Anderson did for her SONS birthday party. What I really would have liked to have seen is what she does for childrens room, master bedrooms, living rooms, family rooms, kitchens, This was dissapoiting.