Rachel Ashwell’s Dreamy English Country Manor Is a Shabby Chic Masterpiece

Before there was cottagecore or grandmillennial style, there was shabby chic. Painted antiques, sink-in-soft upholstery and layers of florals and pastels are just some of the elements that define the romantic design style Rachel Ashwell brought to the mainstream in the 1980s. A native of England, she moved to Los Angeles more than 40 years ago, where her signature look gained a devoted following. In the decades since, she’s raised a family and built her brand in the U.S., but about five years ago, she felt a pull to return home, setting off on a search for a historic country house. Three years later, she found it: a 400-year-old stone manor in southwest England.

Now known as Meadow Manor, the home reflects Rachel’s signature mix of timeworn pieces, soft colors and collected details — set within a historic English country setting. Take a look inside with images shared from her new book of the same name.

Made from native Doulting stone, which is incredibly strong, Meadow Manor has stood for centuries. "I find the symmetry of the structure and placement of the windows, along with the chimneys, simply divine," says Rachel. "It's picture-book perfect." Surrounded by countryside views, with an orchard, open lawns and a walled garden, the home is walking distance to a local pub and village shop.

In the snug, what the British call a cozy living room, Rachel layered a squishy-soft shabby chic sofa with plenty of pillows, including a long sofa pillow in her Rose Blossom Teal pattern. A mix of floral prints pairs easily with the striped slipcover. Soft pink paint covers three-quarters of the walls, while vintage wood brings aged texture and hanging crystals add sparkle. Rather than purchase new furnishings for her English country home, Rachel shipped two containers of leftover pieces from past projects in the U.S., trusting they would work in a foreign setting. “As long as something is beautiful, it will always fit in,” she says.

The kitchen was the first room Rachel saw when touring Meadow Manor, and she was happy — though not surprised — to find an AGA range already in place. First introduced in the 1920s, the classic range brings a sense of heritage. “Having an AGA in an English country home is somewhat signature,” she says. “They are like the Rolls-Royce of stoves.”

While Rachel is known for her love of historic pieces, she converted the range from oil to electric for practicality and re-enameled it in a bright white finish. Updates elsewhere were kept minimal: She repainted the cabinets, replaced the large island’s marble top and swapped the perimeter countertops for salvaged scaffolding boards. Resting on corbels, one reclaimed board holds a collection of vintage tabletop pieces, while the stone backsplash adds a subtle floral detail.

At first, the eat-in kitchen, which is larger than any she’s owned before, felt overwhelming, but it has since become the heart of the home. The original flagstone floors, while tough on the occasional dropped vintage dish, “were a showstopper for me,” Rachel says. Thanks to its generous scale, the room accommodates a fireplace, dining table and an oversized velvet chair from Rachel’s collection with Next UK. A hanging, candle-lit candelabra in the dining area was meant to be temporary, but it’s now a permanent favorite.

Rachel got off to a rocky start in her primary bathroom, selecting pink tiles that felt more saturated than expected once installed. She swapped them out for subtle gray marble, a better fit for the 400-year-old home. Working within the original footprint, she added a soaking tub, a double pedestal sink and a heated towel rack. Distressed vintage mirrors and small antique furnishings complete the look with her signature shabby chic style.

In the most popular guest bedroom, Rachel uncovered original wood floorboards beneath the carpeting and painted them white, along with the walls, to brighten the space and create a blank canvas. She then layered in her signature shabby chic flair with floral bedding and drapery panels (once used in her daughter’s California bedroom). One of her biggest splurges was replacing the radiators throughout the historic home with reproduction cast-iron versions. A floor mirror, found at a local antiques market, is the only other "new" addition to the room.