By Rachel Ashwell / Photography by Amy Neusinger

Dreamy details: My living room resembled a big fluffy cloud with my Shabby Chic Bloomsbury white slipcovered sectional, big and comfy for family gatherings and unexpected sleepovers.
Dreamy details: My living room resembled a big fluffy cloud with my Shabby Chic Bloomsbury white slipcovered sectional, big and comfy for family gatherings and unexpected sleepovers.

When I first moved from London to Los Angeles, Hollywood was where I set up home. As a young teenager, I absorbed the blue skies, Cadillacs and palm trees, and felt this was the pathway to my dreams.

With beach living comes open doors to friends and family with no concern about sand in the house.-Rachel Ashwell
The blue bench is the perfect spot to dust off sandy feet or enjoy the shade and cool summer breeze.

Later, over the years, I would be drawn to the ocean. I’m not much of a swimmer or sunbather, but the sunrises and sunsets and the rhythm of the waves spoke to my soul. Then when I had my children, Malibu became our home. The idea of the sand and waves being their playground felt like an opportunity that couldn’t be missed. Ocean life was their entertainment, from the pelicans on the rock outside our door to the dolphins swimming to seagulls singing and the stormy seas that would knock against the stilts that our house sat upon.

The kitchen is a white canvas, with glossy and matte finishes adding dimension and pops of pink and blue to accent the space in the Shabby Chic beach house.
Airy atmosphere: A pure white Corian kitchen counter and built-in floating shelves enhance the feel of an open-plan kitchen.

With beach living comes open doors to friends and family with no concern about sand in the house. Beachside decorating comes easily to me because it commands a casual beauty embracing the light and ocean breezes. Through all my moving around, I’ve always been attracted to little cottages and shacks. Smaller spaces are cozier and easier to decorate, but I still have to be mindful of practical living and little details.

Wood floors painted a shiny white aren’t ideal in high-traffic areas, but since beach living is often barefoot, white floors work perfectly.
Wood floors painted a shiny white aren’t ideal in high-traffic areas, but since beach living is often barefoot, white floors work perfectly.

Even though I later moved to Santa Monica (about 30 miles away) and I travel quite a bit, I thought having a mobile home in the Malibu community would keep my connection to this magical place. This would prove to be my biggest space challenge. So, I incorporated many of my signature Shabby Chic design techniques:

Throughout the little home, I painted the wall from the ground up 36 inches a pale gray. I do this treatment in most of my homes, and each time it reflects a different feeling. In this case, it felt like Mama Mia! meets Ibiza. It’s a quiet but impactful detail. -Rachel Ashwell
Cozy sleeping spaces: Beach living inspires relaxing spaces to snooze. I have made oversized daybeds covered in terry cloth, built a platform of drawers with a mattress on top as a makeshift bed with storage, and incorporated hammocks in seaside spaces.

• White with pale blue was my theme, which I used on paint trim and furnishings.

• Throughout the little home, I painted the wall from the ground up 36 inches a pale gray. I do this treatment in most of my homes, and each time it reflects a different feeling. In this case, it felt like Mama Mia! meets Ibiza. It’s a quiet but impactful detail.

Natural light filters through the open dutch door, filling the cozy but bright space with sunshine and the ocean air at Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic beach house.
Natural light filters through the open dutch door, filling the cozy but bright space with sunshine and the ocean air.

• Due to the proximity of neighbors, I created privacy without compromising light by sticking transparent decorative sheets on the windows.

• I squeezed in an oversized sectional (shown in the livingroom is Shabby Chic Bloomsbury Sectional), ignoring the tiny space.

Quiet but reflective art is always a welcome layer to a space, and it fits well with a coastal vibe.-Rachel Ashwell
Watercolor coastal art paintings provide a touch of color in keeping with the pale palette.

• Quiet but reflective art is always a welcome layer to a space, and it fits well with a coastal vibe.

I’m sure over time my Malibu connection will continue. Once beach living gets into your soul, you can’t let it go.

 

Beach House, Coastal Design, Rachel Ashwell, shabby chic