Why shabby chic is the interiors trend that will never die

In 1989 the Berlin Wall began to fall, Madonna’s video of Like a Prayer was condemned by the Vatican and the world embarked on a love affair with distressed armoires, as the UK-born Rachel Ashwell launched Shabby Chic in California. How to describe the decor phenomenon of the end of the 1980s? Vintage wooden furniture with a layer of peeling paint, flea market mirrors, faded floral upholstery, a twinkly chandelier, and a froth of lace. I could tell you that this eccentric, romantic decorating style is back, but anyone who has access to social media will retort that it never went away: On TikTok the #shabbychic hashtag has clocked up 17.1 million views, while #shabbychic is the most popular design style on Instagram, with more