Shabby Chic Decor
Shabby chic decor is a design style which uses worn and distressed items. The style started in Great Britain and is the type of decoration found in large country houses. The style is worn and faded old chintz sofas and curtains, old paintwork and understated "good" taste. The result is to achieve an elegant overall effect. The earliest forms were rather grand but the style has evolved taking inspiration from many forms of decor. Shabby chic also provides a very romantic look which is achieved with whites, pastels, and lace. The term was created by The World of Interiors magazine in the 1980s and is now used as a name for a US company founded by Rachel Ashwell. Shabby chic is also a general term which can refer to a person who is stylish rather than up to date fashionable, where their style reflects quality as opposed to newness. Shabby chic decor is mainly popular in interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their age and signs of wear and tear. Of course, new items can be distressed to look old. It is a style of decorating that balances elegant and beautiful items with the old and worn. Shabby chic furniture and accessories are reminiscent of the 1900 to 1950 eras. You do not want a room full of junk. The entire goal of a shabby chic decor is to convey a feeling of old time elegance that is casual, warm and welcoming. And since anything goes, it's a good decorating choice if you are on a budget. Shabby chic decor is not about polished perfection; it's about using the old in new ways and based on simplicity. The theme is romance and is complemented with subtle rose patterns and intimate lighting. Shabby chic is all about colors, just not bright colors. Simple color themes combined with your favorite furniture and art. Soft pastels are often used as accent colors, but with a little creativity, you can add just about any color you want. Fabrics tend to be cottons and linen, inspired by old French linens, whites and faded or bleached out pastels are favorites. Fabric can be stained with tea to give it the look of old fabric. A classic example of Shabby Chic would be to cover couches and overstuffed chairs with white slipcovers, whitewash your wood furniture and hang white airy curtains. And if they get soiled, just pop them into the washer and back onto your furniture. Or cover your sofas and upholstered chairs in beige or floral slip covers to restyle your existing furniture in this distinctive style. Look for easy care fabrics, and preshrink before having the slipcovers made for your furniture. Slipcovers hide wear and tear, out of date fabrics, and mismatched colors. White is the color of choice, but faded prints will work just as well. This style of home décor incorporates lacy fabrics, feminine floral and soft pastel colors with painted wood furniture, soft throw rugs, and silver accessories. Leave your ironing board in the closet when decorating in the Shabby Chic style. If you love to collect mismatched teacups, lacy linens, soft floral fabrics, painted furniture, vintage crystal chandeliers, and lots of white accessories, this may be your style. Add in some candles, flowers and a few throw pillows, and you've redecorated shabby chic style. The "shabby chic" decor is truly lovely, and all the personal touches--interesting yet comfortable furniture, lighting, mirrors, placement of artisans' craftwork, etc. are wonderful Shabby Chic is a comfortable, casual look using vintage accessories and comfortable furniture. Almost any piece of furniture can be incorporated as long as it's had some use or can be painted white. In fact, distressed and flawed furniture are an integral part of shabby chic decor. What really matters is that it looks old. Shabby chic combines soft, overstuffed upholstered furniture with silver accessories and wrought iron lamps. The upholstery of your furniture should be light and have a minimum of decoration. Wooden furniture found at garage sales, flea markets, and even in the attic can be spray painted white. Peeling paint and slightly rusted metal should be left alone. Since shabby chic decorating is also about distressed surfaces, add character to furniture by roughing it up a little--lightly sand the corners for a worn look. First and foremost is to look for furniture and accessories in your own attic, basement or storage shed. Combine creativity and time to browse secondhand stores, garage sales and flea markets, and you will have a comfortable, eclectic collection of shabby chic decor and furniture. Shabby chic items are heavily painted with many layers showing through in obviously worn areas. The style is imitated by painting, then rubbing and sanding away the top coat to show the wood or base coats. Historically, shabby chic décor and furniture were painted white, these days it can be any color. Paint each piece of used furniture the same color and reupholster it in a fabric with a repeating color scheme. Shabby Chic decor is more popular than ever and is actually quite easy to use because it can be found anywhere and can be most anything. It's style is what you make it. Whatever your style, whatever your budget, whatever mismatched furniture you own; there's a Shabby Chic look for you.
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