Shabby Chic Furniture and Décor – How to Integrate Shabby Chic Into a Home Decorating Idea
Shabby chic décor is a technique of decorating that balances well-designed and beautiful objects with old, worn out and sometimes tattered items. Top on this list is shabby chic furniture. Shabby chic decorating includes soft delicate colors with creamy white being predominate in many simply shabby chic schemes. Rachel Ashwell is credited for giving the style its name.
Shabby chic’s early beginnings included plenty of white painted objects which are still used today. Wooden furniture found at garage sales, flea markets, and even in the attic can be spray painted white and become shabby chic furniture. 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.
Remember, if you want shabby chic furniture, don’t look for bright bold colors or matching sets. It would be more appropriate to mix and match upholstery patterns and add florals and stripes in pillows and other accessories. As an example, you might have visions of cuddling in your grandmother’s soft, comfortable slip-covered furniture.
Shabby chic has expanded to include vintage fabrics and all types of imperfect, once elegant accessories. A ruffled, rumpled elegance is characteristic of simply shabby chic. Antique collectibles are a nice addition to this decorating style. You might also want to include one of the many wonderful, ornate antique side tables as part of your shabby chic furniture collection.
In mixing patterns in the shabby chic decorating style keep the background color the same creamy white with at least one color recurring in every pattern. A tip for giving a harsh white fabric or lace a vintage-look is to stain it with tea. Use three or four tea bags in a pot of hot water testing it every 10 minutes until it has the desired aged look. Pretest a piece of fabric to get the right tint.
As you can see, shabby chic décor is an excellent choice if you are on a tight decorating budget. Combine creativity and time to browse secondhand stores, garage sales and flea markets, and you will have a comfortable, eclectic collection of shabby chic décor and shabby chic furniture.
About the Author
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Lynn Cressy is the owner of Lynn's Home Decor where you will find a variety of home decor including shabby chic home decor and furniture, wrought iron home decor and furniture as well as ebooks and home decorating ideas.
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Shabby Chic $22.84 The founder of the trendsetting Shabby Chic stores shows how to create her inviting, easy style in home furnishings. |
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The Shabby Chic Home $22.87 Wonderful wide-plank floors, paned sash windows, an old brick fireplace, the charm of living with a home's small imperfections and making them a virtue. These are just some examples of what makes up a Shabby Chic home.When she first saw what would be her future home, Rachel Ashwell, founder of the Shabby Chic line, was put off by its dark, witchy exterior, gloomy interior, and overgrown garden. But for weeks afterward, she couldn't get the house out of her mind. She went back, took a closer look, and started to see the charm that lay hidden beneath the surface. Excited by the challenge, she bought the house and went to work on it.Inspired by the original design of the 1920s house, Rachel was able to transform it into her bright, cozy dream home, one that had the hallmarks of a Shabby Chic home: a practical amount of space, a relaxed atmosphere, and a comfortable beauty. Through simple instructions and detailed before-and-after photographs, Rachel reveals her decorating and entertaining secrets. Even the most apprehensive novices will learn how to incorporate Shabby Chic style into their everyday life and home.Using her home as an example, Rachel shows you how to assess what needs to be replaced (in her home it was the dark tile in the pool and the bathroom doorknobs), make small structural changes (she exchanged a glass window for a glass door), and keep costs down while adding personal Shabby Chic touches. The gray marble countertop in the guest bathroom and the somewhat noisy glass-front refrigerator were fixtures she would have never chosen, but she left them alone and was pleasantly surprised by the character they added.In her previous books, Rachel showed you how to recognize beauty in overlooked places. Now, inThe Shabby Chic Home, she teaches you how to find it in the nooks and crannies of your own home and then apply it to everyday life. She reveals how work, love, a lot of white paint, and Shabby Chic details can tu... |
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Shabby Chic Interiors (Hardcover) $22.87 Showcases the author`s signature decorating style with photographs and text describing her residences, as well as celebrity homes including the house that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe. |
