All the Keys for Creating a Shabby Chic Decor

The romantic style is back in decor! Pastel colors, lots of flowers and embroidery will help you nail the shabby chic setting.
All the Keys for Creating a Shabby Chic Decor

Last update: 03 June, 2019

Shabby chic is in and it’s inspired by the big homes in the English countryside. These homes have restored and repainted furniture pieces and objects. It’s a style that uses weathered, distinguished, cozy and feminine elements all at the same time. Shabby chic is a natural success that people all over the world are using to decorate their homes.

You don’t need an antique mansion in the countryside to make it happen. Shabby chic can transform even the most urban home into a peaceful haven that evokes all of the elements of a luxurious rural lifestyle. If you like shabby chic and want it for your home, we’ll give you all the keys to make your home dreams a reality.

Materials and furniture

Shabby chic combines older, restored furniture pieces with more contemporary counterparts. These different elements and materials mix and match. Shabby chic especially uses wood or iron that looks old or weathered.

Furniture pieces that use classic rounded lines, bathtubs and footed wardrobes, poster beds, grand dining tables that double as a cooking area, and classic or rural style armchairs or chairs are all examples of shabby chic.

shabby chic furniture

Sofas and chairs are upholstered in white fabric with floral patterns. Adorning them, the shabby chic look often has pastel-colored blankets on top. Furniture with a nice coat of white or neutral-colored paint is also very shabby chic. A pair of nice cane chairs, restored and painted, look incredibly elegant, too. Anything that hints at older times and peaceful, rural life works here.

The colors

In the shabby chic color scheme, white plays an important role. It’s the color that can offer the clarity and stability that very ornamented decor needs. White goes on both walls and floors as well as window frames, doors, furniture, and textiles.

White matches well with the entire range of pastels, which are always used in their softer shades. This is especially true for tones like blush, blues, and blue-greens. The patterns on textiles are also very important.

This style uses fabrics with romantic motifs. Using small roses, flowers and branches on curtains, and bed covers or accessories like pillows creates serenity and express our personality. You can create beautifully balanced rooms with a nostalgic air. They’re colors that evoke peace and rest.

shabby chic color

Accessories

On top of tables or dressers, antique  tea sets, jars and candles or candleholders are common finds in this style. Items associated with the countryside like birdcages are also another great accessory for the look. Big, antique clocks work as a focal point for some walls.

In this style, there’s plenty of embroidered fabric, retro and romantic lace– all of it being in the same color palette. Flowers are everywhere, not just on fabric. Fresh flowers or dried, and branches or other plants are popular. Anything that hints at nature can be used in shabby chic.

Curtains play a big role in shabby chic rooms. They are carefully sewn and are voluminous. Any kind of chandelier or little pieces of art work well, too. Porcelain and cut glass are prominent in this style and add a delicate touch.

Shabby chic accessories

Sets of antique dishes, mirrors, big bold Victorian frames– gold or silver– are also great ideas.

As long as they have an aged look, pots, glass bottles and wicker baskets make a successful shabby chic setting. Fabric or ceramic lamps and metal decorative elements as well can be great accessories, such as tin watering cans or antique milk jugs. Together, all of these elements can create a luxurious countryside setting.

Try out shabby chic for yourself

It’s one of the most inspiring styles of the moment. Shabby chic is a look that mixes vintage with a sophistication that vintage doesn’t have.

Create incredible settings that transport you to a different era, or to a quaint cottage. Fill your home with a serene ambiance that’ll balance out the excessive city stress. It’s a style that makes waves as well as the most requested look to interior designers.

Shabby chic is also popping up in event decor as well, especially in the case of weddings. This style is the new meaning of romanticism, except this time, it’s classy, refined and sophisticated. It’s here and has us under its spell. We love it!