UPDATING YOUR FAMILY HOME WITH A FRESH, NEW DESIGN CONCEPT IS INCREDIBLY EXCITING BUT CAN BE A LITTLE INTIMIDATING AT THE SAME TIME!
As one of the most popular decorating styles, achieving a shabby chic look in your home can be done easily and affordably, often incorporating bits and pieces already lying around the house.
1. A WORN, WHITEWASHED TABLE
Whitewashed furniture pieces made from reclaimed (or carefully distressed) timber are definitely your best bet as the building blocks for a laid back, authentic, shabby chic style. Snapping up a great dining table is a perfect place to start. You’ll likely find that, once you’ve got the feature piece of the room sorted, choosing the right chairs and accessories comes much more easily. The dining table below from our soft, romantic Shabby Chic collection is a great example. Made from a reclaimed pine mix, the furniture pieces in this collection have a white painted finish that has been carefully rubbed back to reveal a brown base, recreating the signature time-worn look that is at the heart of shabby chic interior decorating styles.
2. ANTIQUE MIRRORS AND FRAMES
Ornate photo frames and mirrors are a fantastic way to ensure you keep the ‘chic’ in shabby chic! If you don’t yet have a few of these at home, they’re relatively easy to find antique stores, markets, or even garage sales. If you find a design you like but hate the colour, a quick coat of white or soft pastel chalk paint can update tired frames in minutes.
3. VINTAGE VIGNETTES
Homewares that tick all the boxes for creating an authentic shabby-chic look can be found in abundance at a variety of price points in stores all over the world right now. A few quirky items grouped together in arrangements called ‘vignettes’ can introduce a sense of effortless elegance into a space, even if you secretly agonised over the precise positioning of each individual item (don’t worry, I won’t tell).
4. GET COMFY
Comfort should always take priority when buying for your home, though in this case it even forms part of the design concept. No wonder shabby chic is such a favourite! Begin with a generous assortment of scatter cushions on sofas and beds, then add in a couple of stylish rugs, and a fluffy throw blanket or two (in the right seasons of course) to keep your living spaces feeling fashionably casual and relaxed.
5. A FEW FLORALS
Laid-back and elegant, the shabby chic look lends itself well to feminine touches. Floral fabrics, prints, and fresh or artificial flowers breathe life into this decorating style.
Without any formal rules to follow, creating a shabby chic look in your home is as easy as it is enjoyable. What makes it one of my personal favourites is the fact that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg (or your sanity) to achieve.