DO YOU NEED TO DOWNSIZE, BUT YOU SIMPLY CAN'T IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT YOUR FAVOURITE, OVERSIZED FURNITURE?
The idea of parting with the family dining table may be traumatic at first but, once you do, you can embrace the opportunity for a great new look!
Styling smaller homes comes down to taking advantage of natural light for an airy, open feel, playing with furniture shapes to use the space in the most effective way, and using colour to create the illusion of size.
Below are two home decorating styles that are simply perfect for smaller homes.
1. SHABBY CHIC
Best known for its distressed paintwork, shabby chic (pronounced "sheek") furniture is romantic, inviting and, most of all, comfortable. New products are made to look time-worn by painting, then rubbing and/or sanding away the top coat to show the timber or base coats underneath. Apart from its obvious visual appeal, the shabby chic decorating style is ideal for family living as any knocks and scratches just add to its character. Pair shabby chic furniture with cottons and linens in white, natural and pastel tones. Vintage florals and ginghams also work well with shabby chic furniture.
Two of 1825 interiors’ biggest collections—Newport and Tuscan—fall into the shabby chic furniture category. The timber used in our Newport and Tuscan collections spent its previous life as an old shipping pallet and travelled the world before finding its new home here in Australia. The overall finish of the pieces in these collections is achieved through a series of steps—sanding, staining and sealing. This is followed by hand rubbing with bees wax and natural oils to enhance the overall look and feel of each product. Our two-tone reclaimed timber collections with their honey stained tops and signature ivory washed bases are the perfect starting point for your shabby chic make-over in your new, smaller home.
AND FOR THE FINISHING TOUCHES, SELECT FROM OUR EXTENSIVE COLLECTION OF SHABBY CHIC HOMEWARES—RUBBED PHOTO FRAMES, CUSHIONS, CERAMICS, LAMPS, AND MORE.
You can happily mismatch pieces when you're playing with the shabby chic style, so make the most of any vintage or antique items you have and don’t be afraid to blend them with your new furniture.
ALTHOUGH THE COLOUR SCHEME IS CENTRED AROUND WHITES AND CREAMS, YOU CAN USE PASTEL COLOURS SUCH AS PALE BLUES, GREENS, LILACS AND PINKS FOR BED LINENS, THROW PILLOWS, AND RUGS.
Dainty patterns are also crucial to the shabby chic style, with feminine florals, gingham and narrow stripes adding instant authenticity.
2. FRENCH PROVINCIAL STYLE
Also known as French country, the popular French Provincial furniture style recreates the simple elegance of the French countryside.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, artisans in provincial areas of France—like Normandy, Provence and Bordeaux—crafted more practical and affordable versions of the luxurious designs that were popular in Paris at the time. Original French Provincial furniture is best known for its cabriole legs, ladder-back chairs and scalloped carving. Over time, polish and/or grime accumulated in the carving, giving it an aged look that can be seen in today's reproductions.
Just like our most popular shabby chic pieces, our French Provincial-style Byron and Florence collections are made from reclaimed shipping pallets. Because each product is hand-crafted, no two pieces are exactly the same: each piece of reclaimed timber has its own unique characteristics.
WHITE IN ITS VARIOUS SHADES, INCLUDING OUR SIGNATURE IVORY WASH, IS A COMMON COLOUR FOR FRENCH PROVINCIAL FURNITURE AND IT LOOKS STUNNING WHEN PAIRED WITH SILVER AND GLASS ACCESSORIES, AS WELL AS RICH FABRICS IN LAVENDER, DARK GREEN AND BLUE.
Versatile and supremely stylish, the cross back bent wood chair, pictured above, is the most popular café chair in Europe and has now made its way into thousands of homes around the world. Made from elm wood and finished especially for 1825 interiors, this lightweight chair features an antique white wash with a comfortable rattan seat and is ideal for smaller homes. White and black matte finishes will also be available later this year.
Whichever style you choose, when you're downsizing take the opportunity to remove unnecessary clutter and rid yourself of all those pieces you no longer need. The more space you make, the more fun you can have with your exciting new look!