SHABBY CHC: INTRODUCTION
The Shabby Chic style, with its vintage and romantic air, is increasingly popular among interior designers and young couples who decide to buy a house. Literally shabby means “unkempt in an elegant, refined way” and indicates the vocation of giving new life to forgotten objects and pieces of furniture from another era.
This is an interior design style, in which furniture, accessories and furnishings are aged, worn and the greater the cracks of time and the better the soul of this style is represented.
According to this first and very important feature, shabby chic furniture could be of any age and material, but it is the final effect that can change completely. In fact, a lacquered, modern piece of furniture can be “shabbed quietly,” but which ones are best suited for the purpose?
Using Silvia Falcone‘s words, we can say that:
The style of the furniture we choose to transform is very important in shabby chic. The furniture we prefer is highly ornate, with bosses, friezes, and inlays that in their natural state appear tacky but become sublime when transformed into shabby chic colors. We can also adapt linear and modern furniture to this style, but we certainly won’t achieve the final effect we can achieve with furniture with rounded edges, moldings, cornices, and so on. If a piece of furniture is heavily ornate, sometimes simply painting it white and then pairing it with small accessories like candles, cages, little hearts, and linen fabrics is enough to give a shabby chic touch to the room.
ORIGINS
Shabby Chic originated in the English countryside, where the houses were furnished with old and faded furniture, without too many pretensions.
Typical elements, such as wasted chintz sofas, old paintings, wall hangings, white curtains, large chandeliers, were present in every stately home.
It is no coincidence that shabby chic has much in common with period furnishings, especially those in Victorian style, even if it is the glamorous and eccentric element that makes the shabby chic “different” than all the other interior design styles.
In Italy we saw its appearance towards the end of the 1980s thanks to its creator and designer Rachel Ashwell who gave life to this style with the recovery of old furniture for the creation of familiar and cozy environments, marked by the attention to detail that transforms it into a poor style, but luxurious at the same time.
The term ‘shabby chic’ was coined, for the first time, by the magazine “The World of Interiors” in 1980, spreading all over the world since then and featuring itself according to variations and nuances dictated by one’s taste.
Nowadays, in fact, shabby chic has seen its fame increase thanks to upcycling-that is, the ability to transform an old object, piece of furniture, or accessory into something new without recycling it, which also makes it possible to talk about cheap shabby chic.
SHABBY CHIC FURNITURE
Let’s go together to see how to make the various rooms of our home in line with the principles of this style!
BEDROOM
The recipe for a perfect shabby chic bedroom uses careful ingredients that range from the recovery of ancient flavors to a good dose of romance.
It is precisely the latter that represents one of the mainstays of the shabby style, which manifests itself in interior design in the form of prissy complements, rich in inlays, openwork and deco profiles, as well as themed accessories in which a dreamy vein pulses and floral prints, on wallpapers , curtains or linens, inspired by the Provencal style.
Another undisputed must-have to be introduced in the bedroom shabby chic is vintage or vintage-inspired furniture.
From genuine reclaimed antique furniture to new generation furniture with a retro look, in the ideal Shabby-style room it is in fact the charm of the past that reigns supreme, accompanied by a love of the imperfections that make old-style furniture unique.
LIVING ROOM
The furnishing elements of the living room, we refer in particular to tables, sideboards and shelves, should preferably be in recycled wood.
Therefore, vintage furniture is perfect regardless of its coloring; natural wood is fine but variations on white or with a lived-in effect are obviously appreciated.
If, on the other hand, you are wondering what is the right sofa to include in a shabby chic living room, the answer lies, of course, in lines that are decidedly classic and preferably in white upholstery or floral if necessary. In short, just those fabrics that remind us a bit of those employed by our grandmothers.
Instead, as for the colors to choose for the perfect realization of a shabby chic living room, white is obviously the primary color. It is then followed in succession by pastel shades that fade between ivory, beige, pink, and gray.
To this starting base you can then choose to combine different color variations, the important thing is to choose natural, soft and soothing colors.
So, in a nutshell, we can say that The furniture to choose should be essentially white or light wood, such as bleached oak, decoupled. As a general rule, it is advisable to aim for essentiality, so few pieces of furniture with great visual impact.
KITCHEN
Furnishing the kitchen with Shabby Chic furniture means giving it a romantic and naturally rural and rustic taste. A style that immediately makes one “family” and evokes a relaxed and “old-fashioned” atmosphere.
Shabby Chic decor, even in the kitchen prefers the color white, in its many variations, juxtaposed with the most disparate pastel shades, from gray, beige, light blue to lavender.
The Shabby kitchen prefers furniture on which the passage of time is clearly visible, lived-in and glamorous at the same time. It also does not disdain a touch of country style, of which Shabby is called the natural evolution.
BATHROOM
One of the first requirements of a shabby chic bathroom is the air of romance and relaxation typical of this stylistic approach. It also has elements in common with vintage.
To achieve a textbook result, however, it is necessary to balance each ingredient and maintain consistency both within the room and between the shabby chic bathroom and the rest of the house.
What surfaces to adopt and what materials to prefer for a pleasant and apt environment?
At the top of the list we undoubtedly find wood, to be chosen strictly in its rawest and most natural variant, and in light and elegant wood tones such as oak, birch and oak, or bleached.
In combination with wood, white ceramic elements can be added as well as metal and wrought iron, with a used flavor and perfect to complement wooden and ceramic materials.
In addition, plaster, glass, and natural fibers can also be used to enrich the environment by adding decorative details, accessories, or simply small details of the accessories present.
COLORS
In addition to white, in the shabby chic style the predominant colors are ivory and cream white. However, pastel shades can also be used (powder pink, blue, pearl gray), obviously with respect for the original style.
In any case, we can say that the Shabby Chic has become a real elegantly complex type of furniture, which features antique furniture and fabrics with a familiar look but with a sophisticated look, expertly mixed with new objects in an elegant and refined way.
It is a very feminine, romantic, innocent and pure style that makes decorations its strong points to create comfortable, elegant and inviting settings .
Very present in this style are flowers, useful in creating romantic atmospheres, as well as lace, embroidery and doilies.
CONCLUSIONS
By now, we can safely say that Shabby Chic has definitely taken over. In fact, more and more people (even among the famous ones) are appreciating and making this style their own for decorating their homes.
Indeed, it is a romantic style with a lived-in flavor that allows people to relive moments from a time that is no longer there.
Furnishing your apartment following the principles of this style is not difficult, and thanks to this article, you should be able to do it yourself.
In any case, if you don’t have to trust your instincts or your tastes you can always rely on a design expert who will guide you step by step in the creation of a Shabby furniture.
In conclusion, we give some tips to avoid common mistakes that should absolutely not be made when deciding to do this style own. Let’s go together to see what they are:
- Pastel, but not too much;
- Do not overdo the layering of furniture;
- Few, but good, top pieces;
- Ruined effect, but chic;
- Choose furniture pieces from yesteryear;
- Not too white;
- Using an antique mirror as the main character;
- Don’t overdo the country touch;
- Lighten it up with a floral design;
- Finally, be original and creative in the details.
LEAVE A COMMENT
If you liked this article, do not hesitate to leave a comment with your considerations!
Also, if you have doubts about how to make the Shabby Chic style your own and you need personalized advice or simply advice on how to put this style on, send an email to [email protected]! I will answer you as soon as possible.
