It is a general term which can be used to refer to a person or even an article which is more stylish rather than fashionable and where the style reflects quality as opposed to newness. You hear a lot about this sort of furniture etc nowadays and it is first and foremost a fairly casual style of decorating mainly created in pastels and sometimes using antique accessories.It conjures of the idea of old lace tablecloths, light white wardrobes and soft comfortable sofas.

Shabby chic is really no particular style, but it balances out tasteful pieces with both old and new together. If you have a preference for bold colours then this is not for you. Usually soft whites, muted grey and pale pinks, blues and greens are really popular shades to use. People buy new old fashioned looking fabrics and sometimes stain these to give them the appearance of age and this they do by using tea! The effect is then a pattern that looks a soft creamy white instead of stark white, that just would not look right.

Often the use of floral, striped and checked fabrics are combined to make a warm and inviting look. It is however best to keep the basic colour background the same, for instance white or cream. Then try to select a colour to repeat in every pattern fabric to get the right effect. Almost any piece of white bedroom furniture will suit a shabby chic interior design. Sometimes you may have a piece which can either be sprayed or painted white then sanded at the corners and roughed up to give the appearance of age.Painting furniture white, will completely change it from dark and heavy to light, fresh and summery.

What completes the look of shabby chic is the appearance of chunky large “sink in” settees and chairs that are warm and welcoming and make you feel right at home. In the bedroom, white or rustic beside tables will finish a Shabby Chic look perfectly

The Eclectic Look of Shabby Chic Furniture

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Shabby Chic $38.69 Valuable flea market finds... A peeling antique vanity in muted sea green... An elegant cracked chandelier... An enormous slipcovered sofa with deep cushions... Comfort the beauty of imperfections the allure of time-worn objects and the appeal of simple practical living: these are the cornerstones of what has come to be known as the Shabby Chic style. Like the cosy familiarity of a well-worn pair of faded jeans the dilapidated elegance of an Italian villa or the worn grandeur of faded velvets and mismatched floral china handed down from your grandmothers attic the Shabby Chic style is a revived appreciation for what is used well-loved and worn. It is a respect for natural evolution and a regard for what is easy and sensible. The hundreds of lavish photographs in this book invite you inside the unique world of Shabby Chic. Rachel Ashwell founder of the Shabby Chic home decor stores for the first time provides her invaluable and much-sought-after advice on how to re-create Shabby Chic style in your own home. With engaging text and easy-to- follow instructions Rachel details the Shabby Chic basics in a way that will put even the most apprehensive or novice decorators at ease. From flowers to fabrics to lighting Rachel illuminates all of the elements essential to this unpretentious yet truly exquisite style. A behind-the-scenes look at a flea market lets readers in on Rachels personal secrets of how to cull hidden treasures from flea market trash--an old trunk its paint peeling around the edges can be given new life as a coffee table while a chipped white iron salvage piece becomes the perfect frame for a vintage mirror. This book tells you not only how to restore these pieces but how to find the perfect place for them in your home. Gorgeous colour photographs and accompanying text reveal how this relaxed look works with a variety of different styles from Victorian to Mediterranean to contemporary.

The Shabby Chic Home $35.89 Wonderful wide-plank floors paned sash windows an old brick fireplace the charm of living with a homes 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 couldnt 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 in The 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 turn any new house into a comfortable functional beautifully designed home.

Antique and Vintage French Furniture capocchi.com.au

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