5 Ways To Create A Shabby Chic Style Home |

Do you love the Shabby Chic look and want to recreate this romantic, French inspired vibe in your home?

Let us help you!

We have pulled together this handy guide to aide our customers in designing their dream space, read on for our guide on 5 Ways To Create A Shabby Chic Style Home!

So, what exactly is Shabby Chic?

Shabby Chic style has been one of the most popular interior design trends of all time.

This beautiful interior design trend first had a rise in popularity over 20 years ago and designers are still embracing this look, in all of its ever evolving forms.

Shabby Chic has now become an umbrella term for an eclectic home style that blends together antique inspired furniture, pastel or neutral colour palette and a highly feminine aesthetic. Think vintage style with a rustic country edge and plenty of pretty pale decor details and your almost there!

Interested? Great, let’s make this look work for you!

1. Colours & Finishes

Colour is a big part of nailing this design trend. The aim of Shabby Chic is to create a romantic, dreamy effect in your home. Bold colours should be used sparingly, if at all.

Firstly, you need to choose a base colour for your walls. Neutral tones such as White, Creams and Pale Greys work well in Shabby Chic interiors and can be easily accessorised. However, pastel colours are a colour staple in Shabby Chic, Vintage or Country style home themes. A pastel shade, such as pale pink, light blue or a faint yellow will instantly create a feminine feel in any room and brighten up a space.

Lovers of wallpaper don’t have to worry, wallpaper prints and murals are encouraged in Shabby Chic interiors, especially if they involve florals or baroque inspired prints for that classic French vibe.

2. Furniture & Design

A key feature of Shabby Chic style is including vintage or vintage inspired furniture pieces throughout your home. This is where the eclectic style of Shabby Chic comes into play, as you can pick from a wide selection of furniture to mix and match pieces, as long as it has a classic vintage look, anything goes!

Though large furniture pieces are an investment, they also make the most impact style wise. Think of a stunning Rococo style Dressing table set, an ornate vintage style Mirrored Wardrobe or a luxurious Velvet and Gold Accent Chair; all of these items that are gorgeous in their own right and all of them could be featured in a Shabby Chic style home.

If you have chosen a neutral tone for your walls, your furniture selection could be where you choose to introduce a pop of colour to your decor. A Vintage style pale blue or green painted sideboard or chest of drawers would make a great feature furniture piece while still fitting in with your new Shabby Chic inspired interior theme.

As with all Shabby Chic items, distressed, rustic or antique finishes are preferred.

Why? This creates the aged effect this style needs to take effect. You want your interior to feel like you have cherry picked furniture items straight from a country French chateau or farmhouse. A distressed or rustic finish will help recreate this run down, dreamlike look this style thrives on.

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3. Mirrors & Wall Decor

Mirrors and wall decor are a simple, easy and accessible way to include the Shabby Chic look in your home. Shabby Chic style mirrors are one of our top selling home decor pieces for this reason!

So, what is it that makes a mirror Shabby Chic? The detailing, opulence and finish of course! Any mirror chosen to be included in a Shabby Chic inspired room should have some form of rococo, baroque or vintage style carving – think roses, cherubs or festoons to get the most out of your mirror.

Wall Decor should follow this style too, as anything placed on a wall space instantly becomes a feature, you need to make your wall decor count!

Wall sconces are a great way to add a little more vintage style to your interior vibe, particularly candle sconces. Adding some tapered candles to a wall sconce, such as this Ornate White Wall Mirror Candle Sconce, will not only create the soft ambient lighting that’s perfect for this look, but will turn any blank wall space into a feature.

Other choices for on theme wall decor would be items such as angel wings for a luxurious look, wall signs for a country vibe or vintage details like this White Rose Wall Art or this Winged Cherub Wall Art to add a little romantic look to your walls.

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4. Home Decor & Accessories

The eclectic style of Shabby Chic decor means your home accessories can be sourced from an array of styles, colours and finishes. Though we advised keeping to a distressed or vintage theme to get across the Shabby Chic vibe, this doesn’t mean all your home decor has to have a traditional look to it.

Candle lanterns, holders and candelabras can be used in all home decor themes and are heavily featured in Shabby Chic style decor thanks to their vintage look. Add some form of candle holder to every room, they are a stylish way to decorate shelf space, add a little ambience as well as being a decor feature all on their own.

Go for metal, multi-armed candelabras for a classic vintage look, choose ornate glass lanterns for a French feel or opt for small tealight holders to curate a farmhouse feel.

Clocks can easily fill up any empty wall space and are one of the easiest places to start when it comes to choosing vintage inspired decor. Go for an oversized skeleton clock to make a statement, a rustic wooden wall clock for a country feel or a distressed mantle clock for a classic French vibe.

In particular, Grandfather clocks are a great vintage inspired piece of storage and double as a clock and furniture piece in one – ideal for those who love the classic Shabby Chic look.

One aspect of Shabby Chic decor that has to be taken into account is the feminine feel that prevails in this design and your decor should reflect this. Opt for introducing plenty of small, pretty items such as trinket boxes, mirrored display trays or flower filled decorative vases to help define the dreamy, romantic feel Shabby Chic style thrives on.

A brilliant design aspect of Shabby Chic style is that, despite the general style rules about colour and basic design, it is very easy to make it your own and add your personal spin to this look. The easiest way to do this is via your decor choices, so choose items you really love and let your accessories do the talking for you.

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5. Fabrics & Prints

A key element of Shabby Chic style is in the details. As mentioned, the Shabby Chic look is all about French furniture, dreamy details and traditionally feminine feel

A simple yet effective way of achieving this is through the use of fabrics and prints. Luxurious fabrics such as velvet, silk or lace will add a deluxe look in any space.

While floral throws, embroidered cushions or pastel coloured rugs will help with the country cottage Shabby Chic look.

Loose, flowing fabrics like chiffon, organza or muslin will aide in achieving the gentle, otherworldly vibe the romantic Shabby Chic lover is after.

Ultimately, there are a variety of ways your can create the Shabby Chic interior of your dreams. Choose your favourite type Shabby Chic look and start styling!