Shabby Chic Living Room - 3 Sensational Shabby Chic Interiors
Shabby chic is a style which at the first glance looks like a combination of random furniture and decorations. In fact, it is a meticulously designed space - elegant, but with an indication of the passing time. Shabby chic greatly refers to retro and vintage aesthetics, although it is definitely lighter and appears more luxurious. Shabby chic style is perfect for living rooms with enough space for interior design experiments. Check how to use shabby chic in your living room.
Where did shabby chic style come from?
Shabby chic first appeared in the United Kingdom in the 80s. It was an alternative for Victorian designs, which were considered too pompous and impractical by the society. Shabby chic decor brought elegance to interiors and referred to history while being functional - a greatly appreciated feature.
Shabby chic gained a real fame around 10 years later, when the whole world heard about it. It started being used in some European countries. Interestingly enough, it reached the United States as well at that time. It was particularly popular in Los Angeles.
Currently, Shabby chic is used all over the world. In most cases, it appears in the living room, but a bedroom in this style looks equally good. One can adjust the interior to their own preferences by using various characteristic accessories.
What are the characteristics of shabby chic decor?
For those who have never heard of shabby chic, the style might be quite puzzling. On one hand, it is elegant and classy. On the other, some elements show the passing of time, which might be read as negligence. In fact, it is an intentional practice, supposed to create an interior with a soul.
Elements of shabby chic are often intentionally made to look older e.g. by painting them and distressing at several spots.
Be careful when choosing items for your shabby chic living room. One can easily fall in extremities, which will result in a kitschy-looking interior - instead of a stylish one. It’s the biggest trap awaiting those who want to use shabby chic decor in their house or apartment.
Shabby chic decor - what colors does it use?
Shabby chic interiors use bright, pastel colors. It’s mostly white, grey, beige, bright pink and blue. Some designs also use a bright shade of yellow and green. This regards both wall and furniture colors.
Shabby chic also likes natural wood color, especially bright and slightly greyish shades. One can find such accents in typical interiors designed in this stylistics.
Shabby chic decor - accessories
Are you wondering what decorations you can use for shabby chic style in your house or apartment? You should know that those elements decide on the interior’s atmosphere and there is no minimalism in this case. The most commonly used accessories are:
- curtains - lightweight and airy or with floral patterns,
- lamps - both hanging and standing with large shades, e.g. with lace,
- cushions and blankets - a large number - best if with floral patterns or flounce,
- pictures - in richly decorated retro frames,
- ceramic house plant pots,
- vases and candle holders,
- decorative mirrors,
- ceramic figurines,
- bright wicker baskets - like the ones used in Boho style.
What is the best furniture for a shabby chic living room?
Shabby chic furniture should indicate the passing of time. For this reason it is advised to choose used models you can buy cheaply in a junk shop. Very often, one can find such items on various websites, where people give them out for free after a renovation in their own house. This is only one of the options.
You can also renovate the existing furniture and make them fit shabby chic style. Often all it takes is painting them white and use a piece of sand paper to take of the layer of white on the corners (after the paint dries). There are many tutorials on the Internet on how to paint furniture and prepare shabby chic elements.
The last option is buying new stylized shabby chic furniture. But because the style has been quite popular in the recent years - it is one of the most expensive solutions. Nevertheless, one must admit that closets, cabinets and sofas in this style look really impressive.
3 shabby chic living room ideas
The rest area is the most important part of a shabby chic living room. Having that in mind, pay special attention when designing it. Depending on the amount of space you have, you can choose a single sofa for the living room or add armchairs too. A wing chair is a perfect item which will accentuate shabby chic style.
Apart from providing the proper relaxation, the interior should also serve another function - look good. To make it possible, choose interesting furniture and accessories, which were already mentioned. Below, you will find shabby chic interior ideas you can use as an inspiration. Each of them uses a different color palette and a slightly different furniture appearance - you will surely find something for you.
A bright classic shabby chic living room
Bright colors are typical shabby chic home decor shades, hence they are used most often. They are very universal and fit any type of interior - regardless of its size. That’s why you can design an interior in this color palete both in a house and apartment.
White and beige are also perfect colors if you have little experience with interior design and want to avoid a kitschy result. Even with a big number of accessories, they will not be overwhelming.
Shabby chic living room with a colorful accent
A shabby chic living room doesn’t have to be boring. Just add a dominating color to it. Pink designs are quite popular. They might not be to everyone’s taste - blue is a more neutral idea.
The color might appear on the walls, making white furniture look very elegant. If you choose beige shabby chic wall decor, combine it with colorful accents and furniture. There are many of possibilities in this regard, so you don’t have to limit yourself.
A modern shabby chic living room with wooden elements
A combination of bright furniture with accessories made of natural, unpainted wood is quite an unusual shabby chic home decor idea.
It usually concerns various tables and cabinets. Here, it all depends on your creativity as well - get inspired by the inspirations below.
đź“Ť What is shabby chic decor?
Shabby chic is a style originating in the Great Britain. It is characterized by elegance, comfort and apparent passing of time. Shabby chic uses bright colors - mostly pastels. It also likes natural wood.
đź“Ť Shabby chic - how to use this style at home?
It is not that difficult to design a shabby chic style interior. It is advised to do it in the living room. Just organize a comfortable resting area and add some furniture such as distressed cabinets and coffee tables. Complement the design by adding vases, ceramic deocrations and stylish shabby chic lamps.
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