Shabby Chic - Vintage Decor and Ideas for Your Home

By Giorgina Devereaux

Shabby Chic, also known as Vintage, is the idea of incorporating accessories, furniture, and household items from the years 1900-1950 to decorate your home. But what makes this décor a popular decorating style? It provides a comfortable and casual look through the use of Vintage accessories, new décor that looks old, pastels, comfy light painted furniture, lace tablecloths, dreamy soft floral fabrics, wrought iron curtain rods with sheer curtains, and vivid fresh flowers. The idea of combining the old with the new opens up endless possibilities when selecting Shabby Chic home décor and furnishings.

Imagine visiting your grandparents and snuggling in comfortable soft furniture, while being surrounded by colorful fresh flowers and the soft scent of candles. This style can create the same sensation for your own home. It balances elegant items with old and worn, silver accessories with painted wood tables, and soft area rugs with old lace.

If your budget is limited, Shabby Chic decorating is the perfect solution. You can scour some of the great websites noted below for Shabby Chic home décor.

Shabby Chic and Vintage use furniture that is worn, along with stylish items and things that look old. Therefore, you have a varied range of choices for furniture and home décor.

Consider the following ideas as a guide:

A fresh coat of paint is a great way of giving old furniture pieces some Shabby Chic appeal. You can also update older upholstered furniture through the use of slip covers or large throws. For small tables, such as side tables, coffee tables, or consoles, look for pieces that feature carved wood as a focal point. When looking for Shabby Chic furniture, take measures to avoid bright bold colors or matching sets. Instead, try to mix and match the upholstery style with floral patterns, along with striped pillows and other accessories.

To accent your walls, you can include carved wood or metal shelves, which can be purchased in antique stores, gift shops, garage sales, and antique fairs. Again, a little paint on these items goes a long way because you will add a special touch to your décor. For instance, you can incorporate an ornate wrought iron corner shelf and display antique collectibles or crocheted dollies for a vintage look. Furthermore, you can look for old doors, windows, mantels, garden gates, house shutters, and wrought iron, which can be used as wall hangings or even used to replace existing doors to add charm.

For lighting, you can use a floral print or solid colored fabric lamp shade for the right splash of color and display it against surfaces that are distressed. Wrought iron, wood mirrors, or picture frames with white, natural, or distressed finishes blend well in a Shabby Chic room. If you want to add a unique touch to this décor, apply weathered paint to towel racks in the bathroom or kitchen. And let’s not forget to include candleholders or a candelabra. You can give these items a distressed finish in white or ivory for that shabby chic look.

Giorgina Devereaux is the creator of AskGiorgina.com, which features questions, answers, and ideas on home decor and furniture. For more information, please visit
http://www.AskGiorgina.com
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Shabby Chic - Beautiful on a Budget 

Want to update your look, but have a limited budget?  Shabby chic decor is the perfect choice for you!  You may find most of what you need in your attic, basement, or even at garage sales and flea markets!

When decorating in Shabby chic style, just about anything that is worn or has an antique look to it will work.  The look is elegant and timeless, and unlike other decorating styles, the pieces do not have to match.  As long as all your pieces have the charming and worn look, and are closely related in color, it will look fabulous!

Alot of Shabby chic decor you will find are light to white in color, with a distressed, old looking finish.  You can easily and affordably accomplish this look yourself on pieces you may already have.  Simply remove the old stain, apply some ivory or white paint, then lightly sand the edges to give it that charming, old antique look.

Fabrics widely used in Shabby chic decor come in many different choices.  Very popular are floral prints, but checks and stripes can also be used as long as the colors are in the pale, muted pastel shades of greens, pinks, ivory or gray.  Using rugs that are well-worn in the same shades adds warmth and an aura of days gone by to your home.

Accessories are very important when decorating in the Shabby chic style.  Use mirrors that have the distressed finish frames, or even a delicate pastel floral pattern around the edges.  You may also want to use metal plant stands that are white-washed and have the worn look, with beautiful greenery flowing gently over the sides.  Adding a few pastel colored vases filled with delicate flowers, and an elegant, stone-look lamp are also nice touches.   Other accessories you can use are worn looking wall sconces, throws and pillows on the sofa in the same muted pastel colors.  There are endless options to make your home an inviting, warm place that others love to visit!

With a little imagination, time and effort, you can turn your home into a showplace that will remind visitors of the elegant, relaxed period of an era from long ago.  And the nice thing is it won't cost you a fortune!