Decorating
5 Style Alternatives if You Love Shabby Chic
Treat your home to a relaxed, comfy feel with vintage finds, layers of texture and mellow colours
The shabby chic look is big on comfort, informality and creativity. Forget sleek, contemporary finishes and sharp lines, this is a look that’s deliberately laid-back, but also balanced and thought through. Neutral backdrops are accessorised with sink-into sofas, mountains of cushions and cleverly upcycled finds. It’s a wallet-friendly and welcoming style that sits somewhere between country and vintage, but borrows from both.
Fancy working some shabby chic magic into your own home? Read on for the essential shortcuts to creating this easy-going look.
Fancy working some shabby chic magic into your own home? Read on for the essential shortcuts to creating this easy-going look.
…or keep it loose
Dress your sofas and armchairs with loose linen or heavy cotton covers to hit just the right tone of informality. Loose covers are practical too. They effortlessly make over a tired-out sofa and are easy to remove and machine wash. Choose fabrics in a neutral tone and accessorise with patterned or pastel cushions to add interest.
Want a classically elegant look? Follow these style shortcuts for grown-up style
Dress your sofas and armchairs with loose linen or heavy cotton covers to hit just the right tone of informality. Loose covers are practical too. They effortlessly make over a tired-out sofa and are easy to remove and machine wash. Choose fabrics in a neutral tone and accessorise with patterned or pastel cushions to add interest.
Want a classically elegant look? Follow these style shortcuts for grown-up style
2 Choose perfectly imperfect furniture
Pick vintage pieces…
Look for furniture that’s been around the block a few times. Preloved pieces that are brimming with character and bear the marks of time will bring oceans of shabby chic style to your rooms, in the way that newly purchased pieces never can.
Pick vintage pieces…
Look for furniture that’s been around the block a few times. Preloved pieces that are brimming with character and bear the marks of time will bring oceans of shabby chic style to your rooms, in the way that newly purchased pieces never can.
…or upcycle cleverly
In addition to sourcing vintage furniture, find a new role for old pieces. Upcycling is a creative, inexpensive way to bring shabby chic style to any room. Old suitcases can become coffee tables and an antique window shutter a gorgeous artwork.
Here, a sewing table has been reinvented as a dining space, with vintage café chairs for seating, while a wooden crate is fixed to the wall and reborn as a handy storage and display space.
Not sure how to upcycle? Check out this expert advice
In addition to sourcing vintage furniture, find a new role for old pieces. Upcycling is a creative, inexpensive way to bring shabby chic style to any room. Old suitcases can become coffee tables and an antique window shutter a gorgeous artwork.
Here, a sewing table has been reinvented as a dining space, with vintage café chairs for seating, while a wooden crate is fixed to the wall and reborn as a handy storage and display space.
Not sure how to upcycle? Check out this expert advice
3 Select the right palette
Work with neutrals…
Neutrals create the perfect relaxed backdrop for a low-key, welcoming scheme. Layer up tones of ivory, white, softest grey and beige, working in lots of texture-rich fabrics to prevent the look feeling flat. Pastels are also welcome, but err towards the watery, faded end of the spectrum, rather than the ice-cream parlour side.
Work with neutrals…
Neutrals create the perfect relaxed backdrop for a low-key, welcoming scheme. Layer up tones of ivory, white, softest grey and beige, working in lots of texture-rich fabrics to prevent the look feeling flat. Pastels are also welcome, but err towards the watery, faded end of the spectrum, rather than the ice-cream parlour side.
…or pepper with accents
To bring a more eclectic feel to a room, dot a neutral backdrop with pops of bright colour. Any shade is fine, as long as it’s balanced by a pale background and blended with lots of pleasing textures, plus a vintage find or two.
To bring a more eclectic feel to a room, dot a neutral backdrop with pops of bright colour. Any shade is fine, as long as it’s balanced by a pale background and blended with lots of pleasing textures, plus a vintage find or two.
4 Prioritise comfort and informality
Go for relaxed seating…
The shabby chic look is welcoming and unpretentious, so opt for furniture that’s deliberately informal. A simple bench, café chairs or stools instead of dining chairs, for example, will send the message that this is a home to relax in. Add soft seat cushions to ramp up the comfort level.
Go for relaxed seating…
The shabby chic look is welcoming and unpretentious, so opt for furniture that’s deliberately informal. A simple bench, café chairs or stools instead of dining chairs, for example, will send the message that this is a home to relax in. Add soft seat cushions to ramp up the comfort level.
…or max the cushions
This look is all about cosiness and comfort, rather than clean lines or contemporary style, so add cushions wherever you can. Layer them deeply on sofas, scatter over armchairs, dot on stools or benches and tumble onto a bed in an informal and inviting jumble.
This look is all about cosiness and comfort, rather than clean lines or contemporary style, so add cushions wherever you can. Layer them deeply on sofas, scatter over armchairs, dot on stools or benches and tumble onto a bed in an informal and inviting jumble.
5 Pare back
Strip the boards…
At heart, a friendly, unrefined look, shabby chic style celebrates authentic finishes. While a sofa or bed may be piled with cushions and throws, the fabric of a shabby chic space is often pared down and simple. Stripped boards in warm wood or bright (but a little scuffed) whitewash create a neutral, no-frills backdrop that perfectly suits this aesthetic.
Strip the boards…
At heart, a friendly, unrefined look, shabby chic style celebrates authentic finishes. While a sofa or bed may be piled with cushions and throws, the fabric of a shabby chic space is often pared down and simple. Stripped boards in warm wood or bright (but a little scuffed) whitewash create a neutral, no-frills backdrop that perfectly suits this aesthetic.
…or expose the ceiling
An exposed ceiling brings a sense of height and airiness that really suits a relaxed space. Here, a few horizontal beams are left in their woody state, while the remaining surface is painted white in keeping with the walls, to create a light, open feel.
Do you have shabby chic style in your home? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
An exposed ceiling brings a sense of height and airiness that really suits a relaxed space. Here, a few horizontal beams are left in their woody state, while the remaining surface is painted white in keeping with the walls, to create a light, open feel.
Do you have shabby chic style in your home? Share your tips and photos in the Comments below.
Layer up a bed…
Natural textiles, and lots of them, are at the heart of the shabby chic look. So in the bedroom, forget matching sets and layer your bed with a collection of linens, throws, duvets and bedspreads. Stick to natural cotton, linen and wool, and dial down the colour palette, then have fun mixing muted patterns for a softly mismatched look.