Saturday, March 15, 2008

Shabby Chic Decorating

picture credit:luxellc.com


We looked at Traditional decorating a while ago so I thought Shabby Chic might be interesting.



So what is Shabby Chic anyway? Think casual, pastel colors, lot’s of white, vintage items, rod iron, distressed furniture, colorful prints and worn out furniture. Originally created by Rachel Ashwell back in the 80’s, Shabby Chic has become a whole theme by itself. People love it and you now commonly see it in all the decorating magazines and shows. Rachel Ashwell came up with this design theme after spending countless hours at garage sales and thrift stores looking for furniture with clean lines.












Photo credit: Rachel Ashwell


Colors Include:
Pale pink
Pale blue
Cream
Ivory
Pale green


Furniture includes:
Worn out tables, chests, bookshelves
Painted furniture
Antiques
Distressed furniture
Thrift store finds
Garage sale items










Fabrics include:
mis-matched fabric
Plaids
Florals
Stripes






This decorating style is warm and inviting. If you are on a tight budget this décor is right for you and don’t forget to ask you grandmother, she may very well have some great stuff to add!



www.thewillowbasket.com
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21 comments:

  1. Love it, love it, love it! I have gotten some Shabby Chic decor by Rachel Ashwell at Target for my guest/craft room. It's my girly room (the only one in the house) so it's all pink and flowers. The great thing about the Shabby Chic style is that it is so flexible and you can mix and match - like my baby quilt I hung on the wall and it goes great in my Shabby Chic room. Thanks Christy!

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  2. What is so interesting about your decorating styles posts, is that I find that I am a little bit of everyone! I would call my style predominately traditional, with lots of cottage-y touches thrown into the mix, but I do have some shabby chic creeping into the mix.

    Your posts have given me some great color combinations and new furniture arrangement ideas! Thanks for the inspiration.

    Marilyn

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  3. Your decorating is absolutely beautiful. Great job.

    Oh fyi, mispelled word on home page. Wrought iron I believe is the correct spelling.

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  4. Acually, I'm a terrible speller. Another reader wrote that to me so I think I'll always remember rod-iron is really wrought iron.

    Yikes!

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  5. I <3 Shabby chic, i decorated my room last weekend = shabby chic :)

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  6. lOVE IT!! thanks for the tips ... many hugs from Chile!!

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  7. This is great! How can I get a hold of the bed in the picture above? This is exactly what I have been searching for!

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  8. That probably would be difficult. If you travel around thrift stores, you never know what will pop up, so keep your eyes open. You can always look around on the Internet for a bed like this, but I imagine it would be very costly. Sorry I can't be more specific. Good luck!

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  9. That bed is from the United Kingdom. Try Chateau collection French furniture in a Google search. It's a pain in the neck to get it though to the US. I ordered gorgeous white French armoire from the UK to USA and it still hasn't arrived four months later! lol

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  10. Also Anonomous, try Arrabella Creations for the bed. They can customize it too.

    The prettiest bed I think is the Live The Romance bed at Posh Tots. Wow. I want that one in pale pink encrusted with jewels. I have a beautiful canopy French bed but I think that tops mine (even though there is no canopy!). So expensive, but sometimes you just have to save if you can't get the piece anywhere. lol :-)

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  11. In an open concept living space with the front to back flow living room, kitchen then dining area can you incorporate shabby chic and a contemporary look. ie LR - Shabby CHIC. Kitchen Contemporary white cabinets white glass subway tile backsplash. DR - Combo shabby chic contemporary?? HELP :)

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  12. My entire house is shabby chic and I think rather than throwing your money at these expensive shops you can learn how to refinish vintage furniture yourself. If you scour flea markets in the south, you can achieve the look of any of those upscale stores by simply learning how to apply appliques, change out knobs and find the right paint colors. My dream china cabinet was a steal from the Goodwill!

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  13. Rachel,
    You are so right and a very smart woman. This is the best way to achieve the look and save money!! Thanks for the comment.
    Christy

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  14. Shabby Chic is like a big hug from childhood with a kiss of Classy. Both of my parents have passed and I ended up with a whole house full of worn well, out dated now "Vintage" furniture and decor. With some trial and error and a little mad scientist skill. Reinventing familiar items is the best. Even what you might think is a failed attempt turns out awesome, with.....SANDPAPER!! I promise.
    ~Carolyn~

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  15. Thanks Carolyn, that was a great way to describe this style.

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