Do you like to shop at flea markets? Do you leave skid marks when you see a yard sale sign? Boy, do I have a decorating style for you! It’s called shabby chic.
Shabby chic is using old, antique and vintage items to decorate a room or house. And when I say old, I mean old looking. Shabby chic also incorporates a lot of lush and opulent fabrics and textures. The liberal use of fur, velvet and silk is common in shabby chic decorating.
Shabby chic rooms tend to be romantic and whimsical. Often time objects are used in unconventional ways. For example, a vintage velvet hat may become a wall decoration or an antique store sign may become a tabletop.
The point of shabby chic is to keep everything, well, shabby. The old, vintage and antique items that are used in shabby chic decorating are commonly kept in the state that they are found in with only a little polish. Tarnished silver stays tarnished, faded velvet stays faded. Items that are chipped or nicked are consider having more character so there is no effort to try to hide these types of flaws.
Shabby chic also has an element of surprise. Interesting, eye candy type objects are often tucked into nooks and crannies all around the room.
Are you a shabby chic sort of person? Shabby chic is not for neat freaks. It tends to be very cluttered and crowded. It is also not for those who lean more towards being a slob. Because it is a cluttered, crowded style of decorating, if it is not kept just so and dusted frequently, it becomes more mess and less shabby chic.
If shabby chic is for you, flea markets and yard sales are your shopping destination. Begin looking for interesting objects and remember to keep your imagination open. Look for things that can be made into other objects. Also look for items that were once very expensive but have seen better days. A little paint and polish can have those types of items up and running, shabby chic style.