subject: Shabby Chic Furniture - Tips And Ideas To Transform Your Home Into A Cozy Nest [print this page] One of the crazes that are taking the world by storm is shabby chic furniture. Fans of the contemporary look are taking to shabby chic like ducks take to water. When visiting a home that has this kind of look you will immediately feel at ease and welcome. The concept embraces mixing old tatty furniture and accessories with new furniture and the results are quite spectacular. Take shiny silver and blend it with vintage lacing and you will get a look in the home that is to die beautifully warm and inviting.
In 1989, Rachel Ashwell started the shabby and chic decorating style when she marketed refinished furnishings from the flea market and slipcovers that are washable from her boutique in California. Decorators and retailers worldwide have embraced the style and started incorporating it into their styles to create livable, comfortable living spaces.
Contemporary look is created out of second hand furniture. Sanding and repainting furniture is part of the process of creating shabby chic furniture. For this look to be effective, one would use light pale colors. Pastels are very popular with this furniture and decorations. Sometimes light shades of blue, green and pink will work quite nicely. The best type of furniture to use would be plain, minimal and intricate. Stick to this for best results.
It will be discovered that it is not necessary to sand each piece of furniture right down. You will only sand a few parts and not all the way to the wood. Once you have completed sanding you can commence with the process of painting the furniture.
You can experiment nicely with the colors. It is unconventional and as mentioned before involves soft pastels. Floral, stripes and checks are usually seen in the homes that embrace this style of home decor.
Use all the creativity that you can when selecting and creating your furniture. You can turn old wooden boxes into tables, which could be where you house family photographs or vases containing flowers. Take an old plain wooden chair, paint it and then have a vase with flowers put on the seat of the chair.
For the bedroom, create a headboard with old doors, wooden tabletops or wrought iron gates. Decorate in rose or blue chintz, gingham or floral fabrics. A fluffy throw rug will complete the look.
In the living room, floral printed slipcovers can do the trick if you do not want to re-upholster the entire sofa. Old paintings of fruits, landscapes and flowers in beautiful old frames can grace the walls and you can display photos of the family in antiquated silver frames on an old repainted white wooden table. Old garden wrought iron garden furniture will match beautifully in the living room.
There are furniture shops that specialize in shabby chic styles. You can purchase shabby chic furniture either online or offline by visiting specialized stores. Many of these suppliers will also sell fabrics and other shabby chic decor items to help you create your perfect home or bedroom.
