Nothing is embellished in the trendy shabby chic style. It’s authentic, it has sharp edges. At the same time it appears playful, elegant and dreamy, but always remains down to earth. Shabby Chic is suitable for those who appreciate originality more than perfection.
If you have decided to cover a room or the entire house in «shabby chic», the best thing is to first do a little discovery tour: rummage through your grandparents’ cellar and visit the flea markets. It is very likely that you will find the right tools to create your shabby chic decoration.
In this article you will find tips and instructions for designing creative accessories in a shabby look. Finally, you will learn how to finish furniture in a “shabby” way:
1. What concretely characterizes it, the Shabby Chic style?
Living with small defects: this is how the shabby chic style could be summed up. Smooth surfaces give way to distinctive scratches, while rose motifs with an old-fashioned connotation replace purist concepts of black and white.
Basically Shabby Chic is the exact opposite of the modern living style, which is relatively beautiful and functional and focuses on high-quality individual pieces. With «shabby chic», however, you can experiment as you want, as long as you don’t throw the general characteristics of the style overboard.
2. Brief guide to Shabby Chic style: material, color, pattern
1) Materials
Naturalness above all: this is the motto of the Shabby Chic style when it comes to materials. We mainly use woods and woods with signs of aging, soft cotton and linen, leather and silk. Furthermore, matte and ideally worn metal and antique porcelain can also be used. Not to forget a variety of natural accessories such as feathers and shells.
2) Colors
As for colors, white and pastel tones such as cream, beige, apricot, pale pink or mint dominate. Darker colors like silver and gold add only sporadic accents, if at all. Shabby Chic completely avoids flashy shades.
3) Gathering
Delicate floral designs, mainly prints of roses, flora and fauna, bird motifs and ornaments are typical patterns of the style. Furthermore, dots, checks and faded stripes are also frequently used motifs, as are 18th and 19th century prints à la Toile-de-Jouy or Paisley.
3. Create your decoration with a shabby chic look: 6 inspirations
The following six ideas with short instructions provide you with inspiration for making your own shabby chic decorations. They are usually easy to implement.
Idea no. 1: Turn old cups and egg cups into candle holders
What you need:
- old cups and/or egg cups
- Leftover candles and/or wax adhesive plaques
- Wicks and/or stem candles
- possibly a heat-resistant container
Variant A: Here’s how to proceed with the cup variant:
- Melt leftover candles in a heatproof container.
- Pour the liquid wax into the old cup.
- Insert a wick into the liquid wax.
- Allow the wax to dry.
Variant B: Here’s how to proceed with the egg cup version:
- Turn the egg cup over so the top is facing down.
- Glue the adhesive wax discs to the bottom side (which is now at the top).
- Attach the stem candle to the adhesive plate.
Idea no. 2: Transform bright mugs into romantic flower vases
What you need:
- large mugs in shades of white or cream
- Potted flowers
- possibly fresh earth
How to proceed:
- Remove the flowers from the plastic pots.
- Place the plants in the cups.
Tip: If you can repot the flowers with mostly potting soil, it is not necessary to fill the pots with fresh potting soil.
Idea no. 3: Glue the lace doilies into the bowls in no time
What you need:
- Lace doilies
- coordinated textile colour(s).
- Wallpaper glue
- Brush
- Peel
- transparent film
- Newspaper
How to proceed:
- Color the lace doilies with fabric dye (follow the manufacturer’s instructions).
- Leave to dry well (about a day).
- Brush the top of the lace doily frequently with wallpaper glue.
Tip: Use newspaper as a base when gluing.
- Turn the bowl over and cover with cling film.
- Place the lace doilies on the bowl shape with the painted side first.
- Glue the other side of the lace doily.
- Allow to dry completely (again, about a day).
- Remove the lace doilies from the bowl or foil. Now it’s shaped like a bowl!
Idea no. 4: Create original frames from old baking sheets
What you need:
- old baking trays
- Photos/images
- Scissors
- Glue
- Adhesive hooks
How to proceed:
- Crop photos/images to fit pan sizes.
- Glue the recordings into the baking sheets.
- Attach the new frames to the wall with adhesive hooks.
Idea no. 5: Create charming flower balls from a simple mix of materials
What you need:
- pink paper
- Foam balls
- Needles with pearl heads
- Reason
How to proceed:
- Punch flower petals from pink paper with a pattern punch.
- Bring flowers in the shape of flowers (put them together or on top of each other).
- Secure the flowers in the center using pearl head needles and attach them to the foam ball.
- Continue with step 3 until the foam ball is covered in flowers.
Tip: Pearl heads give the accessory an elegant shine. You can place your shabby chic decoration, for example, on a table, on a shelf or in a display case.
Idea n.6: Here’s how an old porcelain plate becomes a wall clock with a shabby look
What you need:
- beautiful antique plate
- finished watch (craft shop)
- possibly porcelain drill
How to proceed:
- Ask a glazier to drill a hole in the center of the plate.
Tip: Alternatively, you can do it yourself if you feel confident and have access to a porcelain bur.
- Install the finished mechanism.
4. The crowning glory: finishing a piece of furniture in “shabby”.
The supreme discipline in the world of shabby chic DIY is of course to bring a piece of furniture into the elegant shabby style yourself. With step by step instructions it works!
Note: Keep in mind that redesigning furniture takes a long time.
What you need:
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- any wooden furniture
- sandpaper
- thick brushes or small foam rollers (for painting)
- white primer (oil based)
- matt acrylic paint of your choice
- Liquid soda cleaner
- Vacuum
- possibly tools
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How to proceed:
Important: absolute cleanliness is essential for a good result.
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- Paint the furniture with white primer paint.
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- Leave to dry sufficiently (at least eight to twelve hours).
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- Coat the furniture with acrylic paint.
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- Leave to dry completely again.
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- Sand the furniture until the surface is smooth.
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- Repeat steps 8 to 10 two or three times.
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- Remove signs of wear in the wood with sandpaper.
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Tip: Here you can let your creativity run wild.
Some other ideas for your individual work:
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- A special shabby chic effect is created if you paint the first layer of acrylic paint in a different color than the subsequent ones: then the lower shade shines through after sanding.
- Crackle paint supports the used effect: it contracts after drying and causes cracks to appear in the paint.
- For authentic wear marks and smoother transitions, we recommend using fine sandpaper for sanding.
- You can simulate small worm holes with a fine-point drill. Variations in the drilling angle ensure a natural look.
- Finally, apply a layer of acrylic-based patina and furniture wax.
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5. Bonus tip: Move old suitcases into shabby chic furniture
Do you or a friend of yours still have old suitcases in the cellar taking up space? Then you could use the pieces to make shabby chic style furniture yourself. The procedure is more or less the same as for «traditional» furniture, although it is possible to leave any metal accessories.
By the way, it doesn’t matter whether the suitcase is made of wood, metal or leather. You may simply need to adjust the color accordingly. What can you do with the suitcase? An elegant coffee table, side table or bedside table that not only brings a vintage touch to the room, but also offers convenient storage space.
6. Conclusion
The rooms furnished in shabby chic style have a rustic and ancient look, playful and elegant, dreamy and welcoming and lived-in. You can make or redesign your shabby chic decorations and furniture using mostly simple means. Try it and be surprised by the results. The good thing is: there is no wrong way, as long as you follow the style guide!
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