Turning “shabby” décor into “chic” décor is not always easy. It requires an artful eye and following certain design rules when arranging a vignette or create a shabby chic setting in your home. In order to achieve a balance, you need different heights and shapes, rare or unique items, mixtures of simple and sweet with ornate and fancy, and always with delicate and romantic touches.
Your furniture can be shabby chic white or pastel painted and distressed DIY furniture, wicker rockers and chairs, wrought iron chairs, ornate carved wooden chairs, tables, and beds, floral, printed or solid fabric upholstered club chairs, curio cabinets, hutches, love seats, chaise loungers, room dividers, and any antique furniture (plain or ornate).
Shabby chic colors are mainly pastel. Keep a light palette. Lots of floral accents are needed for a shabby chic look, especially roses. Pink, red and white roses play a dominant role in shabby chic settings. They can be real roses or artificial silk roses in floral arrangements, printed or painted on china or porcelain vases and bowls, painted wooden trays, drapes, or decoupaged roses on furniture. Lots of roses is the key. Also, use lace adorned items like table linens, pillows, shams, table scarfs, crocheted and knitted afghans and shawls, vintage style chenille bedspreads, quilts, ruffled curtains, ruffled throw pillows and chair cushions, embroidered delicate handkerchiefs, velvety fabrics, framed old postcards, letters and valentines, silver, gold, or copper framed mirrors and photo frames, jewelry boxes, ornate chandeliers, table and standing lamps with delicate or ornate lampshades, candlesticks with candles, a trunk used as a coffee table, old or new hat boxes, sewing kits with trims, buttons and spools of thread, cigar boxes, peacock and pheasant feathers, frilly parasols, wicker plant stands with ferns or ivy (real or faux), birdcages, dolls, teddy bears, mesh bags of multi-colored marbles, and other vintage memorabilia. Keeping that in mind, you can use a wide variety of décor items and mix old with new or add shabby chic to other design styles.
I personally like farmhouse décor for its country rustic simplicity and love to add touches of shabby chic for a softer vintage look and to create a note of yesteryear nostalgia. What you want to create is an interesting or beautiful shabby chic. Your arrangements and settings must look artful, and not just a clutter of curio shop or antique store objects. That is where your artful eye comes in. You must examine each grouping and see if it looks balanced, interesting and artistic! If you are pleased and enjoy the settings you create, then they will probably pass the test. You can always rearrange furniture and objects as long as you follow the design rules.
Shabby chic décor is sometimes viewed in displayed layers of similar articles carefully stacked like old quilts, throws, teacups and saucers, pillows tied together with silk ribbons, decorated stacked suitcases, or a stack of favorite books tied with ribbons or lace trim and adorned with a silk rose. It is up to you how much, or how little, shabby chic you want to add. If you are a crafter; then you can save a ton of money on shabby chic décor by cleverly creating some of your items. So get busy and have fun finding those special décor items you want by shopping in antique stores, curio shops, flea markets, yard sales, estate sales, and dollar stores, or create them yourself. If shabby chic is your style, or if you want to add it to a different style, take the plunge, but go slow in decorating to see if each arrangement or setting appeals to you.
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