When it comes to home design, many are drawn into the perfect balance of elegance, warmth, comfort, and some old-world charm. The eclectic design may come into mind, but there’s one thing that stands out and endures the passage of time. That is the shabby chic design.
You might have already heard of it, but what exactly is it? Shabby chic is a mixture of cozy materials, rustic furniture, and light colour. You can think of it as a marriage between cottage-like aesthetics with opulent sensibilities – the combination of the shabby and the chic! If you feel that this design is promising, below are some of the pointers you may want to keep in mind:
Keep the shades neutral
One of the most basic rules of shabby chic aesthetics is staying neutral – when it comes to colours and shades! Base hues, such as whites, creams, and beiges, look dull, but their plainness is what you need. That is because shabby chic tends to use a lot of accessories, and the base colour should serve as the canvas. If you use patterned wallpaper and dark colours, the whole design may look busy and garish. Some accents, such as browns, may also highlight the overall colours.
Vintage is the best
When the house you bought from a property seller had some vintage features, you have to maximise then. That is because shabby chic uses a lot of vintage items. For many interior designers, the shabby chic design is easily embodied by distressed vintage or antique furniture pieces. When you are planning to use a vintage piece, you just have to make sure that it is stable and can still last a long time. If this is not possible, you can create your own distressed furniture out of your existing items. Repurposing also works here.
Pick varied textures
The design you are putting together may look minimalist or Scandinavian at first. But you can turn things around by incorporating some textures to make the space much more interesting. Old wood may be an automatic choice, but you still have other options that you can use. Leather seats, Persian rugs, marble, and carpets, and even the lace in your drapery will create layers of design, which can easily capture someone’s attention.
Throw in some patterns
You still have some room to add other design elements to make your shabby chic aesthetics much more pleasing to the eyes. In this regard, you can use patterns. The patterns of your curtains, dividers, seat covers, and table runners, will add some variety to your existing design. Top pattern choices include florals, chevron, and even paisley!
Experiment – don’t be afraid!
One benefit of the shabby chic design is that it does not follow hard and fast rules, a principle found on elaborate and strict designs, such as Victorian, mid-century, and even Japanese. That means that you have a lot of room for exploring, experimenting, and executing. You are supposed to try things out and find which works best.
