Are you a lover of the Shabby Chic design?
Image courtesy of Michael Luppino
To put it simply, Shabby Chic is a country-vintage style of home design that emphasizes a worn, lived-in appearance. This style builds on furniture and furnishings that appear aged or have signs of wear and tear, or where new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique.
For starters, a Shabby Chic kitchen favours furniture that shows the passage of time and has a lived in cozy look, while still being elegant all at the same time. For example, antique furnishings with layers of paint peeling away from the exterior coatings can begin to create this effect.
Image courtesy of House Beautiful
This aesthetic lets you move away from the almost ‘expected’ design of kitchen cabinets to those that will intrigue and inspire. Distressed finishes are the most popular in these kitchens, with traditional and shaker-style cabinets coming in a close second. Another staple of these kitchens is the open shelves that draw their inspiration from old farmhouse and country kitchens. These woodsy shelves allow you to display your kitchenware proudly and give the shabby chic kitchen an air of authenticity!
Shabby Chic decor is heavily influenced by soft colours. Pastel hues like pink, lavender, and light blue, as well as bright white and beige. Vibrant colours like turquoise can also be used to embody the style. Personally, I love the idea of adding these colours with tea cups. I recently visited Murchie’s Tea & Coffee and their elegant cups were the perfect example for this type of home design – they had light, pastel vintage looking cups that are a must see!
As Country Living explains, sourcing a Victorian chandelier or vintage china, and adding a few farmhouse chairs to your kitchen are also great starter points in achieving this design.
Are you ready to make a change and bring the Shabby Chic design to your home? Comment below and let me know!