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Luxury, wealth, romanticism and slight shabby, shabby, even negligent. You can imagine that a princess once lived here. She has grown up a long time ago, but her belongings are still carefully stored and maintained in order. As far as possible, of course. Despite the care, the imprint of time is clearly visible on them. About this feeling creates a shabby chic interior. Who came up with the idea of ​​turning ordinary houses into fabulous palaces? How to create shabby chic in your apartment? We will talk about this in the article.

All about how to decorate the interior in the style of shabby chic

What is this style
Colors
Decoration Materials
Furniture
Decor
Lighting
We create designs for different rooms

What is shabby chic style and who invented it?

To understand the very essence of this direction, it is enough to use a Russian-English dictionary. Translated into Russian, shabby is shabby, shabby. That is, literally shabby chic — shabby chic.

The author of this interior style is the British designer and decorator Rachel Asheville. From a young age, she was fond of restoring antiques. And later she turned her favorite hobby into a successful business. Rachel Asheville’s handwriting quickly became recognizable: a tangible touch of antiquity on elegant vintage pieces of furniture and things, delicate, bleached shades, floral patterns and prints, a lot of frills and ruffles. This is how shabby chic declared itself in the late 80s of the last century. This style is not about functionality and practicality. And about emotions and decorativeness. It allows you to create an unusual, atmospheric and even slightly fabulous space.

Shabby chic is eclectic. Here in one room you can see echoes of English, Victorian styles, French Provence, lush Italian Baroque and lighter Rococo.

Shabby chic has thousands of loyal fans around the world. And no less — opponents who accuse him of excessive congestion. So that you can understand whether this design suits you, consider it in more detail. We will analyze several main aspects: the color palette, finishing materials, furniture, decor and lighting.

Palette

A certain set of colors is one of the main features of the style.

White plays the main part. This is the dominant, central color. It is complemented by bleached, muted, pastel colors: mint, pale pink, pale blue, peach, shades of beige, gray.

Decoration Materials

Interiors in the spirit of shabby chic can be described as follows: elegant, sophisticated, noble antiquity. Therefore, appropriate finishing materials are needed. Deliberately modern will not fit. Natural textures will look best: wood, stone, fabric. Or their most natural imitation. In this case, the texture should be “aged”, with traces of time. It may be genuine vintage. Or such an effect can be recreated artificially, using paints, sandpaper and other materials.

for walls

The walls in such spaces are most often white or as light as possible. It could be paint. Carelessly applied, with scuffs or even in small cracks. Maybe plaster. Sometimes rough, uneven, with chips. Or maybe wallpaper. For example, in a soft stripe, with a light floral pattern or discreet, elegant monograms. Paper or fabric wallpapers will look especially good.

For ceiling

For ceilings, classic shades of white are also often chosen. Plaster, paint or ordinary whitewash is suitable for finishing. As in the case of walls, some aging of the surface is welcome. Stucco molding is an almost obligatory element of ceiling decor. For example, around the perimeter or in the form of a rosette around a chandelier. Wood trim is also allowed. In this case, it is painted in a light color.

For floor

The classic option is a wooden floor. It can be visually aged boards or a more «rich» option — parquet. The color most often chosen is white, light gray or a natural light shade of wood. Sometimes in non-residential areas, imitation bricks or ceramic tiles are used.

Furniture

Furniture, perhaps, can be called the hallmark of this trend in design. It is she who creates the desired feeling of shabby luxury.

As a rule, these are objects of curved, smooth shapes, on curly, decorative legs. Straight and strict geometry is inappropriate here. Often, furnishings are decorated with carvings or stucco. An important condition: the furniture must be antique or seem so. Cracks, chips, scuffs, peeling paint or partially peeled off gilding are all welcome.

Family heirlooms or flea market finds are great. If there are none, the skill of «restoration» is used. Modern products are painted, decorated and deliberately aged. If as a result it seems that you have a vintage, expensive, but slightly shabby chest of drawers, a table or a sideboard, then you have achieved the desired effect.

Decor

Shabby chic is impossible without an abundance of decorative elements and details. There should be a lot of them and, preferably, different ones.

The main decoration of the space is, of course, textiles.. It is he who creates a unique atmosphere of cozy luxury. These are covers and wraps for sofas and armchairs, decorative pillows, tablecloths and napkins, rugs and blankets. The priority is natural fabrics or their high-quality imitation. Often there are flounces and ruffles, lace. For window decoration, as a rule, they use a classic tandem of curtains and tulle. At the same time, curtains are often sewn from a fairly thin and light fabric. Tiebacks, lambrequins are common. The color palette of textiles is still the same: white and muted pastel shades. If you want to add patterns and prints, you can choose a small floral pattern, stripes or checks.

The second most important after textiles is floral design.. Bouquets are everywhere here: on chests of drawers, dining tables, bedside tables, window sills, stools and even on the floor. Flowers are placed in beautiful porcelain vases, baskets or simple glass decanters. The most popular flower is, of course, the rose.

The walls in such interiors also rarely remain empty.. They are decorated with framed paintings, decorative clocks, mirrors in carved or forged frames, open shelves with many cute little things, and various compositions. The main thing we must not forget: shabby chic is shabby chic. This means that jewelry should bear the imprint of time. Too «new», smooth, glossy surfaces, modern fabrics will be out of place. Therefore, often masters resort to artificial aging of objects. Different things can serve as decor: large grandfather clocks with a fight, old suitcases, forged bird cages, painted plates, carved screens. This is the case when it is better to see once in order to feel the atmosphere. Successful examples of shabby chic decor are in the photo in the gallery.

Lighting

Since this style is both luxurious, cozy, delicate and homely, lighting plays a special role here. For such spaces, several light scenarios are usually thought out.

The main role is played by the ceiling chandelier. She is almost always elegant and quite large. In such interiors, iridescent crystal or glass looks bewitching. Chandeliers are chosen multi-tiered, with many suspensions, sometimes with candles or their imitation.

And on quiet family evenings, when you don’t want bright light, table lamps, small wall sconces and floor lamps are lit in the rooms.

Shabby chic style in the interior of different rooms

Living room

The prettiest room in the house. Here you will definitely see a comfortable soft sofa, most likely in a removable cover with frills, on it there are a lot of decorative pillows. He is accompanied by one or a pair of the same comfortable armchairs. And the composition is completed by a low coffee table on curly legs. Often a fireplace is installed in the living room: classic, decorated with elegant stucco. Bedside tables, small chests of drawers and sideboards with many cute little things will look appropriate: frames with photographs or embroidery, figurines, vases, candlesticks, table lamps, bouquets.

Kitchen

Shabby chic is not the easiest choice for kitchen design. The complexity here is in the abundance of details and decorative elements. Keeping them clean and safe is not easy. Nevertheless, the kitchen, decorated in this style, looks incredibly cozy and warm.

The set should choose a classic, light color, with a matte surface. Facades can be decorated with panels, carvings. Handles — vintage, laid on. Hidden profiles are useless here. The set can be two-tier: with floor and wall cabinets. Or it can be single-tier and consist only of floor pedestals. In this case, the walls are decorated with open shelves.

In the kitchen, you will almost certainly also find an old carved sideboard or display cabinet. And of course — a full-fledged lunch group.

The window is usually decorated with short curtains. For example, with pickups. Or cafe curtains that cover only half of the glass.

Bedroom

The main subject in such a room is a richly decorated bed with a high wooden or wrought-iron headboard.

Lush capes with flounces and ruffles, a lot of decorative pillows are sewn for her, sometimes covered with a canopy. A bench, a banquette, a carved chest or a box are often placed at the foot. Bedside tables or tables with lamps, bouquets of flowers and other decorative items are placed on the side of the bed.

In addition, the bedroom is always richly decorated with textiles, including windows.

Bathroom

This is not just a place where they wash and take a shower, but a full-fledged room. Therefore, its design is approached as seriously as the arrangement of other premises.

The walls are decorated not only with tiles, but also with paint or wallpaper. Plumbing is chosen in retro style. For example, a free-standing bathtub with legs, an oval or round ceramic countertop sink. All this is complemented by textiles, wall lighting, flowers and paintings.