When you are planning a wedding, one of the ideas that many brides and their wedding planners will suggest to you is the incorporation of shabby chic & vintage style decor in your decor. The beauty of this idea is that it can give your home a certain mystique and atmosphere that are impossible to find in modern homes. In fact, I’d argue that shabby chic is the perfect accent for a rustic country wedding – the perfectly aged wood and worn fabrics of shabby chic lend themselves beautifully to a country feel. It’s a very romantic idea that makes total sense when you think about it.
Before you get excited about shabby chic & vintage decor, though, you’ll want to ask yourself some questions: are you planning a wedding? If you are, do you already know what you want to accomplish with this style? If you’re not sure yet, then this probably isn’t the right style for you. This is because you need to first make sure that your interior designer can execute the chic & shabby chic design properly. (And you do want an interior designer who specializes in this type of design!)
So how do you go about finding a designer who does shabby chic home design? One way to do so is by asking your close friends who may be in the business or by searching the internet. (I love Google!) Another method is to talk to local interior designers or visit shabby chic home design trade shows. (I’ve done both.)
When you find a designer who has experience working in this particular style, ask him or her point-and-shoot questions: What types of items are often used in shabby chic? What kinds of woods and fabrics are most popular? What types of furniture or decor are you often used to decorate your homes with? These are all very important questions to ask because they will give you a starting place to build your own list of questions or a guide to the style of shabby chic home decor you’d like to imitate.
You can learn a lot from home decor magazines and from visiting home decor websites online. You can also do a search for “shabby chic” or “chic & shabby chic” on any search engine. A few good choices to start out with are Shabby Decor, Decorating, and Shabby Elegance. You can also do a search for “home decor shabby chic” or “chic & shabby chic” on your favorite search engine. Once you have a good list of these options, narrow it down further by adding a few more choices to your search terms.
Some ideas for decorating with shabby chic include using delicate floral accents (stemless buttonholes in vases work great), antiques and period pieces, and natural materials (such as wicker or distressed wood). These items may be used in a more conventional manner, or they may be used in a more unique and unusual way. Using these items in a unique and unusual way is one way to keep them interesting and give them a distinctive look that is different than what you may find in a typical home decor catalog or magazine. For instance, you might use an antique chandelier as the center piece of a shabby chic or country-style bedroom and then hang vintage lace curtains on the window covering the Chandelier, creating a romantic and yet elegant space.
There are also many shabby chic pieces that you can incorporate into your existing home decor and vice versa. For example, you can dress up a room like a French Country house with shabby chic furniture and accents. The great thing about this decor style is that you can take it and move it to a new place without too much effort or expense. Just change the color scheme and maybe add some decorative items to give your home a fresh, casual atmosphere.
Whether your home decorating project is new or vintage, shabby chic will work well with just about any current furniture. If you are starting from scratch, it is a good idea to start out with a clean room design and choose something you love. Then, as your decorating skills develop and you gain experience, you can branch out and try incorporating more delicate items and creative touches. With shabby chic, it’s fun to be creative because you can truly let your imagination go!