Cottage Chic Shabby

What The Benefits Are Of Shabby Chic Furniture

A friend of mine recently told me she was going out to buy some shabby chic furniture, to which I helpfully replied that she might be better off looking for new furniture, rather than shabby furniture. She patiently explained that she wasn't looking for shabby furniture, but shabby chic furniture, which was totally different, and totally lost on me at the time.

 

However, having purchased a range of furniture for her dining room, and for her bedroom that was in the shabby chic style, I was treated to a guided tour to educate me a little more about what shabby chic is all about. I must admit that I realised immediately what it was all about, and can see the appeal.

 

She has an old house, with stone walls and exposed beams, and it has a real cottage feel to it. Somehow, shiny new contemporary furniture just doesn't look right in an older property, but antique furniture could be fearfully expensive, and it's not always possible to find items of furniture that match existing items you already have in the room.

 

Shabby chic is a style that has gained in popularity over the last few years, although in truth it's been around for a very long time. Although the style has been around for ages, the name given to it is relatively new, which is why most people think that shabby chic furniture is a new idea.

 

If you're not entirely certain what is meant by shabby chic, then let me explain briefly what it's all about. Antique furniture can look fantastic, because it has class, elegance and a fine pedigree. It looks interesting, settled, at home, and has far more character and appeal than shiny new furniture that is delivered in a flat pack. But the problem with antique furniture is that it can be expensive, may not always be completely stable or solid, and may not necessarily suit existing furniture in the room.

 

A much more affordable and convenient solution is to purchase brand new furniture which looks like classy antique furniture, particularly antique furniture with a French inspired theme to it. The furniture that my friend had chosen included tables, chairs, a side cabinet and mirrors for the dining room, plus an armoire, dressing table, mirrors, bed and bedroom chairs for upstairs. All the furniture was very much of the same style, with a soft cotton-like white painted effect over the wood, which was clearly distressed in key areas to make it look as though the furniture had been around for generations.

 

This is where the name comes from then, with the shabbiness of antique furniture combined with the chic style that works so well today. But the best thing about shabby chic furniture is that it works in so many different ways and in so many different types of home. Modern homes, and apartments, old cottages, Victorian terrace properties and new build townhouses can all accommodate shabby chic furniture in different ways, and to great success. Certainly when it comes to French inspired faux antique furniture there is nothing shabby about being chic.

About the Author

Sweetpea & Willow are a leading supplier of stunning Shabby Chic Furniture including a wide selection of beautiful Shabby Chic Bedroom Furniture and accessories.

describe your house in detail?

I love houses, especially cottage like or shabby chic

I have a small cottage made from the best river stones I could find & decorated with all the game I have eatin over the yrs

Cottage Style Shabby Chic Decorating