How to Decorate in an Updated Shabby Chic Style

A modern Shabby Chic bedroom with whitewashed furniture and soft pastel layers - AI-assisted image | Human-editedWhat is Shabby Chic?
First, you must understand more about the Shabby Chic style.

The Shabby Chic style became wildly popular in the 1990's by Rachel Ashwell's books, products, and store.  It is characterized by its worn, distressed aesthetic and pastel color palette.

Shabby Chic celebrates vintage and antique imperfections and embraces the beauty of age.

It is known to incorporate weathered wood, faded fabrics, distressed furniture, and delicate florals which contribute to the overall charm and allure.

If you are a perfectionist, then Shabby Chic style is NOT the style for you since it celebrates imperfections.

An iconic Shabby Chic home can be imagined as a gorgeous old country estate that is owned by a family who was once very wealthy however no longer has the money to maintain the gorgeous interior furnishings purchased decades ago, so they are falling into disarray.

A modern Shabby Chic living room balancing distressed wood with crisp neutrals - AI-assisted image | Human-editedKey Elements of Shabby Chic Decor
Here are some of the main components of Shabby Chic decor.

• • Distressed Furniture: Use whitewashed dressers, chipped farmhouse tables, and vintage inspired chairs in your Shabby Chic home. Distressed furniture adds character and history to your home with a sense of nostalgia and warmth.  Chalk painted furniture is very popular.  French style furniture is prevalent.  Ruffled bed skirts and skirted sofas are often preferred to furniture with legs showing (unless the legs are curvy and have intricate carvings).  Vintage and antique furniture pieces that have been naturally distressed over time are preferred to purposely distressed newer pieces attempting to look old.  Pieces that have poorly created fake distressing tend to look like a movie set instead of a real home.  Feel free to antique paint smaller accent pieces that you no longer love, but stop before it looks overdone.  Another option is to distress the wood of stained pieces of furniture.  Don't make the mistake of a particular client who attempted to distress a large piece too aggressively, and it looked so bad that it had to be professionally stripped and refinished.

• • Soft Pastel Colors: Decorate your home with soft pastel colors, such as pale pink, baby blue, soft yellow.  More unique colors include light sage green and muted lavender. Don't forget the white, which is an essential element in the Shabby Chic style.  Avoid decorating with the color black, or just use a tiny drop of black if necessary.  Also avoid overly bold colors that are not appropriate in the Shabby Chic style.

• • Vintage Accents: Decorate your Shabby Chic space with vintage accents, including antique mirrors, ornate picture frames, mismatched delicate china teacups, and lace or sheer curtains.

• • Floral Prints: Add vintage-inspired florals to your upholstery fabrics, throw pillows, accent chairs, and other place. Needlepoint is also very popular.

• • Mismatched Patterns: Mismatched patterns and textures create a casual feel for the Shabby Chic style.  You can mix and match different florals, stripes, and gingham for a cozy, lived-in feel. Don't be afraid to experiment since Shabby Chic is all about embracing individuality and self-expression.  Ruffles, lace, and ribbons are valued in Shabby Chic design.

• • Chic Elements: Don't forget the chic elements of the Shabby Chic style.  This includes glamorous items, such as a crystal chandelier, fancy vases, and silver platters.

A modern Shabby Chic dining room mixing vintage china with clean-lined seating - AI-assisted image | Human-editedHow to Decorate in an Updated Shabby Chic Way
Follow these steps to create an updated Shabby Chic haven that reflects your unique style and personality.

• • Curate Your Furnishings: The updated Shabby Chic style focuses on quality, just as the very first adopters did, instead of cheaper quality new items attempting to look old.  Carefully select your furniture pieces, using items with distressed finishes, feminine curves, and intricate details. Don't be afraid to mix and match different styles for an eclectic look.  Search estate sales, Facebook Marketplace, flea markets, your grandmother's attic, Craigslist, garage sales, thrift stores, and other places that sell second hand goods that are naturally distressed.  Some of these sellers might price their items quite expensively costing hundreds or thousands of dollars per piece while other places might sell you items for $5 to $50.  Look at the bones of the furniture - can it be reupholstered or repainted to complement your color scheme and aesthetic?  For an updated look, avoid painting furniture in an overly distressed style that can often look fake.  Instead, opt for high quality vintage or antique furniture that is already distressed over new furniture.  The old Shabby Chic style had mostly painted furniture.  The new Shabby Chic style has some stained wood pieces to add warmth to the room in addition to painted pieces.

• • More Than Just White:  The Shabby Chic style was mostly stark white colors, which can sometimes look a bit boring and sterile.  The updated Shabby Chic style uses other neutrals in addition to white, such as cream, beige, taupe, and maybe a little gray. 

• • Layer on the Textiles: Add layers of soft, tactile textiles to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Think plush area rugs, fluffy throw blankets, and wide curtains with window shades.

• • A Clean, Uncluttered, Modern Shabby Chic Bedroom - AI-assisted image | Human-editedAccessorize Thoughtfully: Add the finishing touches to your Shabby Chic room with thoughtfully curated accessories, such as vintage books, weathered candlesticks, and delicate porcelain figurines. These small details infuse your space with personality and charm.  Opt for items with a lot of texture, such as wicker baskets, textural throw blankets, rough brick, and needlepoint fabrics.  The new and updated Shabby Chic style uses actual old items over store bought items that are artificially distressed to look old.  Original art, even if it is not the highest quality, is preferred to prints.

• • Not Too Shabby: Many people do not care for the old Shabby Chic style because it is often portrayed more shabby than chic.  Be thoughtful about the items you put in your updated Shabby Chic room.  Sometimes items are a bit too shabby and should be retired, refinished, or reupholstered.  Ideally, use only high quality items with a little bit of wear over worn lower quality items that are beyond repair.

• • Don't Forget the Walls: Paint your walls in soft, neutral tones like white, ivory, cream, or pale gray. Soft pastels are another option for a bit of color.  If you prefer a bolder aesthetic, then opt for a floral wallpaper, however avoid bold colors that are not appropriate for the Shabby Chic style.

• • Create Cohesion: If your room is feeling like a collection of hand-me-down furniture and not well designed, you can try a tactic that InteriorDesignInfo.com designers often use called a bridge.  The bridge is one or more items that combines multiple elements together, such as a rug with multiple colors found in the room or a lamp with multiple metal colors found in the room.  The bridge items allows different items to exist in the same space connected by the bridge that helps the design feel cohesive.  Another tactic is to repeat elements, such as using a certain color at least three times in the room.  If your room features a green and pink quilt, consider using lighter and darker versions of the green and pink on decor pieces in the room so the colors look intentional.

• • Your Home's Architecture: If your home's architecture is looking a bit too new and not relating to the Shabby Chic decor, consider changing the architecture to look more classic and less trendy.  You can update your home with higher quality materials, either new or vintage, that don't look like they came from the "builders special" section of your local home improvement store. 

• • Bring the Outdoors In: Don't forget to add natural elements, such as fresh flowers, potted plants, or a bowl of fresh fruit or nuts, to add a touch of rustic charm to your Shabby Chic space. Ferns in a natural terracotta pot are also a favorite.  Mirrors can create a reflection of the outdoors to bring more of nature inside.  If you have a new mirror, you can give it a slight antique finish to make it feel older.  These natural elements help make your home feel more cozy.

A Cozy, Warm, Modern Shabby Chic Living Room - AI-assisted image | Human-editedMaintaining Your Shabby Chic Oasis
In order to keep your Shabby Chic home looking its best, consider these maintenance tips.

• • Embrace Imperfections: Embrace the imperfections of your Shabby Chic decor. Damage is when something injures something all at once (like a stressed out dog chewing on the leg of the dining table), but distressing is minor imperfections happening over a long period of time.  Repair damage, but embrace distressing, which adds character and history to your decor.  Distressing creates a historical provenance that is desired and missing from many homes.

• • Regular Cleaning and Care: Shabby Chic styled homes show a bit of wear and tear, but that does not include dust and dirt.  Make sure to keep your home very clean so guests understand your style and don't think you live in an abandoned house.  You might want to put some of your smaller treasures inside a display cabinet to keep them from getting dusty and reduce the time it takes to clean your room.

• • Rotate and Refresh: Rotate the items in your home periodically to keep your space feeling fresh and up to date. Experiment with different decor items in different locations.  Swap in and out your newly discovered items that appeal to you and that you find attractive.

• • Stay True to Your Style: Above all, the updated Shabby Chic style is personalized to your own taste and preferences, not mass produced stuff that you buy just to fill the space. Let your creativity and imagination guide you as you continue to refine and enhance your Shabby Chic home.  If you like it, then use it.  If you don't like it, then sell it to someone else.  Make your room your happy place that brings you joy every time you enter.

Final Tips
Don't over do it!  A bit of distressing can go a long way. 

Feel free to mix in some new modern pieces with your shabby accents to create an eclectic mix that is one of a kind.

The goal of all Shabby Chic designs is to have a room that looks collected over years instead of decorated over night, so take your time collecting the best items for your home over many months instead of rushing the process.

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