{"id":1224,"date":"2014-06-02T14:23:30","date_gmt":"2014-06-02T13:23:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/?p=1224"},"modified":"2023-03-09T15:35:19","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T15:35:19","slug":"how-to-shabby-chic-furniture-for-a-stunning-contemporary-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wood-finishes-direct.com\/blog\/how-to-shabby-chic-furniture-for-a-stunning-contemporary-look\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Shabby Chic Furniture for a Stunning Contemporary Look"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Not so long ago, interior decoration was all about chilly, bleak minimalism. It suited the times, born of a pre-recession zeitgeist, where everyone and his dog were investing in property, wealth was king and money seemed to flow like water. Then came the credit crunch and the banking crisis… and everything changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minimalist hotel-style d\u00e9cor took a few post-recession years to disappear altogether, but it has finally died a death. Which means \n\nWood Finishes Direct <\/a>can start getting creative with our interiors again. Shabby chic and French country styling are hot. People all over the nation are collecting beautiful recycled, vintage, retro, up-cycled and found objects, creating their own fabulous paint effects and coming up with some truly awesome DIY decorative ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Old furniture transformed with a Shabby Chic style<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Home is where the heart is. D\u00e9cor is fun again! And we’re selling more craft-oriented wood finishing products than ever, testament to the nation’s new, softer, more environmentally responsible, less money-grabbing mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D\u00e9cor these days is less about status, more about personality. So how, exactly, do you shabby chic furniture and other wooden objects and achieve ‘the look’?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Shabby Chic?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Shabby Chic style is described by Wikipedia as…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear or where new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique. At the same time, a soft, opulent, yet cottage-style decor, often with an affected feel is emphasised to differentiate it from genuine period decor.
Shabby chic items are often heavily painted through the years, with many layers showing through obviously time-worn areas. The style is imitated in faux painting using glaze or by painting then rubbing and sanding away the top coat to show the wood or base coats, known as “distressing” the finish of the furniture. Furniture pieces that are not genuine antiques are usually selected for their resemblance to older furniture styles, and may be reproduction furniture with a distressed finish. Elaborate furniture appliques depicting flower swags and garlands, cherubs, and other motifs may be added.”<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The type and extent of the Shabby Chic look is very much down to personal preference. For a subtle aged look stick with a single colour and gently distress the natural contact points such as handles and edges to expose areas of bare wood. For a more dramatic effect, use 2, 3 or more layers of colour so that different levels of wear and tear can be achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to shabby chic furniture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we start talking about how to create shabby chic d\u00e9cor, let’s have a quick look at what you can transform and where to get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brown furniture market has been in the doldrums for years, but things are starting to move again, with more of us looking for born-again vintage furniture bargains, many of which are still as cheap as chips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can pick up a lovely 1930s Art Deco wardrobe for less than \u00a350, something with much more character than a brand new Ikea alternative. Or you could shabby chic chairs – how about a set of 1970s bistro-style chairs, or a mixed batch of kitchen chairs, each in a different style, easy to find for as little as a tenner each? Then there are shabby chic mirrors, with the frames transformed from gruesome gilded or dark wood nightmares into something cool, contemporary and stylish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your best source of all this interior d\u00e9cor treasure? Your local auction house, nearest furniture-focused charity shop or furniture recycling outlet, Freecycle community or Ebay.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Shabby Chic table and chairs from re-claimed furniture<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What about colour? Obviously you need to decide on the colours before you start. Most shabby chic stuff focuses on so-called ‘heritage’ colours like creamy whites, grey-whites, green-whites, duck egg blues and pale greens, but there are no rules. Anything goes! You can either be bold and use two contrasting colours, or go for a subtle effect using toning colours for a softer look. It’s entirely up to you. It’s worth Googling ‘shabby chic furniture’ then clicking on Google images for inspiration. Alternatively, base your colour scheme on your soft furnishings or the colour of your walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What will I need?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Knowing what you need in terms of paint and materials will vary depending on the size of the project and the desired look that you wish to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shabby Chic Paint and Materials<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You’ll need 2 or more colours of a chalk furniture paint, clay paint or emulsion paint. The choice of paint is more down to the desired look and colour than anything else. All of the following paints can be used to produce Shabby Chic furniture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended paints for Shabby Chic furniture<\/h4>\n\n\n\n