Shabby Chic Furniture - Adding Comfort To Your Home

Shabby chic furniture is the perfect way to create a home of comfort and elegance, blending together the old and the new in a style that everyone can enjoy.

Shabby chic furnishings can be found all over your home, no just contained in one room. This is a style for life, not just a passing trend used to decorate your den. Shabby chic style provides ultimate comfort and casual beauty, letting you enjoy your rooms rather than just look at them.

So, what exactly is shabby chic furniture? Are there rules to what can fit? Are there certain staples that you must have? Yes and no.

Shabby chic furniture boils down to one simple concept: comfort. Your home is meant to livable, a place where you can simply plop down in your living room and not worry about making a mess.

With shabby chic furniture, that can happen--while still managing to give your rooms an understated sense of style. Below, you will find some of "rules" of shabby chic:

No heavy colors: your shabby chic furniture and walls should be light and simple. If you prefer dark woods and bold colors, this may not be the style for you. Instead, shabby chic uses pastels on the walls and often white for the furniture to reenergize the look.

Mixed look: shabby chic furniture should not all comply to the same styles and appearances. You can combine overstuffed couches with slender wicker chairs and iron accessories. Every clashes and matches at the same time. You should never try for uniformity but, rather, imperfect elegance.

The more worn the better: your shabby chic furniture should never look new; instead, it should seem worn in and slightly damaged. Don't look at that last word with fear. By damaged, we mean paint chipping a little, rust showing, rumpled slipcovers, etc. You aren't seeking perfection.

Go for the sink-in approach: whether you are decorating your bedroom or your living room, the key to a successful shabby chic look is all about the final test. Do you want to plop down on your bed or couch, sinking into the comfort? If so, you've achieved shabby chic.

This is the style of the overstuffed couches and beds piled with comforters. You should want to enjoy your rooms, not just enter them.

Sound right to you? Then, you need to get started. Scour flea markets, antique stores, even your parents' attic for pieces to use. Look for accessories (candlesticks, mirrors, vases, teapots, iron curtain rods, etc) or actual bits of furniture to fill your house and make it a home.

With this style, you can transform a room into a place where people want to stay, not just peek in and admire. You don't need the streamlined perfection of other styles; instead, you want the invitation of fresh flowers and soft fabrics, worn rugs and sheer curtains, big couches framed by slender wicker chairs.

That's exactly what shabby chic is all about--bringing you the warmth of comfort with the elegance of the past.

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