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[hovis]

What exactly does shabby chic mean? 

[libbyannE]

 It started in interior design back in probably the 1990s and the term referred to a look that would include wonderfully worn furnishings with peeling paint or rusty metal, tea-stained fabrics with an aged appearance and the whole sort of "flea market find" look.  Shabby chic has become what I think of as one staple within a very diverse interior design world.  Sometimes people go for an entirely shabby chic look, but more often today one sees an otherwise modern room with one or two such touches – as in a rusty metal table base or a recycled wood tabletop, screw-top worn Toledo stools in a sleek modern kitchen or some other great flea market, piece such as a huge old painted sign, taking center stage on the wall. It's simply about adding vintage character to a space. 

[Mominohio]

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@libbyannE wrote:

 It started in interior design back in probably the 1990s and the term referred to a look that would include wonderfully worn furnishings with peeling paint or rusty metal, tea-stained fabrics with an aged appearance and the whole sort of "flea market find" look.  Shabby chic has become what I think of as one staple within a very diverse interior design world.  Sometimes people go for an entirely shabby chic look, but more often today one sees an otherwise modern room with one or two such touches – as in a rusty metal table base or a recycled wood tabletop, screw-top worn Toledo stools in a sleek modern kitchen or some other great flea market, piece such as a huge old painted sign, taking center stage on the wall. It's simply about adding vintage character to a space. 

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Great description @libbyannE

And I will say that today, it is often associated with a lot of whites, creams, ivories. Much shabby chic design is seen done in all these white shades (although the genre is much bigger than that)

[GCR18]

To add on, I consider it not matchy matchy.  Using your grandmother's things with new things.  I don't think pottery barn, I think Laura Ashley.

[Snicks1]

Thi

This is just one example of a shabby chic living room; distressed items, mixed with lots of white orcream. I think it looks very pretty, but is impractical. Would be hard to live with, imo.

[libbyannE]

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@Mominohio wrote:

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@libbyannE wrote:

 It started in interior design back in probably the 1990s and the term referred to a look that would include wonderfully worn furnishings with peeling paint or rusty metal, tea-stained fabrics with an aged appearance and the whole sort of "flea market find" look.  Shabby chic has become what I think of as one staple within a very diverse interior design world.  Sometimes people go for an entirely shabby chic look, but more often today one sees an otherwise modern room with one or two such touches – as in a rusty metal table base or a recycled wood tabletop, screw-top worn Toledo stools in a sleek modern kitchen or some other great flea market, piece such as a huge old painted sign, taking center stage on the wall. It's simply about adding vintage character to a space. 

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Great description @libbyannE

And I will say that today, it is often associated with a lot of whites, creams, ivories. Much shabby chic design is seen done in all these white shades (although the genre is much bigger than that)

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@Mominohio

Thank you for the comment and for the excellent addition re color, which really helps paint a mental picture of the look. Excellent! 

[libbyannE]

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@GCR18 wrote:

To add on, I consider it not matchy matchy.  Using your grandmother's things with new things.  I don't think pottery barn, I think Laura Ashley.

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@GCR18

Great description. Yes-- not matchy-matchy. Wish I'd said that.

[goldensrbest]

I guess shabby chic has always been in,we use to call it using what you have! I love what i call english country,if i could redo.that is what i would go for.

[goldensrbest]

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@Snicks1 wrote:

Thi

This is just one example of a shabby chic living room; distressed items, mixed with lots of white orcream. I think it looks very pretty, but is impractical. Would be hard to live with, imo.

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That is to plain,too much white.

[Mominohio]

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@Snicks1 wrote:

Thi

This is just one example of a shabby chic living room; distressed items, mixed with lots of white orcream. I think it looks very pretty, but is impractical. Would be hard to live with, imo.

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I like this look, overall. Lots of light, bright and open. 

Provides the perfect backdrop to add seasonal colors or pops of color where one wants (which probably makes it no longer shabby chic, but still, I like it!).