Shabby Chic


Shabby ChicWhat, you ask, is shabby chic? It is a term that was coined in the late 1980’s by Rachel Ashwell. Rachel describes this type of home décor as fresh and traditional; simple and ornate; casual and elegant; rumpled and tidy. Confused? Let me explain.

What is Shabby Chic?

Shabby chic is the concept of using accessories, furniture and household items from the 1900 to 1950 eras to decorate your home. Remember how Grandma decorated her home? She didn’t buy new furniture or household items. Most things were handed down through generations or made by hand. After all, Grandma lived through two world wars as well as the Great Depression. Things that she used were both durable and practical. There was no room or money for frivolous items. Grandma braided and hooked rag rugs, or used left over pieces of wool to hook a wool rug. Jute was used for throw rugs. Curtains were made from bleached sugar bags instead of white linen or breezy cotton fabric. Rugs were hung on the clothes line and “beaten” rather than being vacuumed. They were washed by hand or in a wash tub and hung on the line to dry.


Shabby Chic Bathrom Shelf Unit

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$79.95
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  • Bathroom accessory
  • Painted metal
  • 23 x 10 1/4 x 56 1/2 inches



White Distressed Frame

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$16.95
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  • Shabby Chic Style
  • Holds a 5x7 Photo
  • 11 1/2 Inches Tall



White Distressed Frame

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$14.95
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  • Shabby Chic Style
  • Holds a 4x6 Photo
  • 10 1/4 Inches Tall



Black Table with 2 Drawers

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$99.95
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$79.95
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  • Elegant Black Design
  • 27 1/3 Inches Tall
  • Made of Pine



White Table with 2 Drawers

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$89.95
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  • Shabby Chic Style
  • Made of Wood
  • 27 1/4 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Towel Rack

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$24.95
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  • Great Bathroom Accessory
  • Distressed White Metal
  • 29 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic His/Her Towel Hangers

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$14.95
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  • Classic
  • Gold Border, Shabby Chic Finish
  • 8 1/4 Inches Tall
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Shabby Chic Bathroom Cabinet

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$99.95
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$84.95
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  • Nice Bathroom Accessory
  • Shabby Chic Finish
  • Wood and Glass



Shabby Chic Wood Plant Stand

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$99.95
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  • Many Different Uses
  • Shabby Chic Design
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Shabby Chic Hall Table

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$99.95
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$74.95
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  • Distressed Black Finish
  • Painted Wood
  • 30 3/4 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Corner Cabinet

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$89.95
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$69.95
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  • Grape Designed Doors
  • Shabby Chic Finish
  • 30 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Side Table

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$79.95
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$59.95
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  • Nice End Table
  • Shabby Chic Design
  • Distressed White Finish
  • 28 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Round Table

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$129.95
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$99.95
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  • Distressed Finish
  • 23 5/8 inches diameter
  • 29 inches tall



Shabby Chic Hall Table

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$149.95
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  • Nice Hallway Shabby Chic Design
  • 29 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Foot Stool

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$29.95
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  • Classic Victorian Look
  • 11 1/2 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Wall Shelves

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$32.95
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  • Set of 2 Shelves
  • Distressed White Finish



Shabby Chic Magazine Rack

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$29.95
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$24.95
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  • Painted Metal
  • Shabby Chic Design
  • 16 1/4 Inches Long



Shabby Chic Toilet Tissue Holder

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$9.95
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$8.95
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  • Cute Toilet Paper Dispenser
  • 14 Inches Tall
  • Shabby Chic Style



Wrought Iron Towel Rack

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$19.95
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$14.95
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  • Wonderful Shabby Chic Design
  • Made of Wrought Iron
  • 22 1/4 Inches Tall
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Shabby Chic Wall Mirror

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$29.95
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$19.95
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  • Beautiful Lattice Frame
  • White Metal Frame
  • 22 3/4 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Candelabra

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$32.95
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$24.95
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  • Cute Wall Decoration
  • Shabby Chic Finish
  • 14 1/2 Inches Tall
More Fall Decorations...



Shabby Chic Wall Mirror

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$32.95
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$24.95
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  • Distressed Wood Frame
  • 30 1/2 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Wall Mirror

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$24.95
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$14.95
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  • Distressed Wood Frame
  • 20 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Table Lamp

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$59.85
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$44.95
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  • Classy and Elegant
  • 22 1/2 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Hall Table

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$59.95
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$39.95
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  • Nice Hallway Furniture
  • Design
  • 22 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Trays

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$27.95
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$19.95
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  • Set of 2 trays
  • Largest: 17 1/4 Inches Long



Shabby Chic Tray Table

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$49.95
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$34.95
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  • Great of Eating in Bed
  • Distressed Finish Wood
  • 27 3/4 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Letter Holder

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$19.95
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$14.95
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  • Nice Kitchen Accessory
  • Shabby Chic Design
  • 23 1/4 Inches Long
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Shabby Chic Occasional Table

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$39.95
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$29.95
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  • Shabby Chic Design
  • 19 1/4 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Corner Cabinet

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$34.95
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$27.95
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  • Perfect Bathroom Accessory
  • Shabby Chic Finish
  • 15 1/2 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Wood Shelf

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$37.95
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$24.95
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  • Nice Collectible Display
  • Shabby Chic Finish
  • 20 3/4 Inches Tall



Shabby Chic Wood Cabinet

Regular price:
$149.95
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$89.95
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  • Shabby Chic Design
  • 27 3/4 Inches Tall



Wood Paper Towel And Napkin Holder

Regular price:
$14.95
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$12.95
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  • Distressed Finish
  • 16 Inches Tall
  • Two Pieces



Large White Distressed Frame

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$19.95
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$13.95
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  • Shabby Chic Design
  • Holds a 6x8 Photo
  • 12 1/4 Inches Tall



Home > Interior Home Decor > Shabby Chic
Home > Decorating Ideas > Decorate By Theme > Shabby Chic

Shabby Chic

Grandma didn’t stop by the store to buy a package of dye. She used tea, or plants to color those jute and sugar bags. Blueberry juice made a beautiful blue color. Raspberries were used for red, as was ochre. Flowers, fruit and roots were used for wonderful combinations of color. Yes, Grandma dyed her fabrics naturally. Patterns were added with embroidery thread for accent. Grandma was the mother of invention. If she wanted something, she figured out how to make it.

Where to Find Shabby Chic Items?

Search for shabby chic décor items at garage and yard sales, used furniture stores or antique shops. Buy what you like. There’s really no rhyme or rhythm to the types of decor items that you use to create a shabby chic effect.

Shabby Chic Décor Ideas

Use an old ice box for a storage cupboard and set a gingerbread clock on top of it. In the family room, install a wood burning stove, or if you’re not interested in using it for heat, create a false bottom and set a pot of lush green fern inside. Old Quebec heaters that are no longer safe to fire up are perfect for use as a planter, or use an old wooden well bucket, a galvanized pail or an old ice cream maker that no longer works. Tropical plants look great in these.

Check out garage and yard sales for overstuffed cushions, samplers and pictures that catch your eye. Take them home, clean them up and presto, you have a brand new decorating theme. The beauty of shabby chic is that nothing has to match. As long as colors harmonize and don’t clash, anything and everything is perfect.

Be sure to keep your eyes open for furniture when garage and yard sale hopping. Bring home that old settee that needs to be refinished and reupholstered. If you aren’t up to stripping it, sand it and give it a coat of paint, using your favorite color. Though shabby chic was originally painted white, today it can be any color you chose. Once you pick a color, stick with it. Paint all of your recycled furniture the same color and reupholster in a complimentary colored fabric.

Buy an old wash stand, paint or refinish it and set a ceramic pitcher and bowl on it. Create a silk flower arrangement in the pitcher and use it as a focal point. Paint or refinish old dressers, wardrobes and night or side tables to give your bedroom a cozy atmosphere. Use the same color for all the bedroom furniture, them use braided, hooked or rag rugs to complete the shabby chic look.

Choose what you love, and use your imagination to create a warm, cozy feeling using shabby chic for ambience and a unique home décor that will be the talk of family, friends and all who visit your home.

Shabby Chic Decorating

Decorating on a budget can be a real “downer” for the person who has creative flair and doesn’t have the cash to exercise their talents. But don’t despair, Shabby Chic is here to save you the agony of having to choose reasonably priced matching sets of furniture, when what you really want is something that will declare its independence from the style mavens, while still reflecting the real you.

The essence of Shabby Chic is simplicity, and that opens up a whole host of possibilities to make your home distinctive and different. Based primarily on the use of white, or very light beiges, Shabby Chic allows you to create a comfortable, homey atmosphere, or a delicate, but striking ambience, depending on how you want to combine colors and furnishings.

It’s incredibly easy to decorate with Shabby Chic, and inexpensive as well. Recycle that hall table that is scuffed and nicked by stripping the varnish and painting it white. Top it with a vase of flowers, or better yet, a china teapot that is no longer fit for service in the kitchen. Filled with real or silk flowers, it accents the plain table, and draws the eye of visitors.

Make a dramatic statement in the living room by sewing couch and chair covers out of upholstery grade white fabric, and whitewash the walls, or use a very small print/pattern wallpaper with a white background. Strip the floor to its basics, whether that is carpeting, or wood. Now you have a palette that offers as many chances to express yourself as paints would. Do you like soft moods and quiet? Create muted accents by sewing your own curtains and matching cushion covers in pastels shades. Seek out throw rugs of the same tones. Match other accessories to the same color scheme, including lamp shades, table runners, even groupings of vases or figurines on an end table. You’ll have a room full of warmth, without burning a whole in your pocket book. Add magazine racks, end tables, and plant tables that you’ve rescued from garage sales and painted white. Beauty on a budget is easier than you think!

Or go straight for the eye of the beholder and while doing the room in white, choose a single bright color for accessories, but limit their use, as bright colors become overwhelming in quantity, and cancel out some of the simplistic appeal of Shabby Chic. With white walls, curtains, slipcovers and pillows, how about a large painting hung over the mantle or couch, featuring bright red poppies and brilliant green leaves? Then sets of red pottery vases on an end table, filled with greenery. Matching red candles on the mantle, or a Hong Tze based table top fountain, will add a finishing touch to your creation.

If the problem is that you have a little nice furniture, but not the budget to complete your décor in that style, then try using Shabby Chic to bring out the most in what you’ve got. An antique brocade couch and chairs will look like the real treasures they are against white curtains and walls, surrounded by white wicker tables and magazine racks. Let the furniture be the star. Shabby Chic plays the perfect supporting role in any indoor décor!

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