Shabby Chic

Shabby Chic is a comfortable, casual look using vintage accessories, pastels, and comfortable furniture. While people have been living with old lace tablecloths, dreamy soft floral fabrics, light painted furniture furniture, and wrought iron curtain rods with filmy sheer curtains, this hip look allows people to change old and threadbare items into a stylish interior. Similar to Retro Metro, Shabby Chic excels in the combination of two looks. Shabby Chic puts a higher value on quality rather than age or newness, enabling Shabby Chic furniture to look oldor worn in. This look is often obtained by rummaging through garage sales, flea markets or even your attic. Easy ways to identify the Shabby Chic look are soft pastel colors, vintage looking furniture and fabrics, Cotton and linen, a combination of stripes, checks and floral patterns, and most noticeably white painted furniture.

Many credit Rachel Ashwell for coining the term "shabby chic" when she began her voyage into the interior decorating world in the late 1980's. As mentioned earlier,
the style began when Rachel was searching for furniture at garage sales and flea markets. In an interview, Rachel says she picked furniture that had "good bones and nice lines." Originally she began just decorating for her family and her own home but soon expanded to others, and now writes her own books, opening shabby chic stores and even has a spot on TV.

Like Retro Metro, Shabby Chic strives on the combination of an new and old look. The style rests on the relaxing Aura it provides with relaxing colors and elegance. The hipness surrounding this look, which is also tied to it's popularity is the fact that while Shabby Chic revels in the vintage look, consumers enjoy the beauty of knowing that the image created is a mere illusion. The look today is commonly found in living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms.


Shabby Chic is not however a complete invention. While Rachel Ashwell is credited with naming the shabby chic look and pattoning it, the look was not created by her. Shabby Chic is originated from Europe, similar to most other interior design styles, and more specifically is derived from traditional British decorating that is similar to what we know as he cottage look. Over time the look has taken on is own distinct characteristics and themes, and now has concretely defined itself as its own style.

According to an interior design artist, the Shabby Chic look has evolved into a timeless one that has found its niche customers and despite loosing popularity recently will not fade out.


http://interiordec.about.com/cs/stylesofdecor/a/shabbychic_2.htm
http://interiordec.about.com/od/cottagestyle/a/a_shabchicstyle.htm
http://www.lavenderfieldsonline.com/
Interview Conducted With Cynthia Loiacono on 4/27/07
Interview Conducted with Sandy McRae on 4/28/07