Dos and Donts: pro tips for a flawless shabby chic interior desig

Dos and donts and all you need to know about a shabby chic home décor that doesn’t trespass the kitsch line.

Shabby chic is a wonderful style for interior design, but is also a risky one: it very easy to get it wrong, overdo certain characteristics and step cross the thin line of kitsch. But how can you tell when a decoration detail is shabby chic or shabby kitsch? Here are the some tips to avoid mistakes and to have an elegant, refined and fresh home décor: all the dos and donts that will guide your choices.

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What is shabby chic style?

Like teachers always tells us at school, always start from the definition. And they are right! It is important to get to the routes of what this decoration style really is, in order to apply it to our homes, and combining it with our personal taste. Shabby chic is a very popular tendency because it manages to mix together a bunch of different trends, making them look new and innovative, with a playful freshness. The Provencal country side style encounters country-chic elements, vintage and retro vibes add a touch of elegance to the ensemble, all kept together with an effortless elegance, that seems casual, but it is calculated in every little detail. That is what the very soul of shabby chic is: to look effortless, easy and unforced, while actually being studies in the smallest element.

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Pastel shades, but not too much

Pastel shades are the most popular choice in shabby chic style: they are feminine, delicate, and they give an irresistible Provencal touch. Although they are able to give the environment a lightness and freshness that is very springy, it is always good not to exceed in the mix & match of pastel shades. Just a few fleeting touches of powder pink, robin’s egg blue or a delicate violet are enough to create a joyful environment. Be careful: don’t overdo. And keep in mind the fashion industry motto “less is more”, because it is not an empty common place.

Too much violet in this room? Check out more delicate bedroom interior designs by Morassutti Arredamenti here.

Don’t indulge in your collecting impulse

Now bend your ear to this: always choose quality over quantity. This is an advice to follow not only for a shabby chic home décor, but for any style you choose to decorate your house with. You may be tempted to fill your shelves and bookcases with tiny shabby chic ornaments and decoration, but it might not be a good idea. How can a beautiful decoration item stand out and be admired, if it is surrounded by a bunch of other objects? Focus on quality and don’t indulge in your compulsory accumulation desire: that will take you too close to the feared kitsch effect.  

This is a perfect example of a well-balanced decoration: richly decorated, but not too much. Find out more about String here.

A few good friends

To deepen the previous paragraph, we want to give some more specific tips, to complete our Dos and Donts. A shabby chic style that is truly worthy of its label is based on the careful choice of a few good quality accessories, combined with taste and placed in an elegant setting. To be such, the interior must follow the rules of balance and grace that are mainly based on the color combination and on the harmony of shapes. These selected objects don’t have to be plenty: just like for friends, we only need a few, as long as they are the best.

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Délabré, how far to go with it?

The lived-in look is undoubtedly one of the characteristics that are more often associated with the shabby chic interior design, but we should not be so quick in welcoming délabré furniture in our home décor. The bleached and vintage effect must be delicate and gentle: we do not want our furniture to look actually old, almost falling apart, like we just took it out of a thrift shop. The amount of délabré must be accurately regulated, by choosing a brand that can be able to reproduce the lived-in effect with elegance and class.

Discover more unique furniture design by Jardin D'Ulysse here.

Antique looking furniture

To put the cherry on top of our shabby chic cake, we need an antique-looking piece of furniture, some component or accessory that winks to the decorating style of the past. If you want to go antique all the way, you could choose a piece that not only looks from another century for its style, but something that tells something about those long gone times. For example, what about a dressing table? Let the Marie Antoinette who lives inside your heart come out, and select a French-style vanity table.

Find out more classic style furniture by Bellotti Ezio, click here.

Wait a second: did we say Marie Antoinette? We sure did! And we can’t mention our favorite female icon without deepen her character a bit. Here is an article that will give you some tips on decorating your bedroom like a true French boudoir, and live your contemporary Marie Antoinette fantasy.

A vintage mirror as the protagonist

What can reflect your personality and tastes better than a mirror? Make this piece  the absolute protagonist of your shabby chic interior design, by choosing a vintage style that will make it truly stand out. Be careful not to choose something too baroque: the rococo vibe can look excessive in a modern home. If you really like that style, select a light color for your vintage mirror: that will mitigate the rich details and the antique allure.

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Total white, do or don’t?

White is the number one banner of shabby chic style, but is really the right choice?  Antique mahogany furniture is often whitewashed, with a Provencal and maritime touch that is able to light up the room with a fresh beauty. But even the most elegant white shade is to be measured wisely without exaggerating its effect, otherwise environments gen look cold, aseptic and impersonal: just the opposite of what the shabby chic vibe wants to transmit. A good idea could be to combine pure white with beige, cream and other similar shades, and to add some touched of dark wood here and there: the environment will become  more warm and welcoming, but still super sophisticated.

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