Shabby Chic is the latest trend in furniture and style. Unlike most trends, however, it is not just some passing fad or fashionable idea.
It is so suitable to this modern age, encapsulating our need for looks and style while still being kind to the environment, that Shabby Chic is here to stay. And it is pretty obvious why.
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What Is Shabby Chic?
When something is ‘shabby’ we might consider it as being slightly worn or rough around the edges. ‘Chic’ implies a delicate beauty and style. They seem almost opposing in nature but perfectly sum up what the shabby chic style is about. A blending from old to new. Taking the rough and making it smooth. Turning an old, forgotten and maybe scruffy, 2nd hand piece of furniture and giving it a new lease of life and renewed attraction, yet still retain its antique feel.
If you’ve ever looked at a shabby chic piece you may even think the ‘shabby’ bit comes from the phrase ‘not too shabby’ which we use when meaning something is great or fantastic.
Shabby chic is defined, by Wikipedia, as ‘a style of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear or where new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique’.
Shabby chic pieces come in a wide array of choice. From coffee tables to chairs, tables to beds, you’ll be sure to find the furniture you want in the style you want too.
Why We Love Shabby Chic
The reasons shabby chic has taken off as a style are many. Chief amongst them would be the shabby chic look, its accessibility, and its appeal to our environmentally friendly nature.
The Shabby Chic Look
Something has to appeal to our sense of beauty for us to have an interest in looking at it and the shabby chic style certainly does that. Its soft pastel or slightly off-white tones which give off elegant antique vibes give the style a classic eloquence which we can all appreciate.
The Accessibility Of Shabby Chic
Another reason we love shabby chic is accessibility. For the first time great furniture wasn’t just the purvey of the experts. You didn’t have to be an antique furniture expert to know what a good piece of furniture was. Anyone with a bit of inspiration and creativity could visit their local 2nd hand shop, pick up a solid, yet unloved, piece of furniture, do the work necessary, a bit of sanding, painting etc, and voila! They had their very own piece of desirable, and more valuable, piece of shabby chic furniture.
Suddenly, we had more of a hand in the finished look of the furniture with which we adorn our homes.
Shabby Chic And Environmental Friendliness
Only a fool would try and tell you that furniture making is 100% environmentally-friendly. No matter how much a company tries to cut down on emissions, or use more renewable energy, it will always have some sort of damaging effect on the environment.
While any ‘new’ shabby chic furniture is made as environmentally-friendly as possible it is the pieces which are created from existing furniture which are the least damaging.
The furniture production damage has been done some time in the past. If anything, you are giving that piece of furniture a new lease of life, of longevity. And by doing so may negate any new production damage being done in the future. Similar to upcycling, shabby chic is like a type of recycling. And we all know how important that is.
Shabby chic is the latest trend that is here to stay. Thanks to its endearing and enduring appeal we have fallen in love with it. From the antique, almost worn, look, which exudes class and taste, to its lessened impact on the environment it will always have a place in our hearts.
