How to make furniture have the Shabby Chic Look
Filed Under (Chic Updates) by admin on 24-09-2009
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For those that want to embark on their own project to create the shabby chic look there are some key things to remember. First off. Stick to a pastel colour scheme. Dont use lots of different colours, but choose 1 or at the most 2 soft colours. Pastel blue, pink, green and yellow are common colors as are whites and creams. If you are looking to do this as quick as possible, then a can of white spray paint will transform your item of furniture in a matter of hours.
Very popular with this style of furniture is aging it, or the "distressed" look. Here are a few simple steps to acheive this look.
- Remove fixtures and fittings if possible, this should include parts that may be effected by water or paint.
- Wash the item with soap and water.
- Remove the "hardware" such as hinges, handles etc that have a modern look to them.
- Carefully sand down the furniture in preparation for the first coat of paint.
- This base coat should be in a contrasting colour to your top colour. IE if you are finishing the item in white, then it would be a good idea to use black or perhaps a light blue as the base coat.
- All the first coat (the base coat) to completely dry and then lightly sand the furniture again to give the next coat a key
- Paint the top colour now. If the base coat is dark you will most likely need to apply two or three coats, but make sure you allow each coat to dry completely and then sand lightly.
- Now comes the fun part! Aggressively sand small areas of the furniture like the corners. Then sand small portions of the surfaces in order to expose small portions of the base color. This will give the furniture a distressed, worn look.
- Finally replace the removed hardware (hinges handles etc) with glass versions or rusted versions.
If country living isn't your style, keep in mind that a well placed shabby chic item mixed into a contemporary or formal room can add an element of surprise and a welcoming feel to any home.
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SHABBY CHIC GREY WOODEN PINE DRESSER BOOKCASE FURNITURE |  |
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£725.00 | 1h 23m |
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SHABBY CHIC WHITE WOOD PINE DRESSER BOOKCASE FURNITURE | |
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£695.00 | 1h 31m |
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CREAM blue SHABBY CHIC BEDSIDE TABLE FRENCH FURNITURE | |
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£149.00 | 1h 50m |
Thanks for the tutorial. My wife fixes up our furniture all the time. She’s a real crafty diva, I’ll definitely forward her to this website for your tutorial.
Ray@Solid_Wood_Computer_Desks´s last blog ..Wood Laptop Computer Desks
Hey, nice job, there is a lot of useful information here.
I am not such a handy man myself, but I think I might pull of this job, if I stick to your tips.
This type of furniture is not just for the interior, I have a beautiful backyard where I could put such furniture, with an old, aged look. I would look great… at least I hope
Romy @ Antique coffee table´s last blog ..How to restore antique coffee tables
This information is right on. My wife enjoys buying older furniture and completely redesigning it to make a nice shabby look. Everyone thinks most of our items are expensive and store bought, but little do they know that we follow most of your steps the letter.
Dave @ Contemporary Dining Chairs´s last blog ..Contemporary Dining Chairs
Dave has something cool going on there. I bet he has a lot of nice good looking pieces of furniture in his home. I wonder if you can follow this steps to redesign some furniture, and then sell it on a yard sale or something
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Vio @ Outdoor chaise lounge´s last blog ..Privacy Policy
“I love the look of shabby chic and your article has certainly given me some refreshing new ideas to work with. Distressed furniture works well with almost any decor and adds a touch of whimsy to even the most elegant furnishings.
Distressed furnishings also work well in outdoor casual rooms like pergolas. Old or new furniture bought cheaply from second-hand dealers or yard sales can be distressed to give it a wonderful warm and homely feel which is perfect for such rooms.”
Thanks for this great tut!
It’s such a shame that so many really great pieces of furniture end up in the junk yard when they no longer fit in with their modern surroundings. Shabby chic is so “in” at the moment and distressing can give those old pieces a whole new lease of life.
peter@Solid Wood Furniture´s last blog ..Types of Wood used in furniture
Thanks for the advice, im looking to give my home a small makeover and this has given me some ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Great tutorial, thanks for sharing! This is going to work out great for our extra bedroom. What a cheap and easy way to change the style of a room, thanks again!