Shabby Chic accessories

Achieving the shabby chic style is as simple as finding hard-wearing, simple and practical objects that stand the test of time. In addition to being attractive to the eye, shabby chic objects are beautiful in their own right, even if they are slightly imperfect: For example, a worn out chest of draws that has been passed along generations.

In addition to hardwearing and practical, shabby chic style should be comfortable and cozy. Think cottage-like and handcrafted over sleek, clean edges and modern designs. In the shabby chic home, the guest should be free to put their cup on the table, or the dog lie on the rug. The shabby chic home should be welcoming and inviting.

Although quintessentially, shabby chic style is the appreciation of pretty, loved and well looked after items that can be passed from generation to generation, nowadays you can buy many brand new "shabby chic" accessories that have been manufactured to look as if they're the real deal. This certainly takes a lot less time than it would to hunt down items in antique fairs and refurbish, clean or fix them to make them ready for your home.

If you are looking for some shabby chic design inspiration, look no further:

Lovely Lavender by BowBoutique

Both the lavender colour and the plant matches well with the shabby chic style and will look perfect in the home. Do you grow lavender in your garden? Snip off lots of sprigs and put them in a clear glass vase in your kitchen for that quintessential cottage feeling.

If you have a lot of white furniture and ornaments, use lavender and purple as an accent colour. Add a small print here, a poster there and soon you'll have a shabby chic style that everyone is envious of!

Food Glorious Food - shabby chic kitchen design by BowBoutique

Incorporating shabby chic into the kitchen needn't be difficult. Pair glass and light ceramics with pale pastel colours. Add some cream retro scales and very soon your kitchen will have the highly coveted shabby chic style too!

Vintage cake stands are always a surefire way to incorporate a bit of shabby chic into the kitchen or dining room. But we warn you, your cakes won't stand on them looking pretty for long.. they'll soon be snapped up by greedy fingers!

This list will give you inspiration for getting the shabby chic look in your home. Further, it will give you ideas about which shabby chic accessories you need to achieve the look. If you'e on a budget, try starting off by getting just one or two items per month and asking for the rest on birthdays and for Christmas?

Shabby chic accessories for the bedroom:
In the bedroom you will need some good quality, thick curtains. My favourite are lovely lined cream curtains but duck egg blue, pale pink or a biscuit colour would work fine too. Dark colours could work too if they are an accent colour carried out through the rest of the room. Choose a vintage or ornate mirror, a lovely white glass vase and some twinkly fairy lights around your headboard. Finally, you'll need some pretty lamps, a matching lampshade and a coordinating shabby chic style bedspread.

Shabby chic accessories for the kitchen:
I think the easiest way to achieve a shabby chic theme in the kitchen is by opting for a warm, cosy cottage feel. Think plenty of chicken ornaments, old fashioned 'tea and coffee' signs, lots of ditsy china on a good, old fashioned refurbished dresser and if you can afford it, of couse, a lovely AGA cooker! (And they even do them in the classic shabby chic cream colour!)

Shabby chic accessories for the living room:
Try pairing a statement wall (perhaps a Cath Kidston or Laura Ashley wallpaper?) with lots of neutral or wooden accessories. Choose a plain, complimenting sofa and seek out a patchwork throw cover. Add plenty of cushions - all mismatched - and lots of photos in shabby chic photo frames and voila - you have the perfect shabby chic style living room!

1) Don't be too contrived: If every object in your house is a brand new white piece of furniture you won't get the look you're after. You need to seek out genuine shabby chic accessories too. Look for old fashioned lamps, mirrors and vintage china for your house. The chips, grit and imperfections of the accessories you find make them more 'real' to the theme.

2) Mix textures: Don't choose a lot of whitewashed wood and hope for the best. Mix crystal beaded chandeliers, silk and velvet fabrics, paintings, tarnished vases and rusty, old table legs.

3) It doesn't all need to be all white: You can experiment with bolder colours, dainty prints and colourful patterns if you like. Use them to compliment the white pieces you have chosen. Find accessories in the additionally colours you've chosen to accent them.

4) Don't pander to the theme: The best shabby chic homes integrate several looks based on their owners' tastes. If your home looks too planned, professionally decorated and enslaved by the shabby chic theme you will not pull off the look succesfully. However be careful of step 5.

5) Shabby chic does NOT mean clutter: Don't think that dozens of trinkets, a whole load of accessories and a million old, recycled cushions will make your room look 'shabby chic.' Avoid clutter by carefully choosing and selecting which accessories you want for each room. Put the rest in storage and hide anything you can away. For example, think do those shoes need to be there, or could I get away with putting them in a closet or a shoe rack.