Shabby Chic Bedroom

Shabby chic ("shabby" chic) ​​is a style that has recently become fashionable in apartment design. Cozy, careless, bohemian, artsy, but comfortable and cute, it will suit romantic natures, young girls and married couples. The entire dwelling and individual rooms, for example, a bedroom, are decorated in this style.

The birthplace of shabby chic is Great Britain. In the 80s of the XX century, the British used minimalism, which was popular at that time, in the design of apartments. Designer R. Ashwell got bored with simplicity and brevity - she decided to equip the house in the best old traditions. This moment became the starting point in the history of shabby, shabby chic (this is how the word “shabby” is translated).

Ashwell bought antique furniture and interior items at flea markets, restored and decorated them in accordance with the concept of "shabby bohemian". Gradually, the hobby turned into a business - buyers appeared, and the Shabby Chic style was firmly entrenched in art.

Shabby has a number of features and characteristics that were formed at the dawn of his appearance:

• Color spectrum. Its base is white. It should prevail in the interior. It is complemented by pastel, soft, muted tones - beige, cream, mint, pink. All colors are not flashy and calm, give peace and relaxation.
• Special furniture - antique or artificially aged. The advantage is that you don't have to spend fabulous money on new things. It is enough to purchase old items and carry out their restoration. New furniture, even if decorated with antique style, will look out of place.
• Romance in everything is the main motive of the shabby. Many colors, floral motifs and ornaments on furniture and textiles.
• Correct style unification of all interior details. Walls, ceiling, floor and furniture are made in a single concept and color palette, presenting as a result a single composition.
• For details - special and close attention. Designers advise to decorate furniture and small interior items with their own hands.

Shabby chic implies the use of natural materials, therefore, designers use wood for decoration, and cotton and linen from textiles. Such materials create a unique atmosphere of naturalness and the breath of nature.

You can sheathe the entire room with wood, or you can selectively finish several planes by mixing the texture of the finishing materials. The ceiling can be made suspended (always matte, it creates the effect of faded white), beams can be attached to the ceiling, if the height permits, the floor can be covered with light woods.

The walls are painted white, a rough finish is welcome (imitation of cracked old paint, clumsy plaster). Textured wallpapers or smooth ones with a delicate floral print will do.

The color gamut is limited. It is preferable to use white, against its background, other shades and designs will stand out favorably. Used dusty rose, sand, mint, crème brulee. The pastel palette allows you to focus on the antiquity of the decoration, as if the space and objects were burnt out in the sun.

In the Shabby Chic style, close attention is paid to furniture and its arrangement. A slight negligence is allowed here, which introduces a vintage flavor.

For the bedroom, you will need the following furniture:

• the bed is the centerpiece of the room. It can be wooden or metal with a wrought iron headboard;
• chest of drawers;
• chic sideboard in different sizes - from miniature to huge. This thing was popular in the 70s and 90s of the XX century, but the shabby still retains its relevance. One condition is that the doors must be aged;
• dressing table. A table with patterns looks bright, a large mirror in an old frame;
• upholstered furniture - sofa, armchairs, chairs;
• wicker furniture - table, rocking chair;
• lovers of experiments can add a fireplace, which will create additional comfort and warmth.

The arrangement of furniture depends on the taste of the decorator and on the configuration of the room. Most often, the bed is placed against the wall, other items are placed on the sides - bedside tables, drawers, dressers.

If the area allows, the room is mentally divided into two parts - a sleeping area (bed) and rest (a table with armchairs).

The lighting system is an important part of the style. Its main element is a large chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. The chandelier should reflect time and be aged. This will be emphasized by glass and crystal elements, delicate curls, lamps in the form of candles.

Table lamps with fabric shades are a godsend at flea markets. The chance to acquire such a thing should not be missed. She will give the interior integrity and a finished look.

Shabby loves subdued light, soft and enveloping. It is better to refuse an abundance of lamps and other light sources. The optimal arrangement of lighting devices is in the center of a large chandelier and dotted floor lamps.

Shabby chic is unthinkable without textiles. There is no need to adhere to minimalism in decorating a bed: there are many pillows of different sizes, a blanket, bedspreads. It is not necessary to make them in a single color scheme. But the general concept of the style is worth listening to: choose fabrics of soft colors, with faded floral prints or patterns. The pillows are arranged at the head of the bed in several rows, giving the structure an airy effect.

Bedroom curtains are selected from cotton, linen, chintz. The more natural the fabric, the more colorful the interior looks as a whole.

Textile variety is the basis of the bedroom. No need to buy expensive materials. The main combination of textures - light fabrics with coarse burlap will create a unique accent of antiquity and wear.

Any piece of furniture for a bedroom in the style of "bohemian shabby" can be made with your own hands.

To decoupage a small wooden table, you will need a number of tools and materials that are sold in many hardware, construction and art stores:

• sandpaper of different grain sizes, if possible - a grinding machine (with its help, work is carried out faster to prepare the surface for decoration);
• brushes of several sizes made of artificial bristles;
• acrylic paint (not enamel) beige;
• special glue and napkins for decoupage with floral patterns that match shabby chic;
• colorless matte varnish;
• putty and putty knife.

The table decoupage algorithm includes several stages.

• The first stage is preparatory. Using coarse sandpaper or a grinder, remove the top layer of the product. Sanding is necessary so that the subsequent decoration "grabs" more firmly with the surface of the table. After that, the thing is thoroughly cleaned of dust, examined for potholes, cracks, chips. If there are any, they must be putty and allowed to dry.
• Next, the table is primed with acrylic paint, all elements are painted over, there should not be a single unpainted area. The paint is applied in two layers with intermediate complete drying.
• After sandpaper, scuffs are formed. To do this, you need to walk with paper with pressure on the surface of the object so that the layer of beige paint is slightly erased, exposing the dark base.
• The second stage is decorating. A special napkin is glued to the designated places for patterns (drawing) with decoupage glue. The napkin has three layers. Only the top layer with the pattern is important, it is thin and requires accuracy. The napkin is glued from the center to the edge, smoothed in the same direction to avoid the appearance of bubbles. Drying time, for each glue, is indicated by the manufacturer on the label.
• The last stage is varnishing. Matt varnish will protect the product from external influences and give a finished look. The number of layers is at least ten, each layer is carefully dried.

See the next video for a decoupage master class.