Interior Design

5 Shabby Chic Living Room Decor Ideas That Are Also Affordable

Interior Design Room

The shabby chic trend is one of the most popular home décor trends of the year and is a great opportunity to start using those vintage pieces you keep finding in your parent’s house. The style became popular in the ‘80s, both as a way to give a new purpose to old items, as well as because of budget limitations some had to face. Since then, its popularity grew and magazines became filled with pages and pages of shabby chic décor ideas.

Below is a list of 5 affordable ways to bring this popular décor style into your living room.

Start With The Walls

To make the design of the room stand out, choose a neutral color for the walls. Either a white or a light beige wall painting is perfect for a romantic shabby chic living room. If you choose a brighter interior wall painting color, you risk making the room look too crowded and take the attention away from the furniture.

A neutral background does not necessarily mean it has to be dull. You can add dimension to the walls by using textured wall paint, or add pastel beams at the top of the wall for decoration. Adding a fireplace can also fit into the shabby chic concept and can be used as décor as well.

Get “Shabby”

The “shabby” part of shabby chic refers to distressed or vintage looking pieces of furniture, to give the room an antique feel. There are many ways you can achieve this look, without spending a fortune on designer pieces. Search local thrift stores for old pieces of furniture, which you can then repaint and give a distressed look by using sandpaper.

Thrift stores and yard sales are a gold mine for shabby chic lovers, plus the items are much more affordable than the ones you can find in stores. Not to mention that DIY-ing the furniture yourself will give the room a more personal touch and you will have the certainty that no one else has an identical piece at home.

Get Cozy

After picking out the furniture and customizing it to fit the aesthetic, it’s time to play with decorations. This is probably the most fun part, as you can customize the room as much as you like. Shabby chic is all about layers and coziness, so make sure to play with textures and materials.

The best way to give a cozy feel to the room is to make use of textile elements. You can add small rugs in various shapes in front of the couch, choose some blankets to throw around and lots and lots of pillows. You can even recreate a corner where you can sit on the floor, either in front of the window or near a wall.

Play With Accessories

When choosing décor pieces, make sure they all fit into the aesthetic of the room. Choose items that either are or look vintage and mix them around. You can either choose to go with just a few accent colors, or get more eclectic and play with various shades.

When it comes to shabby chic, keep in mind that the room can end up feeling cluttered if you don’t pay attention. To prevent this, take a few steps back and look at the room from time to time. This will give you more perspective. If you feel an item might be too distracting, remove it and set it aside for a while. Come back after you have finished decorating and see if you can find room for it or not.

Nature Is Your Friend

Shabby chic often focuses on making the room feel bright and light. One of the best ways to do so is to make sure you always have plants or flowers around. Go to the farmers market and buy wild flower bouquets, choose a simple vase and place them on the coffee table. You can go ahead and create a green corner, if the space allows. If not, buy some hanging baskets and add small pots in them. This can double as wall décor as well and will give the room a more breezy feeling.

Incorporating natural materials can also help. Play with wood elements either for shelving or décor pieces, to give a more rustic feeling.

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Danuta Smoluk is a teacher with over three decades of experience teaching both children and adults. She specializes in teaching the Polish language to English-speakers. She has a master's degree in primary and early childhood education from WSP Słupsk (currently Pomeranian University in Słupsk) and had her degree validated by University of Toronto. Aside from education, she also has an interest in real estate and home improvement. She has planned and supervised many house renovations. She loves interior design, cooking, and gardening.

One Comment

  • Rommy

    Ok I LOOVEE these ideas for home deco and interior design. Really good read, and I will definitely get on accessorising my space! Thanks.

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