How to Give Furniture That Shabby Chic Look
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.
Don't 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 achieve 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.
First off.
Stick to a pastel colour scheme.
Don't 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 achieve 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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