Shabby chic kitchens are now one of the most sought after kitchen styles in the modern world; especially on farms. However, it is by no means a new look, having originally evolved in the mid-20th century, when it became a popular method of creating an acceptable and charming way of decorating when money was tight after World War II.
The essential element that evokes the shabby chic look is a timeless elegance where furniture doesn’t have to match, as long as all its pieces look attractive, slightly worn and closely related in color or tone. True shabby chic in your kitchen should reflect the grace and beauty of a bygone era, when life was simpler and more natural.
Shabby chic kitchen styles are characterized by the comfort of a country style combined with the extravagance of the old world. Typically based on understated whites, off-whites, or very pale colors such as soft greens, pale blues, pale yellows, or muted beiges, décor should look effortless and completely understated.
Before you start creating this much-loved look, take a look at your kitchen and consider the existing look in terms of wall colors, cabinets, appliances, countertops, and even cookware. Also take note of the size and layout of the room to determine if there is enough floor space to accommodate additional pieces or wall space needed for additional cabinets or shelving. If not, start thinking about how you could change the current look for a more rustic feel. Freshly painted walls and certain paint effects on furniture, along with the right accent pieces, will help change the entire look of your kitchen.
In general, most kitchen walls are best painted plain white or light shades to maximize the amount of light, however for something a little more unusual you can also try painting your walls in a white striped pattern. and wide cake. However, if you prefer wallpaper, to make your kitchen look more homey, it’s best to choose a muted floral pattern, especially roses or small bouquets of daisies or forget-me-nots.
Keep in mind, however, that as adorable as vintage wallpaper may look, it shouldn’t even be considered if your kitchen doesn’t have proper ventilation to prevent excessive fogging when cooking; otherwise, it will soon re-wallpaper!
Cement floors, grotesque tiles, or sticky linoleum are complete anathema to the shabby chic kitchen style, so they’ll need to be replaced with something more in keeping with its new soft, natural look. This, of course, can be a major and expensive undertaking, so if you don’t want to completely replace your kitchen floor, you can simply add lots of kitchen rugs or rugs in muted pink, blue, green or floral patterns; just be sure to choose colors that complement your existing walls and floors.
Smooth wooden boards can be given a new lease of life by sanding and varnishing them to prevent splinters on bare feet! They can also be stained in a ‘natural’ wood colour, but be careful not to go too dark and make your kitchen look gloomy and gloomy. Very pale wood can be stenciled into an interesting design before varnishing, but make sure the design ties in with your existing color scheme. A clever floor design could be used to emphasize a special feature, such as an old sofa, a favorite rocking horse, or a freestanding butcher block.
Kitchen furniture and cabinets can be decorated with several exciting paint finishes, which are then weathered to varying degrees depending on how “shabby” you want your kitchen to look. If you’re not sure how to go through the harrowing process, just bookmark ‘How to Paint Shabby Chic Furniture’ on the internet and you’ll find lots of information and even videos on Youtube.com that cover the subject in depth.
To avoid an overly modern look, you should always replace any current hardware on kitchen cabinets and door furniture with something more appropriate, such as vintage glass or ceramic knobs; which will actually look much more authentic. You can often find just what you need on eBay or you can try exploring some of the more reputable building reclamation yards. Sometimes it’s worth buying old cabinets or doors just to reclaim stunning or unique cabinet and door accessories.
If your current kitchen appliances don’t look remotely good in your new kitchen, you can repaint them to match everything else, as fortunately there are companies that repaint appliances. Alternatively, if you want to replace appliances entirely, there are also companies that sell retro-style appliances.
Don’t forget to give your kitchen a light and airy window treatment. Curtains, rather than blinds, are a great way to emphasize shabby chic, especially delicate floral prints, held up with antique tiebacks. For a cleaner, simpler look, you can also use cotton netting strung over pine poles or even sheer lace, covering only half of the window.
Keep in mind that one of the joys of shabby chic is that it uses less-than-perfect pieces, so check out sundry sales, yard sales, and even dumpsters. Someone else’s trash can be the perfect showpiece for your shabby chic kitchen. A start-up with a nice paint finish or some floral material can breathe new life into many forgotten treasures.
The right accessories will simply “make” your kitchen shabby chic, so these need to be chosen and placed very carefully to give the right effect. This stage of achieving the shabby chic look is like planting a country garden, in that everything should look completely natural and as if it happened by chance.
However, as any expert gardener will tell you, it takes a little thought and planning to create the right natural look. Exactly the same will apply to your kitchen but, being careful not to clutter the workspace or surfaces too much, you can easily develop the feeling of worn elegance simply by applying a little imagination, time and effort and, best of all, not It will cost you a fortune.
Some really cool additions to your kitchen might include distressed corner shelves for old battered cookbooks, victorian potties for plants, antique spice racks, embroidered hand towels and home woven linens on wrought iron hooks, oven mitts well-used, 1950s tin can sets and cookie cutters, Grandma’s washboard, sepia-framed photos, Imperial kitchen scales, a rose-patterned china tea service, wooden crates vintage and serving bowls, old baking sheets, copper pans, fish pots and of course lots and lots of fresh flowers.
Lastly, remember that the true shabby chic look can only be achieved by being understated, so you don’t need to have every element of your kitchen worn, mismatched or floral. Sometimes less is definitely more and it is also vital that your own personality comes into play to make your dream kitchen particularly special and unique to you.
