What The Benefits Are Of Shabby Chic Furniture

A friend of mine recently told me she was going out to buy some shabby chic furniture, to which I helpfully replied that she might be better off looking for new furniture, rather than shabby furniture. She patiently explained that she wasn’t looking for shabby furniture, but shabby chic furniture, which was totally different, and totally lost on me at the time.

However, having purchased a range of furniture for her dining room, and for her bedroom that was in the shabby chic style, I was treated to a guided tour to educate me a little more about what shabby chic is all about. I must admit that I realised immediately what it was all about, and can see the appeal.

She has an old house, with stone walls and exposed beams, and it has a real cottage feel to it. Somehow, shiny new contemporary furniture just doesn’t look right in an older property, but antique furniture could be fearfully expensive, and it’s not always possible to find items of furniture that match existing items you already have in the room.

Shabby chic is a style that has gained in popularity over the last few years, although in truth it’s been around for a very long time. Although the style has been around for ages, the name given to it is relatively new, which is why most people think that shabby chic furniture is a new idea.

If you’re not entirely certain what is meant by shabby chic, then let me explain briefly what it’s all about. Antique furniture can look fantastic, because it has class, elegance and a fine pedigree. It looks interesting, settled, at home, and has far more character and appeal than shiny new furniture that is delivered in a flat pack. But the problem with antique furniture is that it can be expensive, may not always be completely stable or solid, and may not necessarily suit existing furniture in the room.

A much more affordable and convenient solution is to purchase brand new furniture which looks like classy antique furniture, particularly antique furniture with a French inspired theme to it. The furniture that my friend had chosen included tables, chairs, a side cabinet and mirrors for the dining room, plus an armoire, dressing table, mirrors, bed and bedroom chairs for upstairs. All the furniture was very much of the same style, with a soft cotton-like white painted effect over the wood, which was clearly distressed in key areas to make it look as though the furniture had been around for generations.

This is where the name comes from then, with the shabbiness of antique furniture combined with the chic style that works so well today. But the best thing about shabby chic furniture is that it works in so many different ways and in so many different types of home. Modern homes, and apartments, old cottages, Victorian terrace properties and new build townhouses can all accommodate shabby chic furniture in different ways, and to great success. Certainly when it comes to French inspired faux antique furniture there is nothing shabby about being chic.

About the Author

Sweetpea & Willow are a leading supplier of stunning Shabby Chic Furniture including a wide selection of beautiful Shabby Chic Bedroom Furniture and accessories.

The height of French chic, from saddles to scarves

SHABBY & CHIC FRENCH PARIS METAL CROWN DECOR PIECE W/ FLEUR DE LIS $34.99

Chic Black 50′s Style A-Line Dress @ FRENCH CONNECTION Sz.0 $9.99

JOIE DE VIVRE Joy of Life Paris Sign French Decor CHIC $15.95

Vintage French Lace Curtains~Shabby Chic~Roses~1m50Lx1m30cmsW $11.76

Shabby French Vintage Style Chic Wooden First Aid Pharmacie Medical Storage Box $24.70

Shabby Vintage French Chic Floral Postcard Long Wooden Photo Frame 7 Pictures $20.37

Shabby Vintage French Chic Postcard Wooden Kitchen Utensil Tidy Bottle Holder $18.80

Shabby French Floral FOOTSTOOL Chic Roses on Sage Green Painted Wooden Feet $24.99

Shabby Vintage French Style Chic Plaque Jardin Botanique Rose Metal Heart Sign $9.39

SUPERB FRENCH ANTIQUE BRONZE DRESS HOOK w. ACANTHUS LEAVES SO SHABBY CHIC $90.00

Shabby Vintage French Style Chic Wooden 2 Hearts Carte Postale Photo Frame $18.80

Shabby Vintage French Style Chic Wooden 3 Hearts Carte Postale Photo Frame $21.94

SHABBY CHIC FRENCH ANTIQUE CHROMO PRINT FRUIT BASKET COPPER POTS OLD GOLD FRAME $175.00

RACHEL ASHWELL SIMPLY SHABBY CHIC WHITE FRENCH DRESSER MIRROR $99.98

VINTAGE FRENCH SHABBY CHIC Cafe au Lait BOWL RED LINES $34.00

French Chic, Lavender Design Tapestry Cushion / Pillow $23.44

French Shabby Chic look Vintage Bisque Placque $8.00

VINTAGE DISTRESSED FRENCH CHIC Embroidered SAMPLER PICTURE FRAME $14.99

*BLUE FLOWER *VINTAGE FRENCH CHIC AND SHABBY HEART $6.26

* CHANDELIER *VINTAGE FRENCH CHIC AND SHABBY HEART $6.26

*PINK FLOWER *VINTAGE FRENCH CHIC AND SHABBY HEART $6.26

* VINTAGE BUTTERFLY *VINTAGE FRENCH CHIC AND SHABBY HEART $6.26

4 VINTAGE FRENCH TEA CUPS – SHABBY CHIC – CUP BOWL – LUSTUCRU DESIGN $54.00

2 VINTAGE FRENCH SHABBY CHIC Cafe au Lait BOWLS – PEONIES - $54.00

DIVINE SHABBY CHIC FRENCH ANTIQUE LITTLE GIRL DOLL CRADLE Wght IRON NET GONDOLA $350.00

DELICIOUS ANTIQUE FRENCH SHABBY CHIC TRINKET BOX SACRE COEUR PARIS FRANCE $175.00

Shabby French Country Chic Hanging Chicken Wire/Tin Jar Holder Quart or Pint New $17.99

Designer French Poodle Brooch/Pin from Erstwilder Collection – So Chic Madame! $23.94

SHABBY CHIC WHITE FRENCH ETOILE SUGAR BOWL & SPOON – MATCHING ITEMS AVAILABLE $14.04

French Cottage Chic Vintage Pair Brass Shell Scroll Candleholder Wall Sconces $24.99

Retro Shabby Vintage Metal Vanity Mirror Tray Chic~French Cottage~Paris Galm $29.99

FRENCH ANTIQUE COLOR CHROMO SIGNED PRINT FRUIT BASKET SHABBY CHIC TIMEWORN FRAME $90.00

OLD SHABBY CHIC VINTAGE AMERICAN SYROCO SAMPLER PLATE PERFECT FRENCH NORDIC $115.00

VINTAGE PAINTING PRINT DOMERGUE FRENCH FASHION LADY CHIC ON CANVAS READY TO HANG $45.00

Gorgeous Trio of Shabby Chic French Language Books / 1950/60s / Decoration $10.90