Shabby Chic decorating is a style which most everyone is familiar with. Shabby Chic style is similar to cottage style decor and is known for white, distressed painted furniture, soft floral colors in pale shades of pink, blue and green, vintage accessories and comfortable, slip-covered furniture.

You'll probably find fresh cut flowers, antique lace tablecloths, scented candles and crystals hanging from the antique chandelier. Shabby Chic home decor includes a mix and match of fabrics such as stripes, florals and checks, tea stained fabrics and flea market finds. All in all, you will be comfortable and at home with Shabby Chic decorating if you enjoy a soft, floral, feminine style of decor.

So how do you go about creating the Shabby Chic look in your home? Let's take a closer look at this soft, inviting and comfortable style. And, here is some good news if you are decorating on a slim budget and looking for some cost effective decorating gems...Shabby Chic is definitely a style for you!

First, your Shabby Chic decorating color scheme will include white/ivory, and pale shades of pink, blue and green. The walls of your space can be painted any of those colors, and in fact, if you are creating Shabby Chic home decor throughout your home (consistency in home decor is a good idea!), think about using several different walls colors in different rooms.

Just make sure that whatever color you select for a room, you use on all of the walls to create a soft and consistent look. When you move into a different room or space, that is the place to use the next color.

Here's a Shabby Chic decorating idea gem for you, so take note: when selecting wall colors, utilize the hundreds of off-white shades available. Find a shade that has pink tones, for example, and try it out on a color board. You might be surprised at how much color a soft, soft shade of pink will provide on your walls. Paint the ceilings 'Ceiling White' and if the trim is painted, white is the choice.

Floors in Shabby Chic decorating should be comfortable and have that 'walk on me' look to them. Wood floors are a good choice and can be distressed if desired, with light to medium wood a good choice. If you are working with carpet, light colors are the most desirable.

The bottom line with Shabby Chic decor is that you work with what you've got, so if you have carpet that is a 'tired' brown tweed, you have a couple of options. You can rip up the carpet and work with the sub-floor underneath, scattering area rugs throughout the room. Or, you can keep the carpet in place, give it a good cleaning and use smaller area/throw rugs in your color palette to create a lighter overall look for the floor.

The next Shabby Chic decorating ideas are for the casegoods, or wood pieces in your decor. This is the fun part of Shabby Chic style, because you can use flea market finds, garage sale treasures, family antiques, antique reproductions or any piece of furniture that you love.

The key to Shabby Chic decor is to select pieces that are white washed or painted in light colors, or light to medium wood finishes. If you find the perfect dining table and mismatched chairs at the flea market, paint the table if it is a dark wood. It doesn't have to be perfect, in fact and shouldn't be. Put an elegant and romantic twist on an old dresser by replacing the drawer pulls with 'crystal' pulls.

Shabby Chic furniture is soft, comfortable, overstuffed with rounded edges and often includes slipcovers. Slipcovers can be a great option if your furniture is in good shape and/or if your budget won't allow for a change.

Fabrics should reflect the color palette as described above and patterns are usually soft florals, stripes and checks. Feel free to mix and match, making sure that if you have a large print floral, for example your other fabric patterns will be smaller overall. Again, if you are unsure how to select furniture for your Shabby Chic style, just remember:

• Soft pinks, greens, blues and white/off-white
• Florals, stripes and checks with a solid fabric a sensible option
• Mix and match fabrics - one large print and the others small prints

Window dressings are simple, breezy and unemcumbering, including cotton, gauze and lace. Use your imagination and keep the window treatments in mind when shopping at the antique store, flea market and garage sales.

Remember that tea-stained fabrics are a part of Shabby Chic home decor, so if you find the perfect window treatment at the flea market but it has some blemishes, go ahead and tea-stain it - the treatment will fit in perfectly!

Accessories in Shabby Chic decorating are what makes this style come alive and make it's own decor statement. There are several things to keep in mind when selecting and placing accessories in your Shabby Chic decor.

• There is an overall feeling of elegance and romance
• Vintage pieces work very well, but it is not 'country style'
• Think flowers, candles and lace, using restraint (more is not always better!)

Select your Shabby Chic decor accessories with care and from the heart, using what you love. If you think that adding one more piece might be too much, it probably is too much, so leave it out and live with the room for a day or two before you make a final decision. Start with the basic pieces in the room and build slowly, if that is what suits your budget. Add touches of elegance and your Shabby Chic decor will be complete!

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