Deborah TorresShabby chic is often described as country chic because it brings a feminine spin to country design schemes. Shabby chic is the sheer definition of fashionably rustic. This design style adores soft colors, such as sky blue and nursery pink. It promotes lace and satin while staying away from high gloss paint that shows off with shine. For many, this is a decorating scheme that resembles their personality perfectly. Before going all out repainting furniture, it’s important to pick the perfect paint for the walls and the trim.
Avoid Bright Colors
Shabby chic is reminiscent of country romance, so bright pink or fluorescent green are simply out of the question. Instead, homeowners that want the look are encouraged to stick with country colors, such as a warm medium blue or light green. These provide the relaxing ambience that this style has become known for.
Neutrals
Often, walls or trim are a neutral color. For example, the walls may be a sweet, pale pink color, which means the trims should be a neutral color. Whatever the color scheme is, at least one neutral color will be involved. Shabby chic paint colors provide several neutrals to choose from that will help complete the look. These include:
- Chalk white
- Antique white
- Crème
- Shades of grey
- Dark and medium brown
These neutrals all pair well with other shabby chic paint colors.
Soft Colors
This style is known for it’s use of antique white, but it also includes several soft colors. When thinking of colors that will coordinate with this decorating scheme, imagine nursery colors. Soft mint green, pale pink and baby blue are all popular colors used to complement this style. Often, these colors are used for the walls of the room.
Dark Colors
This style has evolved over the years to include various medium and dark colors on the pallete that interior designers have to choose from. Decorators occasionally opt for the dark blue-green when painting a nightstand, or a medium rose-pink picture frame. It should be noted that these are often used for accent pieces. They are not commonly seen as a choice for walls or a primary room color.
Contrast Looks Amazing
Some people prefer to stick with lighter colors for this decorating scheme, but the contract of a light and dark color together provides an amount of aesthetic appeal that remains unrivalled by safer decorating schemes. Instead of playing it safe, add accents of darker or lighter colors to a room to increase the energy in the room. For example, a pale pink room with antique white trim will be mesmerizing with a darker turquoise painting.
High Gloss Is Out of the Question
High gloss paint is readily available in the paint aisle, but this is one of the things that those going for this style should avoid. High gloss has a shine that is categorized with modern and contemporary designs. Instead, opt for a matte, satin or flat finish. These will all coordinate perfectly with other décor.
This is a feminine decorating style. It is not luxurious or flashy by design. Instead, it is soft romance, hence why choosing the perfect shabby chic paint remains important to those that would like to pull off this style.
