{"id":450,"date":"2021-01-21T13:29:36","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T13:29:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.englishblinds.co.uk\/blog\/?p=450"},"modified":"2021-01-21T13:29:37","modified_gmt":"2021-01-21T13:29:37","slug":"is-shabby-chic-still-a-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.englishblinds.co.uk\/blog\/interior-design\/is-shabby-chic-still-a-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Is shabby chic still a thing, and should you be getting a taste for it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Shabby<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For many of us who never really got down with shabby chic the first (or second or third) times around, the whole idea can seem a bit like the emperor\u2019s new clothes. If you\u2019ve ever been the only person looking at something cheap and tatty and wondering why everyone else was cooing over it in delight, you\u2019ll know exactly where I\u2019m coming from with this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, so-called shabby chic is a fairly large catch-all title that encompasses everything from genuine French chateau antiques that are probably worth more than the building they\u2019re sitting in, to the clearance shelf of TK Maxx and everything in between.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buying something plasticky and slapping a bit of chalk paint on it can be passed off as shabby chic, as can gilt-coated polystyrene finials, and given that I\u2019m betting about 99% of you could visualise at least one of these crimes against d\u00e9cor immediately, it\u2019s no wonder that shabby chic gets a reasonable amount of hate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There must be something going for it however, as it is one of those styles that is fairly evergreen and never really ages badly or goes completely out of fashion, which is quite some going when you think that the style first began to build up a reasonable head of steam in the 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I challenge you to think of a single other style of d\u00e9cor that originated in the 80s that\u2019s still around (other than ironically) today; nope? Thought not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, is shabby chic still a thing, and should you be getting a taste for it? Well, yes and maybe respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Subtle though it is, it has gone through something of an evolution over the last few years, and no longer means either beating up a perfectly serviceable item of furniture or matt-painting anything that doesn\u2019t run for the tip fast enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to redecorate a room, your entire house, or just switch things up a bit and integrate a new style that goes with more or less anything, it may be time to give shabby chic another look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what you need to know about shabby chic in 2021 and beyond: A.K.A. \u201cshabby chic not shabby s**t.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is shabby chic?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to Wikipedia<\/a> (if learning that shabby chic actually has a Wikipedia page at all was something of a revelation to you, trust me you\u2019re not alone) shabby chic is comprised of furnishings that are \u201ceither chosen for their appearance of age and signs of wear and tear, or where new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of antiques.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It involves a lot of neutrals and pastels, cottage-style d\u00e9cor, and is intended to come off as cohesively charming in a mismatched, natural, and unforced kind of way. I say \u201cintended to\u201d for a reason, obviously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, shabby chic is the sort of look that when achieved organically couldn\u2019t ever really be described as unpleasant, but that can easily cross the line into kitsch or overly executed in real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We often think of shabby chic as being a kind of French country cottage style, but it actually originated here in Britain. Or at least, we claimed it by virtue of being the first nation to desecrate our own flag by reworking it in pastel tones and slapping in on the top of a chest of drawers, which is practically the same thing, no?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shabby chic design trends for 2021<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Shabby<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, what does shabby chic 2021 look like? Whatever you like, really, which is one of the main advantages of the style as a whole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a lot of room for creativity as well as of course a fair chance that if you just neglect your stuff for long enough you\u2019ll get there in the end with no effort, meaning that shabby chic really does have something for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That said, them in the know (the fancy interiors magazines, TV guys with big hair on makeover shows, your rich friend who is literally never out of fashion) tell us that the shabby chic of the future encompasses any or all of the following keynotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n