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Trend: Shabby Chic

Not sure if you have noticed a trend that is becoming more and more “fabulous” if you ask me in the Wedding World! But as more and more Weddings are photographed we are definitely seeing a lot more SHABBY CHIC trends!

If you are not exactly sure what Shabby Chic is let me give you a little lesson on it. Shabby Chic is really a form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen from their age and signs of wear and tear or new items are distressed to look like they are antique. A soft, minimalistic and feminine feel is emphasized to differentiate it from vintage decor hence “chic” in the name. Shabby chic items are often heavily painted through the years, with many layers showing through obviously time-worn areas. Fabrics tend to be cottons and linens, with linen being particularly popular, inspired by old French linens. The essence of today’s shabby chic style is vintage and antique furniture with the original aged paint, or painted white (or another soft pastel color) and distressed at the corners by sanding.

The style started in Great Britain and evokes the type of decoration found in large country houses where there are worn and faded old chintz sofas and curtains, old paintwork. The end result of shabby chic is to achieve an elegant overall effect. Recycling old furniture and fabrics is an important aspect of the look and was especially popular with modern Bohemians and artisans that made up a sidelined counter-culture movement during the 1980s when expensive quality decor became very fashionable with the upper middle classes. The original shabby chic interiors were usually considered in themselves works of art.

I personally LOVE Shabby Chic. I feel that is really allows for ones creativity to be quote on quote “unleashed”. It allows you to mix new with the old and to really have fun with things, especially at Weddings! Using old and distressed wood items such as picture frames, signs, chairs are great ways to incorporate a Shabby Chic look into your Wedding. You can also incorporate the look by sticking with pastel colors. Mixing hand-made items such as Mason Jars with twine wrapped around the jar, Wooden letters covered in moss perhaps the monogram of the couple getting married, or even hand crafted flag banners! All of these things are great ways to incorporate Shabby Chic into your Wedding Day!

I am actually coordinating a Wedding in July that is definitely going to include some great Shabby Chic details! I can’t waitttt to share those photos with you in July, but in the meantime I did some inspiration searching on some great Shabby Chic decor, cakes, etc and I thought it would be great to share them here with you.

Enjoy…