If you’re anything like me, you love a worn, chippy-paint, shabby chic piece of furniture. I am drawn to the feminine beauty of antique furniture with years of age, distress, pastel colors, and run-down simplicity. These are the elements of shabby chic style. As you may have guessed from some of my past posts, the shabby chic look is one of my favorites. There are pieces of “shabby chic” throughout my house, and it’s one of the top ways I makeover old furniture.

But how exactly do you do this? How do you create shabby chic? Today I’m going to share 5 great ways to give your furniture a shabby chic look. So if you’re interested in obtaining a little shabby chic style, read on.

 

1. Stripes

I recently shared my shabby chic French dresser flip in which I painted stripes on the front doors of my French provincial dresser with Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in Duck Egg Blue and Old White. Stripes are timeless. They bring French flare to any piece and are often used in shabby chic style. Just ask Rachel Ashwell.

 

2. Decoupage

The art of decoupage involves cutting out pieces of paper or fabric and essentially “gluing” them onto something (furniture in this case) with a special cohesive and sealant. Using this technique on furniture is a great way to give your piece a unique, one-of-a-kind look. Choosing the right colors and patterns, you can easily make any piece of furniture shabby chic. See how Margarida from Daisy & Thyme transformed her furniture using fabric and Mod Podge. (Side note: I’ve also heard wonderful things about graphic transfers, but have not personally used them myself, yet.)

 

3. Chalk Paint

Something that goes great under decoupage is chalk paint. I’ve been using chalk paint on my furniture for so long. Chalk paint isn’t the same as chalkboard paint, but you probably already knew that. In the last several years, Annie Sloan’s chalk paint has really had a moment. This type of paint is easy to work with, comes in a variety of colors, and gives your furniture a chalky and matte, worn, antique-look. It’s great if you want to give your piece of furniture shabby chic style. Annie Sloan’s paint was my first chalk paint love, but now there are so many alternatives that can be purchased from Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, Walmart, and even your local hardware store. Some paint brands that have jumped on the chalk paint bandwagon include Valspar, Waverly, Déco Art, and Rust-oleum, which also has spray chalk paint (really handy). Above, see how Veronica from Bliss & Blossom transformed her daughter’s vanity into this gorgeous shabby fairytale dream using chalk paint.

 

4. A Skirt

Adding a skirt to a coffee table, cabinet, or hutch, is a great way to add shabby chic femininity; it’s fun, flirty, and pretty. For this idea, using the right fabric is key. I like Jo-Ann and Walmart for purchasing fabric, but Etsy always has whimsical and unique options, too. Alternatively, if you have some curtains you love, just cut them to size and use stitch witchery (if you’re like me, & not so great with a sewing machine). To hang, try attaching Velcro strips, or use small tension rods.

 

5. Lace

Lace gives your furniture a beautiful & feminine “English garden” look. Adding it to a piece of furniture in place of a window, as a stencil, or in any other form is a great way to bring “pretty” and “classy” into your space. Etsy has some of my favorite lace. An easy way to attach lace to a hutch or armoire window or door is with a staple gun–my MIL just did this with a headboard.

 

I hope you try one of these 5 ways to give your furniture a shabby chic look, and if you have, leave me a comment and let me know how it went!

 

See some of my favorite shabby chic décor HERE.