Shabby chic cuisine - the harmony of practicality and romance

Shebby chic style for those who love a romantic stop, home comfort and antiques that have a chance for a second life. If your home has furniture left over from grandparents, well-preserved, but slightly battered by life, with cracked paint, the shabby style will be an ideal option for the effective integration of such pieces of furniture into a modern kitchen space. Initially, the style was born as opposed to minimalism in order to save money on the purchase of interior items - cabinets and chests of drawers bought on flea markets were surrounded by the corresponding attributes, interwoven in the design with modern elements of interior decoration and effectively decorated. From the resulting design of the spaces, the atmosphere was warm and cozy, with a comfortable atmosphere with notes of romanticism.

The style of shabby chic was most often used to decorate country houses or urban dwellings, but with a considerable area. At present, it is possible to integrate elements of shabby-style within the framework of a city apartment. Using the style of "shabby chic" in the bedroom or living room is not enough to surprise anyone, but the use of antiques and shabby surfaces in the kitchen space is a rather rare occurrence among our compatriots.

Shabby style combines elements of many styles - baroque, rococo, vintage, country in its various variations, for example, Provence. The main requirement for the design of the premises is light negligence, traces of antiquity, but with the prerequisite for creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. For the decoration of the kitchen in the style of shabby chic, it is easiest to use country style as the basis. Wooden beams on the ceiling in their natural form or painted, whitewashed in white, with tears and crevices, plastered surfaces with whitewash in bright colors - perfect for a shabby style kitchen space.

Most often, the kitchen in the style of shabby chic is done in bright colors, white color and its variations will be the perfect backdrop for furniture and decor. At the inception of the style, the decoration was used, which looked as if it had remained a legacy from the grandmother along with home ownership. Nowadays, there are a wide variety of finishing materials that effectively simulate aged surfaces - wallpaper and ceramic tiles “for concrete walls”, textile material for burlap, old brickwork and peeling paint.

If the use of wallpaper with the effect of old cracked walls is not your option, you can opt for the traditional versions of monophonic decoration, but in this case, it is necessary to use the effect of scuffing in the furniture and decor.

Use the old decoration as a basis - refresh the whitewash of the ceiling, use the stucco molding to decorate the ceiling plinth or rosette around a luxurious chandelier and the style of shabby chic will receive a share of Rococo and Baroque motifs in the decoration of the kitchen space. Antique furniture with peeling surfaces against the background of a luxurious finish looks not only original, but also creates the necessary atmosphere of warmth and comfort, which is possible only in a house that preserves the traditions of generations.

Floral print is one of the design features of the rooms in the style of shabby chic. If in the bedroom or living room the use of a floral pattern does not cause problems, reflected in the textile design of the rest areas and windows, upholstery and decoration of many interior items. There may not be any textiles in the kitchen room.If the kitchen’s quadrature allows, you can use wallpaper with floral patterns to finish accent walls, combining the pattern on vertical surfaces with curtain designs, upholstery in the dining area or a tablecloth on the dining table.

Cladding walls, ceilings and floors with light-colored wooden lining is another way to design a kitchen in the style of shabby chic. You can use unpainted wooden slats of panels, but choose exclusively light wood. Shebby chic is a bright and clean image, but with a touch of antiquity and attrition, cozy and comfortable, a bit sloppy, but always interesting.

The use of ceramic tiles for lining the surfaces of kitchen spaces is one of the possibilities of introducing a Shabby chic style into the interior. Not only decorating the kitchen apron with ceramic tiles with ornaments and floral prints brings practicality to the kitchen design, presented in an attractive appearance, but also facing the floor with ceramic granite imitating stone or wooden surfaces.

Traditional furniture sets made of wood with facades painted in bright colors will look more than relevant in a Shebby chic style kitchen. For those who want to get an interior identical to those times when the style was just in its infancy, they would have to artificially age the furniture or borrow a furniture ensemble from their grandmother’s inheritance. Those homeowners who are not ready to go so far as to match the style will use the classic headset version with simple facades painted in bright colors. All shades of white and pastel colors will not only allow you to visually expand the space, but also make the atmosphere of the kitchen more festive, bright and positive.

The upper tiers of kitchen cabinets are often represented by facades with glass inserts, sometimes half of the kitchen set is presented in the form of cabinets. Let's not forget that the style of shabby chic is not only for romantics and lovers of cozy home warmth, but also for collectors who like to put on display pretty things for the heart. So why not boast beautiful dishes or original kitchen accessories?

The manifestation of country style in the framework of the Shabby style is not limited to decoration. As in the Provence style, the furniture of the kitchen space in the style of “shabby chic” has its own characteristics - in addition to using the grandmother's set, which has been restored, but reliable and durable, the notes of antiquity are also present in the performance of the dining group. Very often in the Shabby-style kitchens, you can see open shelves as an alternative to the upper tier of kitchen cabinets. If you have beautiful, memorable dishes for you, souvenirs brought from various trips - open shelves above the working surfaces of the kitchen can be an excellent exhibition ground for them.

A furniture set with echoes of the baroque style can become an adornment of your shabby kitchen. Beautiful carving or decoration with forged elements coated with aged gold, bronze, silver or copper will become the highlight of the interior. It will be necessary to supplement such a furniture ensemble with the appropriate environment - a luxurious chandelier or wall sconces in the form of candlesticks, an elegant dining group, but always with a time stamp in an external image.

Household appliances are usually disguised as part of a kitchen ensemble, built in, hiding their modern appearance. But if you have the opportunity to purchase household appliances made in retro style, then your interior in a "shabby style" will benefit from this. But in this case, you can’t save money; similar models are not cheap.

In the kitchen space there can be only one piece of furniture with a pronounced time stamp - worn surfaces, cracked paint, chips and crests in the structure.An old grandmother’s buffet or an old-fashioned dining table with refurbished chairs or mini armchairs will become a focal point surrounded by a traditional setting and will take on the role of the main motive of the Shebby chic style.

Shabby chic lighting fixtures have a special role - in addition to their main functions, luxurious chandeliers, wall sconces and even table lamps in the form of simulated candlesticks adorn the space, bringing notes of bohemian luxury, but with a touch of relaxed comfort.

Textiles have a particularly important place in the concept of decoration in the style of shabby chic. In rooms such as bedrooms and living rooms, it is much easier to use textiles with floral prints, images of various angels and cupids, to decorate the space. But within the kitchen space there is also where to turn around - window decoration, the use of floral patterns in furniture upholstery, as a picture of a tablecloth or even carpet in the dining area.

Decorating rooms in the style of shabby chic is complete without flowers - live in bouquets and dry in herbariums. They always decorate the space, introducing a bit of romance and a festive mood into the atmosphere. As a result, even without the use of a floral pattern in wall decoration, furniture upholstery or textile decoration, you can easily add an element of a romantic shabby style using ordinary flowers in a vase.