Shabby Chic Bedroom - Retro Decorating Ideas
91There is a fine line between "shabby chic" and "shabby cheap." If you are planning a bedroom makeover and thinking you might want to go shabby chic, make sure you do it right. When we hear "shabby chic," the words "vintage," "retro," and "antique" usually come to mind. Yes, it is a vintage decorating style but that doesn't mean you can capture the shabby chic factor simply by furnishing the bedroom with a bunch of Victorian furniture and draping the window with your grandma's old floral fabric. To create a shabby chic bedroom, you've got to know how to bring out the charm of different retro items as well as how "shabby" you can go without looking cheap.
Shabby Chic Bedroom Design
Meticulously Chic
To fulfill the "shabby" part, look for old-fashioned furniture with aged paint and well-worn signs. Good places to shop for this include yard sales, flea markets, antique shops and thrift stores. Then to make it chic, accessorize the furniture with matching artistic items. What sets shabby chic decor apart from other vintage decorating trends is its romantic and feminine touch. The first impression you get once you step into a shabby chic bedroom should be "Ah, this room belongs to a lady!"
It might be easier to come up with a theme for your bedroom first. If you want to go with a floral theme, decorate the whole room that way. You don't need to buy everything in a large set, though all the items should match one another to some degree. For example, the floral print on your table cloth might not be identical to the one on your curtains, though they should nicely blend in with one another.
Also, try to decorate your bedroom with small collections of retro knick-knacks or photos. Black-and-white photos, for instance, go quite well with the shabby chic style. If you have no old photos in the house, try printing out your new photos in black-and-white or sepia colors to create a faux vintage look. Who said everything has to be really old? Some peeps who are totally into shabby chic would even sand corners of their brand-new furniture just to make the paint seem a bit chipped. In this case, cheating is all right.
Shabby Chic Bedroom Design
Practically Chic
When it comes to decorative objects, you don't always have to stick with flower vases, figurines and antique lamps. Instead, adapt some funky retro items into double-duty furniture or showpieces. For instance, an old sewing machine can easily turn into a nifty laptop desk. A weathered wooden trunk could look pretty unique as a nightstand. If you've got time and artistic skills, you could even try creating your own version of a ceiling lamp with a vintage birdcage. Obsolete devices, such as rotary telephones, turntables and typewriters are all great bric-a-bracs for shabby chic decor.
For those of you who adore shabby chic but can't stand floral prints, opt for other retro designs like polka dots, tie dyes and damasks instead. But keep in mind that bright hot colors won't do the trick. For shabby chic bedrooms, pastel paints and vintage wallpapers are the way to go.
Shabby Chic Bedroom Design
Simply Chic
What would happen when you stuff a small room with a myriad of retro furniture? It would appear less like an inviting bedroom and more like a garish thrift store. Every piece of furniture you have picked might be utterly gorgeous, yet that wouldn't help much. A shabby chic bedroom should convey a sense of airiness and simplicity. So take a good look at the squarefootage of your bedroom before choosing furniture. Don't indulge yourself on a huge shopping spree and buy every item you like. If you already put a gigantic antique bed in your pint-size bedroom, don't make the room look even smaller by adding a bulky Victorian chaise-lounge to it. Allow the bed to be the centerpiece and decorate the rest of the space with lean-looking furniture. In case you're worried the room might seem too dull, enliven it with a classy wall clock or stunning paintings in intricate frames.
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This is adorable. I love shabby chic.
Nathandanials and mslizzee, thanks a lot for the read and kind comments. :)
Shabby chic looks cool--kind of like the person who looks fabulous with the "just roll out of bed" look. Rated awesome.
Wow Om---Those are fabulous looks. I am always redoing and redoing. I love decorating so am always looking for new and improved ideas...I can't wait to show Bob what you presented here...he will be SO thrilled!
Lovely rooms though and I'm thinking change is good, eh? Sigh...might have to wait a bit though with the new baby arriving (the puppy) but after she chews up some stuff, I will have that excuse to go 'shabby chic'!
@anglnwu - Exactly! I like that analogy a lot. :)
@akirchner - Audrey, congrats on the new puppy. And I agree it's a good idea to wait until the "chewing spree" is over. :)
What an informative and fun hub with good ideas. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Sweetie. So good to hear from you. :)
Loved these photos of the shabby chic examples. I'm in a decorating mood and just purchased a paint sample size to try out on some wallpaper that I intend to cover. The wallpaper is dated (although I know there is a resurgence of starting to decorate with it again) but think that I will enjoy the freshened look. Useful hub. Thanks!
Personally, I have never decorated in the shabby chic style but I do like these looks a lot. Thanks for sharing.
@Peggy - Sounds like fun! I wish I could repaint my apartment every month or so, but of course that is not an option. Thanks for dropping by, Peggy. :)
@Journey - You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed this. :)
Om, I love the shabby chic look. I especially like the third photo you show. Great hub. Voted up
Yeah, there's a charming sense of minimalism in the third bedroom. I like it a lot as well. Thanks so much for the read and sweet comment, KoffeeKlatch. :)
I like it.This Hub is interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! :)
Very well written. I am getting ready to recorate my bedroom and will use thee tips.
nice bedroom...
I think you did a great job on this lens but I do not think shabby chic is for me!!
@Susie405 - Have fun! Thanks for visiting my hub. :)
@ubalildon - Thank you. :)
@bugslady - Yeah, I know shabby chic isn't for everyone. I'm glad you enjoyed this hub, though. :)
I like the shabby chic bedroom and over all look as I can just imagine it throughout the entire house. :) Katie
Shabby chic for the entire house? That would be cool! Thanks for dropping by, Katie. :)
I love Shabby Chic. All my furniture is Shabby Chic. Have an old sewing cabinet in the barn.
Enjoyed your hub.
I love shabby chic as well and want a metal head board for my bed - simple iron or a more intricate metal will do. I think that the look adds a feeling of warmth and comfort, very welcoming in a bedroom.
@moonlake - Wow, your house must look so lovely. Thanks so much for stopping by, moonlake. :)
@Dolores - Hi, Dolores. Yeah, I think an iron headboard would look really cute with the shabby chic style. And you don't need to go to an antique shop to look for it. You can find iron headboards in any typical furniture stores, like Ikea or Walmart.
Great tips and beautiful photos!
Thanks! :)
I love Shabby Chic. Awesome Hub.
Cool! Glad you had a good read. :)
Great idea and looks like fun to do plus inexpensive which is the best part. We have had so many resale shops open up here lately it might be fun to go looking for shabby chic.
Lovely! Second photo reminds me of my mom's old Singer sewing machine. I think it's still somewhere in the storage room. :)
as long as it has the girly side of me, i would love to sleep in it! photos are really great, nostalgic of my room during my junior high. :(
Shabby chic is adorable! My bedroom is shabby chic, and it is beautiful!
Thanks so much for dropping by and sharing your thoughts about shabby chic, everyone! =D
Such pretty photos. I love the one with the white bedspread. That's my favorite kind of bedding. Shabby Chic reminds me of my grandma and that makes me feel good.
Hi aprilajune. Glad you enjoyed the hub. That lace bedspread is very classy. I like it, too. :)
Shabby chic is fabulous. Love your hub and the photos are beautiful and add so much. Thanks - :)vocalcoach
Hi, vocalcoach. Thanks for dropping and leaving such a nice feedback. :)
Wow. I like the first photo most. Very fabulous and cheerful.
Ella
Yes, that room is fabulous. Thanks so much for dropping by. :)
great help in changing my decor for the summer thanks. you did a great job on writing and in the photos
Thanks a lot for the read and sweet comment. :)
Nice, I love to read about decorating and cooking.
Cool! Thanks for dropping by.
These bedrooms look lovely and thanks for the many ideas you have shared here. I am currently trying to update my house so this is very helpful.
Cool. Glad you enjoyed this hub. :)
"Shabby Chic bedrooms"
The hub is rich in content, beautiful in presentation and useful in making a choice.
Each one is free in choice and taste what the manufacturers are required is that health point should always be kept at the top and low cost should not low the quality of the bed room.
May God bless all and every where.
Thanks.
Love the bedroom make-over! Thanks for sharing. :)
You're very welcome. :)
Great hub you have here and wonderful photos
love shabby chic, and i'm an interior design geek, so thanks for this!
Thanks for your lovely comment, Stephen and Aimee. :)
Very fabulous and cheerful.
Thanks! :)
Oh how I adore shabby chic! But, my husband isn't so fond of it. Is it possible to slowly integrate it into my bedroom until it is how I want it to be? Do you have any suggestions?
hehehe my bf isn't so fond of this decorating style, either. (Boooooo men!) I think it's possible to slowly work on it. Maybe start with changing little things, like the night stand, lamps or curtains first. And then design whether you need to buy a whole new set of furniture or you can make some of the furniture pieces you already have look a bit more shabby chic. :)
the items are very exquisite, you have a great taste
Well done! I'm even going to buy that cute pink floral clock to go in my bedroom!
@xiatianle - Oh, thanks a lot! You're so sweet. :)
@Carlon - Great choice! That clock is super cute. :)
Interesting style Shabby Chic. I like the information you gave in this Hub and the pictures are great. voted up!
Very inspiring - I liked your examples, but the methodical approach was great, too. I think I'll have a stroll around my house and consider what to do next, with this in mind. Thanks!
@Naomi - Thank you for the read, sweet comment and vote! :)
@Eloise - Thanks for stopping by, Eloise. Have fun decorating your house. :)
I love interior design and your article is pretty interesting. I love the first picture, it's so adorable:)
Love these ideas! Great hub!!
Thanks so much for the read and sweet comment, Noemi and Ashley. :)
This hub is superb! You really have cool designs for rooms. I like them all, for sure girls out there will surely love these stuffs! Really great looking...
Thanks a lot, dredcuan! :)
hey om what lovely hub about bedroom decor!! i specially love the damask patterns be it the curtains or the wall papers, they can look very chic combined with modern stripes!!
voted up.
carrie
Thanks, Carrie. Curtains with damask patterns look very vintage and classy. I like them too! :)
Great ideas, loved all the photos!
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed this. :)
This is awesome my sister is studying interior design, now why it interests her so much.
Hi, Jillyann. Thanks so much for the read and comment. :)
Hey Paramapoonya... nice hub about bedroom interior. You have a sound knowledge on fashion. great going. I like the way you presented this hub.
Thanks a lot for your kind comment, declatte. Oh and you can just call me "Om". Isn't "Paramapoonya" harder to type? lol
I love design or anything closely related. Tradtional shabby with contemopary twist is great too.It just feels good thanks for the info..... luckyfind hubber
Yeah, shabby chic decor with a refreshing contemporary twist can make a room look very interesting. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. :)
Cool idea. Worth trying. Thanks for sharing
Thanks a lot, Anjili!
Cool room. Nice idea. I like the one that looks like a Baroque style. Keep it up!
Thank you, eyeforstyle!
nathandanials 14 months ago
Love your media. Great hub.