Shabby Chic Thread?

mary43

Haribo - french art noveau

I bought a couple of long art nouveau prints and one is pasted on the inside of the loo door, the other on the inside of the bathroom door. They look really good I think and cover a multitude of dents made by kids over the years............lol Most of our doors are old pine panels but the loo and bathroom aren't and they got damaged quite easily. The prints are a good coverup.

vivw_2

I love Pre-Raphaelite pictures/prints and think I'll try and get a few more if I can find them at a good price

vivw_2

Thanks whoever started this thread as its making me look around my home again and think about what else I can do to make it a pleasant place to be in

triage999

Ah tis lovely to see ppl with like tastes

I to prefer the shabby country style rather than chintz, and detest clutter! I have likes such as white pottery, worn tin items, polka, rustic animal prints etc and by them to tie in together with similar colours, most of these I pick up from car booting and flea markets as I too refuse to pay some of the prices they ask!

We are looking at having a kitchen/dining extension early next year with money we have saved which will double the size of the kitchen and dining room, I am then going to get my kitchen refitted!

I have picked a wood framed shaker kitchen in buttermilk finished with solid butchers block work surfaces and double ceramic sink from a local firm cannot wait for the work to start as it will be worth all the scrimping and saving over the last 10 years!

mary43

Sounds lovely triage999.................I'm afraid I'm one of those folk who love a lot of 'bits' around.............bread boards all on one wall, OH's collection of corkscrews on another, pictures, old tools etc. but its what I'd call 'organised clutter..................lol
The other clutter I really must dispose of is what gets stuffed in cupboards and never sees the light of day to the point I forget it's there. I've made a start and I'll get there in the end.

Pipkin

My house is kind of shabby chic too.. with a bit of country/americana/ country retro thrown in...

Lots of cushions in different colours/designs which all still go together, enamel signs, twigs, wreaths, rusty metal, old keys, galvanised metal, glass, gingham, enamel jugs, throws, strange pictures (like framed buttons - they look ace, honest) etc etc..

I'm not sure it's strictly shabby chic, (not so much white furniture and florals, though I do mix ginghams, stripes and some florals, and intend to use more when we move..), but I like it..it's full of quirky stuff that I love to look at and makes me very happy indeed.

mary43

Sounds great pipkin...............bit of allsorts and if you feel good with it thats the main thing. Oh another thing we've got is a load of printing letters in a frame............my sons friend made it for us years ago. They're the old printing letters, been used in different inks and the colour's stained some of them. Looks really good.

Peem

Thanks for the thread.

I'm a great "shabby chic" fan. Agree that the prices for the designer stuff are extortionate though (not that I haven't been known to succumb to a little Cath Kidston, specially in the sale!)

Rachel Ashwell is a good Shabby chic guru. Again, look at the photos and do it yourself.

Pipkin

mary43 wrote: »

Sounds great pipkin...............bit of allsorts and if you feel good with it thats the main thing. Oh another thing we've got is a load of printing letters in a frame............my sons friend made it for us years ago. They're the old printing letters, been used in different inks and the colour's stained some of them. Looks really good.

Ah I've always wanted one of those old printers trays, wall mounted and filled with stuff, they are gorgeous.

Sounds ace Mary

I think lots of old things just have an unappreciated beauty, thats why I'm so keen on buttons, rusty metal etc..

My mum in law always says my house is full of stuff that would look weird anywhere else, but just seems to look right in mine.

mary43

My mum used to say the same and when her house was cleared after she went into the care home it was me who ended up with all the so called 'junk' that no-one in the family wanted..................lol I wasn't complaining.
I used to love watching the 'makeover; programmes and then trying to copy something they'd done............lol A lot of people knocked them but a lot could be learned from them I thought.