Do you attend flea markets, auctions, and antique stores, trying to find unique furniture and accessories with just the right amount of patina or chipped paint? If so, you’re a fan of the Shabby Chic style. Shabby Chic is a mix-up of vintage, Farmhouse, and Eclectic and may even have elements of Scandinavian design.
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I myself was a little bit unclear on what really constituted something as being “Shabby Chic”, and it turns out that it can be so many different things. It’s not one specific type of aesthetic but a combination of marrying the new with the old, the perfect with the disheveled.
We created this collection to help you along with your discovery of the magic that is the Shabby Chic style. But before we get started, chances are that you might be a little bit unclear on what Shabby Chic is, too. So here’s a little bit of an intro:
What Makes a Living Room “Shabby Chic”?
As we mentioned briefly, Shabby Chic Style is hard to define as just one style, as it shares some elements from other styles. When you’re browsing our Shabby Chic Style Gallery, you might notice that many of the living rooms are simplistic overall and have more feminine directed features.
There are no specific rules with Shabby Chic Style. It’s all about mixing and matching old with new and even the textures of fabrics or the finishes on painted surfaces. Although Shabby Chic interior design is overwhelmingly feminine, it’s not a style solely for women. A Shabby-Chic living room can be gender-neutral and still have some of the key elements.
How to Spot Shabby Chic:
Shabby Chic style living rooms can have an overstuffed couch with a neutral-colored slipcover or a window seat with pastel and patterned cushion. Shabby Chic decor is all about creating soft lines and comfort.
Wall colors are usually white, pastel, or another neutral light color, and pops of bright color can come from a vase full of flowers, a hutch full of dishes, or even a painted end table. The options are endless, but it’s all about creating a soft look in the living room.
Shabby Chic design style is perfect for anyone who wants to showcase their grandmother’s porcelain plate collection or who sees the beauty in an old coffee table with chipped paint.
If you don’t have any vintage pieces to add to your living room, there are many DIY projects you can try out or boutiques that carry Shabby Chic pieces. Shabby Chic living room design is the perfect style for mixing and matching and repurposing or refurbishing old furniture.
While are no strict rules with Shabby Chic Style, it’s good to start out small and see where your design ideas take you. Like many living room design ideas, sometimes less is more.
1. The Dollhouse Living Room
Furniture: We’re starting off the collection on the more elevated and feminine side of things with this living room. Here we have some gorgeous antique-inspired accent chairs and a sofa that are executed with modern expertise.
A beautiful tan dimple leather is adorned with immaculate wooden furniture craftsmanship painted to look like distressed and aged wood. You can tell this entire room was customized as the fireplace hosts the same beautiful design, as well as the coffee table and mural on the wall.
Flooring: Beautiful sand-colored tiles line the floor in this space. With such a busy and ornate set of furniture, it feels important that the floor acts as a blank canvas for the rest of the room, and that’s exactly what we get!
Lighting: Very much appropriate for the Shabby Chic aesthetic, this living room is topped with a gorgeous chandelier that is decorated with rose-gold hardware and stunning crystals to create a candle-chandelier effect.
Decor: Decor is so so important if you want to achieve the shabby chic aesthetic, but in this case, since so much of the room is so obviously antique chic, the decor is a little bit more modern and fresh with colorful potted plants and bold vases.
2. The Bachelor’s Shabby Chic Living Room
Furniture: The differences between this living space and the previous one just goes to show how many different looks can be considered in Shabby Chic interior design ideas. While the other was very feminine, this one is more on the masculine side of things.
Darker leather with more modern shapes was used to decorate this living room, but because the furniture pieces are mismatched and have leather with a gorgeous patina, that’s where we start moving into the Shabby Chic realm.
Flooring: This is a fabulously unique floor with antique-looking wood floors that are arranged in a herringbone pattern. The reason why you know that this floor is antique is because of how the corners are lifting and simply for the fact that they really don’t make them like this anymore.
Lighting: We see very quaint light fixtures scattered throughout the room, with a neat and modern floor lamp in the corner, and various styles of wall lamps, very much in tune with the mix n’ match side of the Shabby Chic aesthetic.
3. The Mix n’ Match Living Room
Furniture: I think that this room is a wonderful representation of Shabby Chic furniture because it uses rather unconventional items. A wooden bench with a lounging sofa creates a couch, while a stepping stool and ottoman act as other places to sit. This feels wonderfully bohemian, inviting, and unique.
Flooring: This wood floor was painted white and sanded down in order to create that very characteristic Shabby Chic look. It goes so well with the faded color scheme of the room and ties everything together in a disheveled little bow.
Decor: All of the different decoration pieces in the room feel very intentional, creating a boho chic vibe with woven baskets, small potted plants, and a gorgeous woven tapestry on the wall. The faded patterned rug provides the most gentle pop of color.
4. The Itsy Bitsy Shabby Chic Living Room
Furniture: This is such a weird, quaint, and mismatched room, but somehow, it all works together quite nicely. Though not a place where you’d want to watch a movie, a little white bench covered with throw pillows and a blanket pairs nicely with a wrought iron chair.
Flooring: Here, we see another great example of a wonderfully done distressed floor using some simple white paint and a sander. It really completes the Shabby Chic look, especially with that similarly colored area rug which also adds a little bit of texture.
Lighting: We have a rather unusual light fixture in this space which is a very warm light coming from behind a little room divider and sheer purple curtains. I haven’t the foggiest why this choice was made, but it does go with the rest of the room!
Decor: We have a whole mishmash of decorations going on here, including several little plants, some interesting hanging sculptures, and a rather lovely mobile. This room is a bit all over the place, but I’m sure the person who lives here is just tickled by it.
5. The Renaissance Shabby Chic Living Room
Furniture: This lovely little living room features some dainty furniture, a matching set featuring a little sofa , and an accent chair with a pastel-colored pattern and ornate frames, really giving you a Renaissance vibe.
Flooring: This gorgeous hardwood floor has seen its days, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost its luster. This particular shade of stain is so attractive, especially when paired with a faded Persian area rug.
Lighting: We have nothing but dainty little light fixtures in this room, with a gorgeous floor lamp in the same style as the furniture, but that pink lamp shade with fringe adds a gentle pop of color. Added little lanterns set on either side of the fireplace add a nice contrast to the faded baby blue wall.
Decor: The decor in this space is very minimal, with lots of beautiful flower arrangements and some gorgeous golden framed mirrors. The fireplace guard is also another place where the designer has taken the opportunity to be decorative.
6. The Magnificent Shabby Chic Living Room
Furniture: This beautiful living room is clearly more chic than it is shabby, but a few distressed elements lightly put it in that category. These couches are so wonderfully plush and soft looking that they could fit in any room, but the assortment of throw pillows brings it that mismatched feel of Shabby Chic.
The secondary furniture, like the beautiful clawfoot coffee table with a glass top and gorgeous armoirs with ornate detailing, brings some interest to the space, especially considering their lovely antique essence.
Flooring: While we can’t see the actual floor, all we know of is this absolutely perfect shag rug in a gorgeous cream color and impeccable texture. This furry rug not only provides warmth but it really makes you feel like you’re entering a luxurious den.
Lighting: A quick glimpse of a simple chandelier fulfills its purpose, while the majority of the lighting is coming through those gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows.
Decor: This space has a really gorgeous color scheme going on, sticking near more creamy and neutral tones that we see scattered throughout all of the furniture pieces and the decorations. Floral and ceramic elements are perfect in this space.
This heavenly room was designed by Susan Friday Photography.
7. The Rancher’s Shabby Chic Sitting Room
Furniture: I love how a collection of Shabby Chic rooms have so much diversity! It just goes to show just how free this aesthetic is, and you can really make it your own. This room is a far more minimal version of Shabby Chic, with super plush white accent chairs and a matching sofa. A stunning and rustic wooden coffee table adds a tinge of bohemian flare.
Flooring: What looks like a wonderfully warm shade of ceramic tiles is adorned with a terrifically textured area rug that almost looks like fur and is certainly super soft to the touch.
Lighting: This is a very bright room thanks to those standard pot lights in the ceiling, while a simple bending floor lamp helps as a little spotlight for your reading nook.
Decor: This living room is very minimally decorated, but it tells us a good deal about who takes refuge in this room. Organic textures and neutral tones encourage nothing but relaxation.
Kenorah Design + Build Ltd designed this rustic Shabby Chic living room.
8. The Shabby Chic Country Getaway Living Room
Furniture: This is a great example of an interior design style that’s a bit shabby but decor that is completely chic. Very simple furniture pieces like that taupe sofa, and gray lounging chairs feel like a great choice against a more rustic and robust foundation.
Flooring: New and shining wooden floors are shabby-ed up with this perfectly faded area rug that hosts tones that are spread throughout the rest of the room, almost giving you the idea that the room was designed according to the colors in this rug!
Lighting: Though you don’t get the full glory in the daylight, a room that is only lit up with table lamps is an excellent way to create a very serene ambiance. A keen design choice!
Decor: The decor in the space is what really makes this room Shabby Chic in my opinion. From the retro-looking curtains with a floral pattern, wicker baskets, flowers pots, and those gorgeous wood beams on the ceiling, this feels like a country home oasis.
If you’re keen on this room, check out Amy Studebaker Design.
Types of Living Rooms: Family Rooms | Formal Living Rooms | Great Rooms | Libraries | Sunrooms | Bars | Man Caves | Game Rooms | Home Theaters
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9. The Cozy Shabby Chic Living Room
Furniture: This room feels a little bit like a Pinterest-lover’s dream Shabby Chic room. Modern elements prevent the room from feeling outdated, crowded, or corny. A superbly shaped sofa pairs wonderfully with wooden framed accent chairs, while a modern wooden TV stand is a functional piece that still has style. Using a clear glass coffee table is a great way to prevent a smaller room from feeling crowded!
Flooring: Gorgeous antique hardwood floors are protected by a quaint and softly textured area rug with a subtle diamond pattern on the surface. Sticking with a cooler, gray-tinged white for the walls and floors is a great choice, but it also contributes to what makes this a Shabby Chic room!
Lighting: I love how each of the light fixtures in this room is their own version of a plain bulb with a golden casing. The little pops of gold throughout the room do a great job of adding a pop of elegance and brilliance, too!
Decor: Though very minimally decorated, the decorations pieces make quite a statement. The wall art is where we get fun pops of color; a towel rack holding blankets brings texture, potted plants provide freshness, and simple throw pillows are the perfect addition of pattern and color.
Caroline Sharpnack designed this lovely little living room.
10. The Chic Log Cabin Shabby Living Room
Furniture: Now, this is my kind of room! What feels like my home is if I were a rancher, this gorgeous space is filled with lush and plush pieces of furniture all surrounding a sturdy coffee table that looks like it was handmade, but really the obvious centerpiece is that incredible fireplace.
Flooring: The floors in this room feel very special to me. I’m always very attracted to this particular shade of wood (it reminds me of walking on a sandy beach), but what makes this all the more special is the fact that the same wood was used to line the walls, almost giving the impression of a log cabin kind of feel. So cozy, so inviting, so beautiful.
Lighting: Though completely unexpected and honestly a little bit out of place, I am in love with this obnoxiously orange floor lamp with a rounded shade. I am smitten with this orange lamp, despite the fact that is goes with absolutely nothing in this room.
Decor: Very simple decorations in this space with little potted flowers and some antlers hanging from the wall. But in reality, the foundation of this room is so beautiful it could not be decorated at all and still be a stunning place to have tea.
Unique Home Stays designed this special space.
11. The Chesterfield Shabby Chic Living Room
Furniture: I’m very into this combined office and living space. While a lot of Shabby Chic rooms feel like they’re more directed toward a feminine aesthetic, this is a great example of a Shabby Chic room that can appeal to a more masculine style!
Flooring: Beautifully antique wood floors are decorated with various area rugs, which is a surefire way to make a room feel endlessly cozy.
Lighting: Very subtle light fixtures in this space with a couple of golden held round bulbs in the ceiling and an elegant floor lamp.
Decor: This is a fun way to decorate a room. Wallpaper isn’t commonly used, but it’s such a bold and wonderful choice, while fresh elements like green plants and a vase full of flowers bring life and freshness. Cozy textures like shag and fur also add that extra element of softness against a leather couch.
Caroline Sharpnack designed this satisfying space.
12. The Fabulously Distressed Living Room
Furniture: I enjoy how you don’t even need to enter the room to know that it’s Shabby Chic. These incredible French doors with distressed wood make way to a stunning living room with stiff-lined accent chairs and dainty coffee tables, making it more of a conversation than a lounging room.
Flooring: One very special element to this space is the wood floors that have been seen their day and how that same stain of wood is matched both in the French doors and the facade around the fireplace — a great way to bring cohesion throughout the space.
Lighting: We have a plethora of bold lighting fixtures with a caged hanging light in the center of the room, while more textured and warm dangling light fixtures are on either side. Altogether, we get that wonderful hodge-podge funnels that shabby chic rooms bring!
Decor: While so much of the room is made from distressed wood, the decor in the room is rather elegant, with mature orchids in the center of the room, elegant mirrors, curvaceous vases, and framed personal photos elevate the room.
This stunning living room was designed by Villa Decor & Design.
13. The Chic Wicker Living Room
Furniture: This room is just so much fun! While it may feel like there’s a lot going on because of the variety of textures, this sunroom/living room features gorgeous wicked framed furniture adorned with patterned throw pillows, an incredible custom coffee table made from bark-less branches, and a glass tabletop.
Flooring: I love me some flagstone, and I especially love it indoors. The rough texture of this floor is sublime, but it’s also successfully softened up by some lovely patterned area rugs. Not to mention that this flooring, combined with the stucco finish of the walls, creates the feeling of being in an adobe abode, which I always long for.
Lighting: What’s funny is I actually have this light fixture in my own home! Made from rounded shell pieces, this perfect boho chic not only provides light and pattern but it provides movement in the space like a mobile would next to a gently opened window.
Decor: Finally, we get to the decor! The decor in this space is just too special and expertly done. Featuring pastel colors in green, blue, and pink, scattered throughout the room with throw pillows, vases, and art pieces with varying colors and patterns, but are somehow so seamlessly combined to create a room that is fun, inviting, elegant, and simple chaotic perfection.
Maisons du Monde UK designed this one-of-a-kind living room.
14. The Classy Attic Living Room
Furniture: Here, we have another room that is more chic than it is shabby, with beautifully patterned furniture pieces featuring lovely shades of yellow and a plethora of side tables with varying materials and textures. If you’re wondering which part of this room is shabby chic, it’s the simple fact that unique pieces are brought together to create one cohesive room.
Flooring: Gorgeous hardwood floors characteristic of an attic living room is protected by a simple area rug, which works well against so many patterns set just above it.
Lighting: While a floor lamp and table lamp have their own cute things going on, most of the lighting comes from this stunning angled skylight, and it’s lovely to behold.
Decor: Foliaged wallpaper comes in the perfect pattern and shade of calming green, while robust ceramics bring a hint of groundedness, and a potted plant with bright pink flowers and curling branches really brings the wallpaper to life.
We have Mr & Mrs Smith to thank for this wonderful design.
15. The Dreamy Chic Living Room
Furniture: I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a couch more inviting, but now that I’ve seen it, I’ll never forget it. This sectional sofa comes in the gorgeous shade of periwinkle and in a fabric that looks like it could be silk, which is the perfect combination with all of the distressed tables in the room.
Flooring: A simple cement floor is softened up by a beautiful white cowhide which really works in this country-style living room.
Lighting: Perfectly ornate and lovely table lamps bring elegance to the elegant-country home feel of this room.
Decor: I love all of the floral aspects in the decor of this room. From the floral patterned room divider to the delicately floral patterned throw blanket and pink roses set on the desk, this room is the perfect combination of rustic and dainty.
If you’re in love with this design, you have Rachel Ashwell Shabby-Chic Couture to thank.
16. The Winter Wonderland Living Room
Furniture: The perfect room to end a cold winter’s day in. A very antique-shaped couch in a neutral tone pairs wonderfully with this distressed coffee table. The furniture isn’t what makes this room, it’s everything that’s around it.
Flooring: This room is completely covered in various cowhides, and I didn’t know what paradise looked like to me until now.
Lighting: There are so many magical sources of light in this room. We have a fireplace for light and heat, candles for scent and ambiance, a chandelier for elegance and sparkle, a star fixture for festive decoration, and a caged globe candleholder for interest.
Decor: This room is so incredibly festive that it’s making me long for Christmas in the dead of summer. A beautiful antique rocking chair sets the tone, while vintage Christmas decorations strewn throughout the room are what provide that Shabby Chic aspect, creating a dreamy room for a winter’s eve.
Chris Snook designed this winter wonderland.
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