Home Decorating Ideas from CF Kearns
CF Kearns offers distressed style decorating. Learn how to create shabby chic tables.
 
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How To Make A Shabby Chic Table

The term "shabby chic" was made popular by Rachel Ashwell's 1996 book, "Shabby Chic," and it refers to a distressed, vintage look. This type of home décor can be described as original yet traditional; plain yet decorative; relaxed yet stylish; scruffy yet orderly.

If you're looking for a distressed table for your living room, bedroom, or hall, the easiest way to achieve a cottage look is to purchase a table that has already been distressed. There are many companies that specialize in this type of decor, and it isn't difficult to find distressed tables of all sizes and shapes.

However, if you'd like to create a distressed look with a table you already have, the process isn't difficult.

Begin by sanding your table. It's best to start with an unfinished table. If your table is already painted or finished, you may need to strip off the finish. Otherwise, consult your local home improvement store for the best way to prepare your table for painting.

After your table has been sanded or otherwise properly prepped for painting, you will want to start with a good primer. Apply the primer with a roller or brush. Let the primer dry completely before continuing to the next step.

Next, paint the table with a light or dark wood color. This is not the final color of the table. This is the color that will show through on the distressed parts of the table.

After this color has dried, paint the table a final coat with white, antique white, or a pale blue, green, or pink.

Once the final coat is dry, distress the piece by lightly sanding edges and corners of the table to simulate years of use. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser also works well for removing areas of paint to simulate wear. Continue distressing the table until you achieve the look you want.

 



Shabby Chic Tables


     

Want More? Check Out These Categories!

Bathroom Decor

Bathroom Decor


Table

Tables


Slipcovers

Slipcovers


Planters / Plant Stands

Planters / Plant Stands


Cabinets and Shelves

Cabinets and Shelves


Candleholders

Candleholders


Lamps / Lighting

Lamps / Lighting


Mirrors

Mirrors


Clocks

Clocks


Kitchen Decor

Kitchen Decor


Decorative Accessories

Decorative Accessories


Wall Decor

Wall Decor


Bedroom Decor

Bedroom Decor


Stained Glass Pet Portraits

 

 

Distressed Cottage Style

Cottage Style decorating adorns your home with household accessories, furniture, and other flourishes from 1900 to 1950. The style is reminiscent of how your grandmother used to decorate. Rather than buying new articles of the furniture or embellishments for the house, most decorations were made by hand or passed down from older generations.

However, some decorators remember the style and the term from decades ago. The style glorifies the less-than-perfect. It's is characterized by discarded and vintage furniture and accessories. Tables with peeling paint and worn rugs are often used to decorate the shabby chic home. The style is also characterized by such colors as white, off-white, muted greens, faded grays, and pastel pinks.

If you follow your heart while decorating, it is only a matter of deciding where to put your accent pieces. And that is simply what it is about, following your heart in designing your interior decor. If you have a wooden country style dining table and chair set, then adding a well placed distressed chandelier will add that last touch of glamour you are looking for. In a room with a white background reflected in the furniture and slip covers with floral designs here and there, you can always raise the tranquility by adding a cottage style mirror and shelf set on the wall. We have many of these items in different designs that will suit your decorating needs perfectly. There are different categories to choose from which would simplify your interior design adventure.

The style started in Great Britain and evokes the type of decoration found in large country houses where there are worn and faded old chintz sofas and curtains, old paintwork and unassuming 'good' taste. The end result of shabby chic is to achieve an elegant overall effect, as opposed to the sentimentally cute Pop-Victorian. Neither is it an expression of caring for the environment through recycling, even though recycling old furniture and fabrics is an important aspect of it.

Shabby chic is mainly popular in interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their age and signs of wear and tear or new items are distressed to look old.

Shabby chic items are often heavily painted with many layers showing through obviously worn areas. The style is imitated by painting then rubbing and sanding away the top coat to show the wood or base coats. Fabrics tend to be cottons and linens, with linen being particularly popular, inspired by old French linens. Whites and worn or bleached out pastels are favorite colors. Fabric is often stained with tea to give it the look of old fabric. Bleached and faded are terms often applied to the style.

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