The bedroom must, after all, be a calming, relaxing place, where to unwind and recover energies after a long day. The style I have come to love, the one I find the most appropriate to create a safe nest, a cocoon where to retreat into, is the Shabby Chic style. I am particularly fond of its features: soft colours, worn wood, country style in city houses...I just in love with it. I find that it gives rooms warmth, character and uniqueness.
What exactly is Shabby Chic
I assume most if you have already heard of this style, it has been features heavily on design magazines for a few years and has permeated even in sitcoms and various TV shows. For those of you who read this and don’t know, let me recap it for you. The shabby chic style originates in the UK, as it stems from the approach to decoration that has always been associated with traditional English country houses. If you have ever visited countryside Britain and stayed in a B&B you know what we are talking about: heavy curtains, slightly worn out and comfortable sofas, old paintings hanging on the walls. Over time, this style evolved to incorporate other influences from different countries, from Swedish decorating styles to elements found in French castles to the design of certain 1950s American appliances.
For a long time, this approach to decorating didn’t have a name, we have to wait until the 1980 for a British interior design magazine to label it as “Shabby Chic”. Now a distinctive style, it spread like wildfire, first in the United States and then in the rest of the world, finding its way in all rooms of the house, from the living rooms, to the kitchens and, obviously to the living rooms.
Why I love Shabby Chic
I have always been in love pastel shades and romantic touches, I like my living space to have a natural, imperfect look, one that resembles the irregularity of nature. Shabby Chic conveys all these feeling in one style. As I have limited financial resources, and particularly in these testy times where the future looks less than radiant, it is important to be careful with money, I have decided I cannot afford a full makeover. It would be simply too expensive. Without the ability to change all the furniture, I started looking around for alternatives. Recently, on all decorating blogs I am following on Instagram and other social networks, I noticed that many people achieve great results by simply adorning their bedroom walls with Shabby Chic wallpapers. At first, I didn’t even pay attention, I liked the style and that’s it. But now, looking for hints, I realised that the vibe I am craving for is often achieved simply using a wallpaper. The more I look at them, the more I am falling in love with them.
A beautiful Shabby Chic wallpaper could be the solution to my riddle: it doesn’t cost a leg, I can easily order it online without having to leave the house and it doesn’t require external handymen coming to my house with the installation. My partner and my son can help me, and we can have it installed in no time. Bingo!
The only thing left for me is to choose the right Shabby Chic wallpaper for my bedroom. I have already started browsing around and have a few ideas. What I definitely want is a pastel-coloured floral wallpaper, soft and delicate. I want to achieve an end-result that is relaxing to the eye and provide a sense of lightness and completeness to the surrounding space. As I have a couple of vintage chairs with a pink upholstery, which I use to throw my daytime clothes when I get changed, I already feel this wallpaper would be the right one for me:
I am already loving this! I think I will go for a single feature wall rather than all four walls and opt for pastel-coloured solid-coloured walls. As for the curtains, I will choose large drapes and white silk ropes and have bedsheets and lampshades with a very similar, coordinated print. I am already falling in love with my new bedroom.
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