Shabby Chic Bedrooms: The Dos and Don'ts

As we head into full winter mode, having a cosy bedroom to see you through the dark and cold nights is essential, and the latest take on shabby chic interiors could be just what's needed. Forget badly painted furniture and an overload of floral prints, the new shabby chic is less shabby and more chic, and is perfect for creating a blissful bedroom.

If you need a little guidance on how to bring an up-to-date version of shabby chic into your bedroom design, we’re here to help. Join us as we serve up the inside scoop on the do’s and don’ts for mastering the new and improved trend, giving you the know-how to create that dreamy, cosy sleep space.

For the uninitiated, shabby chic is an interior design style that mixes vintage and rustic styles to create a homely, livediin finish. However, there was a time where many considered the style twee and a little overdone, with lashings of kitsch floral prints, overly distressed furniture and an abundance of ‘home is where the heart is’ signs. 

That being said, there’s a new shabby chic trend on the block that is in its essence cottagecore, but there’s a slightly more refined and sophisticated edge this time around.

The old shabby chic look played on a mixture of different bedroom colours and floral patterns. However, it’s time to leave that in the past.

Swathe your bedroom in a myriad of sweet pastel pinks and baby blue hues, brightly painted furniture with an aged finish and liberal uses of colourful floral prints. These ideas of shabby chic aren’t the right fit for the updated version.

Pick out neutral, muted pastel tones that offer a more understated look. We’re talking greys and creams, soft blues, warm dusky pinks and pale sage greens, which incidentally are all calming colours for a bedroom. Paired with wood-look luxury vinyl tile flooring and a light base colour, you’ll be left with a rustic haven that feels clean and chic with subtle pastel accents throughout. This could be a seersucker striped duvet set, a comfy dusky blue bedspread and cushions or picture frames, trinkets and real flowers with smatterings of your core colours. The key is to keep the colour palette relatively simple and subtle.

Much of the shabby chic aesthetic is about introducing different textures, and bedrooms offer the perfect space to layer up to make it feel extra cosy. However, ensure you’re still acting with some level of restraint.

Embellish every surface with doilies and cutesy fabrics. These will detract from the refined feel you’re going for, making your slumber space feel more cluttered and crowded than calm and sophisticated.

Instead, pick out a selection of chunky, soft fabrics that conjure up that lived in vibe. Think knitted throws, woven rugs and heavy fabric curtains in natural materials. While you can embellish with some patterns, we’d suggest going for larger, understated prints that won’t dominate the room. You can also bring in added texture with natural materials like wood, linen and organic cotton to evoke that rural, country essence.

A signature of shabby chic interiors of years gone by has been distressed furniture, which saw many of us painting and sanding every piece we owned. While there’s still a place for distressed pieces, the new version applies the less is more approach.

Distress every available furniture piece or surface in your bedroom. Whether it’s a pale blue dressing table or a white-washed bedside table, resist the urge to go all out with the painting. Also, if you are looking to give selected pieces an antique finish, don’t let it look like you just gave up painting it halfway through.

As we mentioned, distressed furniture is still an essential part of the new shabby chic, but it needs to be more authentic and organic. This means picking out a few select pieces that will become focal furniture items to tie the overall aesthetic together. Choose furniture that will naturally experience wear and tear over the years to enhance the authenticity.

Embracing your love of shabby chic with an updated twist is perfect for creating a snug winter sanctuary in your bedroom. And with the above tips, you should have the right know-how to master the new shabby chic look effortlessly.

Explore our collection of bedspreads and throws & luxury bed linen to add that chic, subtle style that's perfect for your bedroom makeover.

Author bio: 

Alex Jones is a content creator for Trendy Floors, the home of discount flooring products with all the hallmarks of luxury - from affordable luxury vinyl tile to engineered parquet.