Interior design is forever changing. One minute it’s all about minimalism, the next it’s traditional and then it’s modern. For restaurants and public spaces, it can be hard to keep up with what the current looks are.
One décor that has arrived and doesn’t looks like it is going anywhere, is shabby chic.
What is shabby chic?
Put simply, shabby chic furniture has the appearance that it has been well-used and is slightly old. The interior as a whole brings together different styles and colours that creates the impression of age and use.
Remember that shabby chic isn’t about using garish furniture and putting it all together in hope that you achieve the shabby chic look. The goal is to create a homely interior and if done correctly it will do so whilst looking clean and stylish.
The extent of the shabby chic look can also vary from place to place. Some might commit to the décor and use a number of layers of colour on furniture so that different levels of wear can be achieved whilst some use it subtly and gently distress furniture with one coat of paint. It comes down to personal preference really.
With the classic and elegant style of the shabby chic trend it’s no wonder that cafes, restaurants and bars are embracing this type of interior and using rustic and shabby chic furniture to furnish their dining areas.
How to shabby chic your furniture
Before you start getting the paint pots and all of the old furniture out of the cupboards, there are some things that you should do. Firstly, visualise what you want the completed space to look like. There’s no point in blindly buying every piece of old furniture in sight if it isn’t going to fit with the overall scheme. A quick browse on the internet will give you plenty of ideas and inspiration for your design.
For restaurants, cafes and bars especially, you need to consider how many seats and tables are required and will fit in the space. Draw up and layout a plan, then buy your furniture accordingly. Lastly, you need to decide on a colour scheme. There aren’t particularly any ‘rules’ when it comes to shabby chic. You could, in truth, use an array of colour on pieces of furniture. However, most designs focus on traditional colours such as off-white, creams, greys, olive greens and baby blues.
Right, now that you’ve done the planning and chosen your furniture, the fun can begin!
The five steps to creating shabby chic furniture:
1. Prepare a space to work in and remove any handles, hinges or metal work on the furniture. These can be reattached once the paint has dried.
2. Remove the existing finish on the wood so that your new paint work will stick properly to the surface. To do this, lie the furniture on a dust sheet and work it with sandpaper. Stripping the varnish or paint can generate lots of dust so have a dusk mask handy.
3. Get painting! Apply a thick coat of water based acrylic paint in your chosen colour and then leave to fully dry. Once dried, sandpaper certain areas to create a worn effect and then paint a second layer, perhaps in a slightly different colour.
4. Scrape and sand. It might seem counterproductive to sand after just applying a coat of paint but to achieve the desired affect it’s a must. Don’t overdo it and try to scrape at edges and corners most to create a distressed look.
5. Remember that it’s near impossible to get the shabby chic look wrong but once you’re happy with the appearance (you can repeat the steps above with as many coats of paint as you like), apply a couple of coats of varnish or furniture wax.
Optional extras for shabby chic furniture
If you’re a dab hand with the paint brush, you might feel obliged to use your skills and paint some patterns or images on sections of the furniture. Spiralled patterns up some table legs can create an appealing affect.
You may also want to keep certain areas of furniture untouched. By only painting the table tops, for example, it creates an elegant contrast. If you wanted to do this, follow steps one and two but then apply coats of varnish without painting.
How to shabby chic a chair
Once you have completed the steps in the process above, you can add upholstery to seating. These should match the colour of the paints used or could use decorative patterns such as floral. The textiles used on the upholstery should feel comfortable, welcoming and natural.
Where can you buy shabby chic furniture?
While the shabby chic look can be achieved by transforming and decorating old, used furniture, it can be considered a wiser investment to buy new furniture that has a shabby chic-look.
If you would rather buy furniture that already has the shabby chic look, Trent Furniture has a huge range of affordable restaurant furniture, which includes chairs, tables, stools, sofas and outdoor furniture for restaurants.
View our shabby chic furniture range to see our huge range of products.