Get the look – Shabby Chic

Get the look – Shabby Chic

How to give your favourite garden room a shabby chic makeover

We loved graphic designer, Nicola's shabby chic inspired DIY shed studio, so we thought we would kick off our get the look series with how to achieve the shabby chic look in your favourite garden shed, summerhouse or log cabin.

Add some colour

The first step to achieving a shabby chic room is to choose a colour scheme. Think pastels! Shabby chic is made up of off whites mixed with dusty pinks, blues and greens. Nicola chose to keep her shed walls white due to the limited windows however the colour was added through the fabrics and accessories.

TIP: Choose a piece of patterned fabric or wall paper that you will use in the garden room and use the patterns colours as your scheme. Take a piece of the pattern everywhere with you so you can choose the right paints, fabrics and accessories to go with it.

Up-cycle

One of the most defining features of shabby chic is up-cycled furniture. Car boot sales are a great way to find great gems that just need a bit of TLC to make perfect again. Nicola used a lot of furniture that she already had and has collected over the years.

Choosing the right tools for the job with up cycling is key, one of the best paints for up cycling is Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan. The paint is a unique formula which can be used for almost any type of material and the best part, no prepping or priming. Just give the furniture a quick clean to remove dust and paint away.

TIP: When looking out for furniture at car boot sales, always look out for signs of wood rot and wood worm; small holes dotted all over the wood is one of the most obvious signs of wood worm. However don't be put off by wonky legs, scratches or even missing parts these can still be used with a touch of imagination.

Accessorise

Shabby chic accessories are fairly easy to find some of our favourite places to shop our Cath Kidston, Next and The Range. These all do fantastic range of floral fabrics, fairy lights, vintage look bird cage lanterns and more.

We love the simple floral patterns that Nicola has used along with cute accessories such as her tools hook and the bunting across the beam.

TIP: If you want all of your soft furnishings to match, rather than buy them ready-made and expensively, try your hand at making your own. Choose metres of fabric, or check out Ebay for duvet covers that can be turned into matching cushions, curtains, throws and more!

Shabby chic english country style is perfect for a summerhouse or 'lady shed'. The look can easily be achieved and won't break the bank if you keep it thrifty. Hit the charity shops, scour through ebay and organise to go to a car boot, just go with an open mind and have your creative thinking caps on!