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Informative Articles

10 Great Holiday Decorating Ideas...On a Budget!
1.First things first. Set a plan or a theme for your Christmas decorating. It doesn’t cost a thing to have a good plan, and when you are working with budget ideas, this is what pulls your ideas together, and makes everything you do look purposeful,...

Bathroom decorating ideas made easy
Quite often you might be in the home renovating phase. With many consumers looking at putting a nice new touch into their homes, popular areas that get upgraded are the kitchen and bathroom areas. Bathrooms, is a spot that is frequently visited...

Christmas Cookie Decorating 101
Many bakers ask for tips and instructions on decorating cookies. Well that’s a tall order because there are as many ways to decorate cookies as there are cookies! Here are a few guidelines for novices and experienced bakers alike to help you...

decorating a comfort zone
Over the past decade, Western design trends have integrated what has been known for centuries among Asian cultures as part of the Feng Shui theories: the way we decorate our living spaces has a major influence on our emotions and moods. ...

Decorating for the Holidays When Short on Time & Money
Lucky you if you live in the north (of the US). Lucky all of us that nature is plentiful in providing free supplies for decorating our homes for Thanksgiving no matter where we live. Even in South Texas at this time of year I can wander outside...

decorating transit areas
When decorating a house we usually concentrate our efforts on rooms like the living room, the kitchen or bedrooms. These are indeed the rooms where we spend most of our time and they do deserve our attention. Nonetheless, decorating the...

Decorating with antique maps
Decorating your home is about creating a space that is pleasant to the eye, and that says something personal about you, the decorator. But more than that, homes are places where memories are formed. Antique maps, by virtue of the history...

Frightfully Fun Ideas for Halloween Decorating
Halloween is now the second most decorated holiday after Christmas (according to dollars spent on decorating items). With decorations ranging from the bizarre and frightening to cute and whimsical, you can find many ways to express your inner goblin...

Furniture styles for your home decorating ideas
Have you ever thought about the many different furniture styles ? Probably you have ever watched a program TV, where they showed people how to update an entire room of your house; let’s say the living room or bedroom. You can also...

“Too Much Stuff” Syndrome or How Decorating and Organizing Can Help Your Sanity
Publishing Guidelines: You may publish this article with the article and resource box intact and unchanged provided any links are hyperlinked. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated. (The challenge paragraph may be omitted for...

 
 
 
Decorating with Shabby Chic

Are you ready to redecorate but have a limited budget? Do you have some great furniture but nothing matches? Do you love antiques but not stiff formal decor? Then think Shabby Chic, a fun decorating style that solves all these dilemmas and more.


Shabby Chic is one of the hottest trends in decorating, and for good reason. It is versatile, easy, and inexpensive. Shabby Chic is based on simplicity -- simple color themes combined with your favorite furniture and art.


Shabby Chic can be anything you want it to be, and is a great way to bring your personal style to any room. Most Shabby Chic decor is based on a white-on-white or beige-on-beige theme. Soft pastels are often used as accent colors, but with a little creativity, you can add just about any color you want. A classic example of Shabby Chic would be to cover couches and overstuffed chairs with white slipcovers, whitewash your wood furniture and hang white airy curtains. Then hang your favorite painting or artwork in the most prominent place in the room. Choose one or two colors in the painting as accent colors, and repeat the colors in throw pillows, flowers, soft throw blankets, and candles.
Another great feature of Shabby Chic is the worn and well-loved look.

 


That side table that has an interesting shape but has seen better days is perfect for Shabby Chic. Simply whitewash it and put a vase with flowers on top. Better yet, use an old china teapot or your grandmother's favorite vase for the flowers. It's the little details like this that make Shabby Chic work so well.


If you're on a tight budget, Shabby Chic is a great choice. Make your own slipcovers with any durable white or beige fabric, and cover couches and chairs to match. Pick up interesting accessories at yard sales and flea markets, and paint them all the same shade of white. Pull out your favorite pictures and put them in frames painted white or coordinated accent colors. Throw in a few candles, flowers, and pillows, and you’ve got a beautiful Shabby Chic room.


Shabby Chic is also perfect for highlighting single pieces of furniture. Do you have a gorgeous, beloved antique but nothing else that goes with it? Decorate the room in Shabby Chic and let your antique be the center of attention.


Whatever your style, whatever your budget, whatever mismatched furniture you own, there's a Shabby Chic look for you.

About the Author

Johann Erickson is the owner of Online Discount Mart