Style gurus believe Shabby Chic Style had its heyday in the 1990s and early 2000s. During that period, Rachel Ashwell coined the term and capitalized on this homey, feminine and imperfect style.
Of course, she pulled together a decorating style that was filled with soft pastel colors, floral patterns and painted furniture.
Consequently, she had a line of bedding, furniture, books and television shows that helped cement her brand and signature style.
What is Shabby Chic Style?
Shabby Chic style encompasses a soft, feminine color palette and a slightly imperfect look. With that, antique furniture painted in a white wash or distressed finish forms the basis for most shabby chic interiors.
The “shabby look” of distressed or painted furniture helps give an aged, lived-in look to a home. Indeed, it really comes in contrast to fancy Federal Furniture, with glossy finishes or deep rich wood tones.
Is Shabby Chic still in style?
Many people who fell in love with shabby chic style worry that the craze may have passed. However, shabby chic, when done correctly and in the right home, actually has major staying power.
Shabby chic remains a popular style for many decorators because it hints of a country lifestyle. Like Farmhouse Style, Shabby Chic features elements of rural life, rustic furniture and comfortable interiors.
At the same time, shabby chic can also have a worldly appearance. Indeed, shabby chic style can feature French Country Style, English antiques, and even art deco furniture. Instead of a strict adherence to a time period or a place, shabby chic effortlessly mixes antiques of different eras.
Finally, the light, bright shabby chic colors really appeal to people. These pastel tones brighten the mood of a home and give it an airy and summery feel. Indeed, even wooden floors can be white washed in order to lighten the entire space!
What Colors are Shabby Chic?
The best shabby chic colors are those that fit the feminine aesthetic: white, cream, robin’s egg blue, pink, rose, celery green, apple green, lavender and pale yellow all work great in shabby chic homes. Hints of gold also work really well. Additionally, pale gray works really well as a neutral.
Heavy, traditional colors like deep red, navy, emerald green and black generally do not work in this style.
Used Shabby Chic Furniture
Used Furniture and Antiques often play heavily in shabby chic style. With that said, there were several furniture companies that made wonderful shabby chic furniture. Because they were finished in a factory, these shabby chic furniture lines had great durability!
Additionally, if you buy used shabby chic furniture from these manufacturers, you will not have the worries of antique furniture. For instance, genuine antiques may have lead paint, mold, mildew, splintery wood, or general disrepair.
So, consider these brands when you buy shabby chic furniture online. Not only will you enjoy this second hand shabby chic furniture for sale, but it might save you some money, too!
Shabby chic furniture for sale near me
The beauty of the internet is that you can bring shabby chic furniture to you. Of course, with the right knowledge, these brands can help complete your shabby chic home.
The top brands for used shabby chic furniture:
- 1. Simply Shabby Chic
- 2. Pulaski Shabby Chic Furniture
- 3. Ethan Allen Shabby chic Furniture
- 4. Drexel Shabby Chic Furniture
- 5. Century Furniture Shabby Chic
- 6. Hooker Furniture Shabby Chic
Simply Shabby Chic
Of course, Simply Shabby Chic was Rachel Ashwell’s own brand of furniture that she developed and sold with different retailers throughout the country.
The line included shabby chic bedroom furniture, such as dressers, nightstands, beds and end of bed benches. Of course, many of the case goods had beautiful details, like glass knobs, decorative moldings or light distressing. It also had some accent furniture and a line of upholstered goods.
Obviously, much of the “Simply Shabby Chic” bedroom furniture is discontinued. However, Simply Shabby Chic can still be found, because after they went bankrupt in 2006, Simply Shabby Chic partnered with lower market brands like Target and Walmart. Therefore, Ashwell’s company developed a lower price line of goods that could be offered competitively at these retailers.
Today, the good old used Simply Shabby chic furniture can be found online at places like:
- Ebay
- Etsy
- Chairish
- Online Antique stores
Pulaski Shabby Chic Furniture
A customer favorite, Pulaski Furniture Company from southern Virginia offered great furniture in this lightly distressed, painted country style.
Of course, Pulaski made many different lines that could work with this decorating scheme. Additionally, you could certainly mix and match to bring in some painted accent pieces by Pulaski.
Pulaski Furniture company made several artistically painted pieces in a refined shabby chic style. Indeed, Pulaski often pulled from European-inspired designs for its vintage furniture lines. So, you might see fleur-de-lis motifs, Tuscany-inspired murals, or even some ironwork incorporated into vintage Pulaski furniture.
These pieces of used Pulaski furniture often have the distressed finish, too. Of course, this makes Pulaski furniture a great line to shop when you want that comfortable elegance!
Ethan Allen Shabby Chic Furniture
Well-known furniture brand, Ethan Allen also made a few lines inspired by the painted furniture craze of the 1990s. Of course, Ethan Allen did describe many of their lines as French Country, which fits right in the shabby chic home.
Indeed, they described one dining room collection as, “an engaging mixture of finishes, including the subtle French gray… The unrestrained romance of the French Rococo style is evident in the shell motifs, curves, serpentine tops, and foliate carvings seen on these designs.”
When looking for Ethan Allen shabby chic furniture, you may do better to add “French Country” in your keyword searches.
Century Furniture Shabby Chic Furniture
Modern furniture company, Century Furniture, really honed in on fine European styles had a high end price point. Vintage furniture by Century also really showed high quality craftsmanship!
So, if you want to bring home some great used shabby chic furniture, try the following Century Furniture lines:
- Century Furniture Couer de France
- Bordeaux by Century Furniture
- Century Furniture Chenonceau
Drexel Shabby Chic Furniture
American Furniture company, Drexel Furniture, made excellent quality furniture for the high to mid-markets. Of course, like many furniture brands, Drexel developed thousands of collections to try to stay current for its ever-changing customer base.
Indeed, painted furniture features in Drexel and Drexel Heritage catalogs from the 1960s. Indeed, they made beautiful painted French Provincial furniture in painted finishes during that period. When the French flair came back around in the form of shabby chic, Drexel offered furniture with a softer, distressed painted look.
Drexel’s “Belle Maison” line featured beautiful, ornate cabinets and shabby chic bedroom furniture.
Also, Drexel Heritage’s “Tourraine” furniture certainly fits in with this aesthetic.
Finally, Drexel Cabernet Collection offers the sinuous lines and beautiful French-inspired look. Some of this Cabernet Drexel Collection was offered in wood finishes, and some was factory painted, for the ultimate S.C. look.
Hooker Furniture Shabby Chic
Impressive Hooker furniture is a great furniture company that still produces furniture today. So, you surely can shop directly with Hooker to find great pieces on demand and ready to ship.
Or, you can search for used Hooker Furniture at a more affordable price point to complete your feminine palace! The best shabby chic style brands from Hooker Furniture include:
- Seven Seas Hooker Furniture (obviously in their cream finishes)
- Hooker Louis XVI Collection
Because Hooker Furniture Company is not that old, you can be assured that the used Hooker Furniture you purchase will likely be in good condition. So, it certainly can be a good choice as you look to put together a comfortable Shabby chic living room.
Buy Shabby Chic Furniture Online
I hope this article was helpful for those of you looking to bring in the timeless Rachel Ashwell Style into your home. Of course, with used Shabby Chic furniture, you can score a bargain, have fun shopping for great vintage furniture brands, and bring out your inner decorator!
Remember, furniture is just one aspect of the style. Accessories, fabric and wall art also inform the look and feel of any room. So, you may also wish to look for some vintage accessories for your room, to pull it completely together.
Thanks for reading! Let us know, do you enjoy shabby chic interiors? What is your favorite furniture brand for incorporating this style in your home?