Shabby chic is about balancing and combining old and worn things, silver and shiny objects along with painted wooden furniture (usually white and creams, not bright colors). It’s almost like country style but with the furniture painted in white. I always think of shabby chic as having a real rustic charm!
At the centre of any shabby chic room you can usually find the essence of the room, a gorgeous worn wooden table and chairs with chipped white paint surrounded by delicate and lovely things!
Flicking through Harper’s Bazaar’s website I came across a feature on the absolutely stunning home of Max and Lubov Azria, the team behind the labels BCBG, Maz Azria and Herve Leger.
…an eclectic house and its equally eclectic owners…the living room, where the walls are covered with sunburst mirrors, some of the first items the Ukrainian-born former ballerina started collecting. In turn, the house is called La Maison de Soleil, and a crest, with rays emanating from the letter A (for Azria) has been printed on carpets, candles, and the directors’ chairs that overlook the outdoor tennis court. Max also has his own face emblazoned on poker chips and cards….”There’s a sense of humor about the place,” says Lubov, adding that she was inspired, in part, by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.
I love the following rooms. We are looking at haunting spaces with so much whiteness everywhere combined with dark accents, blacks and dark browns.I feel mesmerized!
Would you put turquoise and bright green together in a room? Your first impression is perhaps not! too intense right? and what is all this about “blue and green must not be seen”, but sometimes it really can work, especially with the right choice of patterns and textures and with just enough white in the room to balance things out.
It does create a retro vibe leaning towards a kitsch element no matter what the style of the room or furniture.
Image from www.weranda.pl
Color scheme for the room above:
Another retro vibe room this time incorporating more white and a touch of brown.
Image from www.weranda.pl
Color scheme for above image:
This vintage tub and eye-opening tilework reflect a retro spirit. Vivid green and turquoise subway tiles echo the color scheme of the rest of this beach house.
From www.southernliving.com
Color scheme for the bathroom above:
Fresh, clean and green, this dining room mixes traditional fretwork panels with up-to-the-minute shades of vibrant green and turquoise. If you wanted to warm up this room in winter or for a romantic evening meal, you could use coloured lightbulbs and candles to great effect.
www.housetohome.co.uk
Color scheme for the dining room above:
Proof that bold pattern can be wonderful as well as weird, this dense damask wallpaper creates a luxurious backdrop for a modern living room. Team up with clean white furniture and plain fabrics.
www.housetohome.co.uk
Living room color scheme:
The modern shape of a sleek corner sofa, along with the vibrant turquoise and moss green colours, brings a fresh look to this living room. Floral print cushions complement the natural colours, but with a black backdrop, they add a contemporary aspect.
From www.housetohome.co.uk
Predominating color scheme for the living room above:
Modern lines in the kitchen given a retro mood with the color choice.
From www.cotemaison.fr
The color scheme for the cabinets in the kitchen above interacts with the stainless steel throughout the kitchen by toning down turquoise and vivid greens with black paint to create darker and moodier variations:
My heart surged when reading Architectual Digest I came across the weird and wacky, eclectic and bohemian Manhattan apartment of style icon Iris Apfel.
But style is like charisma. You know it when you see it.
by Iris Apfel
This fact is evident the minute you enter her three-bedroom Manhattan apartment, a Park Avenue aerie she shares with her husband, Carl, that looks a little as if the Collyer brothers had moved in with Madame de Pompadour. To the right of the front door, two stone pedestals piled with art books flank a Baroque console topped by a chinoiserie mirror. Eighteenth- and 19th-century dog portraits line a corridor leading to the bedrooms, and in the boiseried living room, an antique carving of a French mountain dog holds a platter brimming with costume jewelry. Everywhere there are exquisite French chairs, painted Genoese chests, antique paisley shawls, New Mexican santos, and much, much more.
I am so excited to share these images, so much fun, style and color in the one space!
I am Pandora. A lover of interior design, decorating, homes, gardens and all things stylish!
I have been studying interior design as a side project for a few years on and off and decided to make this blog where I jot down my ideas and inspirations in the hopes that they will help or inspire others.
I am particularly in love with devising new color schemes an will try to add some of that here too.
This home and decorating site is a work in progress for me so come back often to see new ideas!
