French country shabby chic decorating ideas are perfect for any home, especially those that have a traditional French touch. It’s easy to use shabby chic colors and decorating ideas to make your home look like it was made in France. The rustic look and feel of shabby chic lend itself to small, cozy spaces. Shabby is an aesthetic that has not lost its popularity despite being outdated for many years. People continue to purchase old pieces of furniture, accessories, rugs, paintings and figurines with a French country theme. They feel that by bringing the look of shabby chic home decorating into their homes they will help them recapture the comfortable warmth that the country style sobers up.
While shabby chic furniture pieces don’t have to be old to look romantic, they do need to be well cared for and kept clean. You can create the look of a French Country home by keeping all of your home items, linen, linens, window coverings, etc. clean and simple. Some people love the French Country look and enjoy using French country inspired interior decorating ideas but don’t have much knowledge about French Country home decorating styles or how to achieve them in their homes.
One of the easiest ways to bring the French Country shabby chic look into your home is to choose an entrance that mirrors the shabby chic style. One idea is to select a door that is painted with a light weathered tone. This door could be decorated with French Country flowers or distressed wood trim. Choose coordinating French country hardware for your doorknob and door pulls and then coordinate the color and pattern of your linens, curtains, lighting, artwork and wrought iron fixtures throughout the rest of your home.
If you have a large shabby chic entryway, you can choose to shade it from the sun using French Country shutters or blinds. In addition to blocking the sun, these French Country accessories will also help to break up the lines of your French furniture. For example, if you have a dining table with a wide shabby chic legs, you can use an elaborate floral pattern on the top of the table across the top of the open doorway. The floral design would be in a border along the top of your French Country shutters or as an added accent on the outside of the shutters.
One easy way to make a small shabby chic design fit very nicely into your French Country decorating theme is to use an old picture frame as the focal point of one wall in your home. Choose a lovely picture frame that is either painted or in a wood tone that will fit the rest of the French Country look. You may want to leave the frame partially open so that a few pebbles or seeds from your garden can sit upon it. The inside of the frame could be lined with a soft floral fabric that would match or coordinate with your lounging chairs. Your guests would love to sit at a chair with such a beautiful background, and it would be a welcome addition to any room in your home.
To finish off your shabby chic design, consider having area rugs spread across the floor in a neutral color such as cream or off-white. Use rugs that are in the same tone as your French furniture, such as pale green lace. The neutral coloration of the rugs would make your French furniture and artwork blend in perfectly. As you can see, by using this method of decoration, your shabby chic home decoration style can be brought to life.
Another great way to bring this timeless decorating idea into your French Country home is to use area rugs throughout your dining room. A simple woven rug in the same or a similar tone as your French furniture is ideal. Rugs not only add warmth to the room but also lend a touch of uniqueness to your dining room. If you find the right type of rug, it can even out the colors between your French furniture and your shabby chic decorating ideas.
Adding some old wooden sculptures to your entryway is another great way to create a shabby chic atmosphere in your French Country home. Smaller, detailed statues in a worn effect would be very appropriate for an entryway. You could have one made with a beautiful moss covered wood statue and leave the rest of the area, just as it is. This would be a perfect place to display your collection of porcelain dolls, or a few antique rocking chairs.