If you walk down your high street and look through the windows of bars, restaurants and cafés, you’ll see that the shabby chic style of décor has taken over many. In homes across the country, this type of décor has been around for decades, but high street brands have been relatively slow to see its potential.
Call it vintage, antique, reclaimed, rustic or French cottage, the shabby chic trend is welcomed by many operators and is here to stay. Whether your customers come to you for a casual drink in your café or a special dinner in your restaurant, the shabby chic style can be used to enhance any type of interior or décor and give rooms a vintage feel.
With its huge popularity and stylish results, it’s no surprise that plenty of operators are making shabby chic the theme for their establishment. But with so many different furniture options available, it can be difficult to know where to start.
As furniture experts, we often get asked questions about shabby chic. To help, we’ve put together a detailed guide of all things shabby chic.
What is shabby chic?
Shabby chic décor is designed to have a well-used and vintage style appearance of being. This is achieved with layers of worn paint on furniture and simple fabrics like cotton and linen. At its best style is homely looking, whilst still looking clean and stylish.
Furniture and furnishings are favoured for their aged appearance and traditional style. r. This can be achieved with g new furniture with a vintage appearance, furniture that has purposely been distressed or by refreshing an old piece of furniture.
Why is shabby chic furniture so popular?
The last few years have seen a dramatic surge in the popularity of shabby chic interiors. It has been widely adopted simply because it makes things that don't necessarily match look good together. Colourful steel chairs with a traditional wood table? Sure, why not?
The miss-match of furniture gives hospitality venues a homely quality that customers like. When customers feel comfortable in their environments, the longer they’ll feel inclined to stay.
Another reason for this style being chosen by many bars, cafés and restaurants recently is that it looks great whatever the function and size of a space is. Operators are also able to put their own spin on the shabby chic décor. There aren’t many limits within shabby chic and almost anything goes.
What are the different types of shabby chic furniture?
Rather than being one set style, there are a variety of different décor types within the shabby chic realm. The most common include:
Cottage chic: shabby chic but with bolder colours.
Beach cottage chic: neutral tones that reflect the simplicity of the coast such as white, blue and beige.
English country: English country shabby chic decor mixes classic fabrics, furniture and patterns with contemporary touches and neutral tones.
Why should you get shabby chic furniture?
With its classic and elegant style, it’s no wonder that cafés, restaurants and bars are embracing shabby chic interiors. It’s also worth noting that the style can be achieved on almost any budget. If you have a very low budget and plenty of time to spare, you could even get all of your furniture from transforming old pieces yourself.
Whether you go with new or old furniture, or a mix of the two, shabby chic décor is a fantastic way to add to the character of your space it’s amazing how much your interior can get people talking about your business both online and offline. With so many options available to the public, customers are now looking for something unique and different. Shabby chic creates the ultimate unique selling point.
What’s more, a well-done shabby chic interior is extremely photogenic and ‘Instagrammable’. Having customers post photos of your venue on social media accounts is free promotion to their hundreds or maybe thousands of followers. The more Instagram-friendly you can make your décor, the better.
Can I make shabby chic furniture?
Yes, because shabby chic is all about giving a vintage look, you can convert your old furniture to fit the theme. Get in your loft and go to that car boot sale and you might be able to find some hidden gems.
Creating your own shabby chic piece of furniture can be good to use as a centre piece but it's best to avoid using second-hand furniture that has seen heavy use, or was never designed for commercial premises.
Old restaurant tables and chairs might give you the look you want, but you run the risk of not complying with modern fire safety regulations, or missing out on developments in ergonomic design that have happened since they were manufactured.
How can I make shabby chic furniture?
DIY is always an option for shabby chic furniture. If you want to do it yourself, we’ve created a handy shabby chic guide that includes a five-step guide to creating shabby chic furniture. But before you get your paint pots and sander out, consider how many pieces of furniture you need and the type of design you’re looking to achieve.
When shouldn't you DIY your own shabby chic furniture?
While the shabby chic look can be achieved by transforming old and previously used furniture, the wiser investment is often buying new furniture with a shabby chic-look.
If you don’t have the skills or equipment necessary for transforming old furniture, are low on time or want to know what the product will look like before you commit, buying new shabby chic furniture is the option for you.
Where can I buy shabby chic furniture?
At Trent Furniture, we take pride in following furniture trends and giving you the furniture styles that are both current and appealing to the public. As such, we have a huge range of affordable shabby chic chairs, table and stools. View our restaurant furniture pages to see our huge range of products.
Examples of shabby chic furniture available to buy:
At Trent Furniture, we stock a variety of tables and chairs that fit in seamlessly with a shabby chic interior. Our furniture pieces may give the vintage appearance, but they are brand new!
Our Farmhouse table is a particularly popular choice for shabby chic look. The contrast between white legs and warm walnut tops works well when paired with a variety of chairs. For example you could pair the Farmhouse table with a traditional wooden chair like a loopback side chair or with something more contemporary such as the Bella chair.
These are just a couple of possible chair and table combinations from our shabby chic range. We have an array of other options, so take a look at our shabby chic furniture range to see if there are any other combinations to fit with your desired bar, café or restaurant interior.
Shabby chic restaurant examples:
Over the years, Trent Furniture has helped hospitality venues furnish their spaces with a whole host of different interior styles. Minimal, traditional, American or shabby chic; you name it, we’ve supplied it. Here is one of the shabby chic projects that we worked on recently:
Street Feast is a company that converts disused spaces in London into unique eating and drinking environments.
For their venue in Canada Water, Hawker House, the centrepiece is an Italian-themed bar that serves cocktails and aperitifs. Wooden loopback chairs and bentwood stools were chosen to present a vintage, shabby chic style reminiscent of early1900s Italy.
Read more about the project.