Have you decided to give your home a fresh look with shabby chic walls? Taking care of your little nest is easier than you think!
If you love shabby chic decor, you'll already know that paying attention to the details is crucial. It's not enough to just change the furniture: accessories and walls play a huge role in the look of your home! And luckily, achieving shabby chic walls doesn't take much: read all our tips and discover how easy it is to bring a breath of fresh air into your home.
The most beautiful colors for shabby chic walls (and how to match them with furniture)
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To achieve shabby chic walls, the first thing to do is choose the colors. It's true that shabby chic "loves" white in all its shades, but all-white doesn't always work: white furniture, white walls, white accessories... Unless you decide to focus on unique textures (stone, brick, or wood paneling: all difficult to replicate on your own), a little color is a good idea!
We're clearly not talking about bright hues: shabby chic wall colors are soft and elegant, creating a delicate contrast with furniture and curtains.
Shabby chic walls in dove gray, a sophisticated and delicate shade
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Characteristics: Dove gray walls are a must-have in the shabby chic style. Dove gray is a very sophisticated shade somewhere between gray and brown, which makes white furniture stand out incredibly. It's so soft you could even use it on all the walls in a room (but only if the space isn't too cramped!). A beautiful combination is dove gray walls with white wood paneling: refined and striking.
Pairings: white or ivory furniture, wrought iron, and gray-toned stoneware flooring.
Cream-colored walls: a warm, rustic, and romantic atmosphere
Features: If you don't have white furniture and your home's style leans more toward country chic than shabby chic, then cream-colored walls can be a great alternative. Walnut (or dark wood) furniture pairs beautifully with this color. Cream-colored walls are the ultimate choice for country homes with stone or terracotta floors: try them and you'll see the difference! You'll suddenly feel like you're living in a dreamlike setting.
Pairings: Walnut furniture, terracotta floors, linen curtains.
Cappuccino for shabby chic walls
Features: Shades ranging from coffee to cappuccino, besides making us instantly crave a nice cup of espresso, are perfect for creating shabby chic walls. Always remember the golden rule: dark colors make spaces appear smaller, so the darker the color you choose, the less you'll need. With coffee, a single wall is ideal; with cappuccino, you can use multiple walls.
Warmer than taupe and deeper than cream, this unique shade of brown is perfect with ivory-colored furniture and light wood. Pair it with a lace curtain for a truly elegant effect.
Pairings: white, ivory, or light wood furniture, parquet flooring.
The most suitable pastel colors for shabby chic: antique pink, lavender, powder blue...
Let's talk about pastel colors for shabby chic walls: if you love color so much that you can't resign yourself to using only grays and browns, this is the solution for you.
Antique pink walls (used sparingly) are ideal for shabby chic and country chic spaces, while cooler shades, like powder blue, lavender, and sage green, will give your home a very Provençal look. Many people like the combination of white furniture, but if you're worried the look will look too uniform, mix it with walnut wood elements, which will add depth. For a professional touch, choose striped curtains that match the wall color (perhaps a darker shade) with the white.
Pairings: walnut furniture, tone-on-tone striped curtains.
Shabby chic striped walls: Parisian allure and a bistro atmosphere
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How we love shabby chic striped walls! Entering a home decorated like this is like magically finding yourself in a Parisian café (but without the hassle of having to move).
If you don't feel like repainting the entire house, this is the ideal solution: shabby chic striped walls create such a striking, unique look that just one is enough to completely transform the space. In any case, never paint more than two walls in a room; the effect would be truly excessive.
Another piece of good news is that many people have learned how to paint a striped wall on their own, with excellent results! Find out how with us.
How to DIY a Shabby Chic Striped Wall
Creating a shabby chic striped wall isn't that difficult: you can do it yourself! Here's a tutorial with all the steps you need to follow to get started.
- First, we need to decide on the size of the stripes: the larger the wall, the wider they will be.
- Now that you've decided, grab a set square and mark notches on the wall with a pencil, both on the top and bottom edges. Be precise, down to the millimeter, otherwise the lines will be crooked!
- Then, using a plumb line (don't panic: just hang a metal object, like a nail or a key, on a long string!), carefully trace the lines, again with a pencil.
- Now apply masking tape along the stripes, positioning it entirely within the lines, which will remain white.
- Now, grab a roller and paint and apply the color using regular strokes from top to bottom. If you're worried about losing count of the stripes (which, trust me, happens to many!), lightly mark each stripe with a pencil and erase each line with an eraser just before applying the paint, one at a time.
Once you've finished the wall, put everything away and let it dry for a day before applying the second coat. See? Painting a striped wall isn't difficult at all!
Looking for a budget-friendly idea? Have fun with shabby chic wallpaper!
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Here's the ideal solution for those who want shabby chic walls but don't have time to paint: wallpaper! All the rage in the early 20th century, it fell out of favor for a few decades, only to experience a major revival in recent years. So, what better time to try it ourselves?
There's a wide variety of shabby chic wallpapers on the market, for all tastes and budgets. We range from floral wallpaper to striped wallpaper, from wood paneling to polka dot wallpaper. All in our favorite shades: dove gray, pearl gray, powder pink... You're spoiled for choice!
There's even self-adhesive wallpaper, which you can apply completely independently. In short, we're talking about a simple solution that will radically change the look of your home.
But be careful, shabby chic wallpaper certainly doesn't go unnoticed. Our advice is to use it on just one wall in the room: obviously, the one you want to highlight! If we're talking about a bedroom, for example, the wall behind the bed is best. All that's left to do is choose your favorite wallpaper and... get ready for a real revolution.
Shabby chic wall decorations: how to liven up a bare surface
If, all things considered, you like your white walls and want to leave them as they are... the solution is simple: wall decorations! Hanging shabby chic prints, paintings, or photographs will give your room that artistic touch you've been looking for. And all without using paintbrushes (or wallpaper glue): a nail, a hammer, and you'll have perfect shabby chic walls in no time!
As we mentioned, paintings, prints, and frames are always the first thing people think of. The shabby chic wall decorations we'd like to focus on this time, however, aren't these, but rather two types of decorative elements that are currently trending: wooden signs and wall clocks. Let's see which ones to choose and how to combine them!
Shabby chic wooden signs, a discreet and refined touch
To give your kitchen a French bistro vibe, to decorate a girl's bedroom, or simply to fill a shelf, shabby chic wooden signs are an excellent solution: practical, economical, versatile, and very contemporary. Not only that, they also make a delightful gift idea!
Whether you choose to hang it on the wall or place it on the mantelpiece, a shabby wooden sign will give the room an original and unique touch, yet discreet and refined. An idea definitely worth trying.
Shabby chic wall clocks to revitalize the living area
Here's an object we don't often think of when talking about wall decorations: the clock! Perhaps because of its usefulness, a wall clock is rarely considered when looking for something decorative. Yet, this is precisely the strength of this object: it's both useful and decorative. Perfect for transforming a boring white wall into a shabby chic one, with very little effort.
To revitalize the living area, choose the style that best suits the space. Hang a shabby chic wall clock in white distressed wood to add a romantic and delicate touch to the room; or choose a more vintage version in antiqued metal to give the whole thing a touch of character. In our store, you'll find a collection of wall clocks perfect for decorating your home in shabby chic style!
In short, between new colors, French-style stripes, wallpaper, and hanging decorations, we're sure you'll find the perfect solution for your shabby chic walls. Enjoy!
