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Handmade Patchwork

November 8, 2005 at 11:34 am

Handmade Patchwork Handmade Patchwork

If you are like me, decorating for comfort rather than style is important. Mismatched furniture, quaint country wall hangings and hand sewn comforters seem to find their way into our home like a litter of lost puppies. I will take an old, overstuffed easy chair over a modern recliner any day. Our guests are welcomed with snug and comfortable surroundings where they can put their feet up and relax.

Whether you call it cottage decor, French country or bohemian, warmth and informality permeates the room that some may describe as shabby. It is in fact shabby chic. From pastels to tea stains, shabby chic has long been an eclectic favorite in interior design. Well, perhaps design is not quite the right term.

The concept of shabby chic probably has less to do with a particular style and more to do with reflecting a lifestyle. Soft pastels colors, lacey fabrics and old furniture with subtle signs of wear are characteristic of the look.

Many interior design schemes focus on adherence to the concept that form always follows function. I think that shabby chic turns this concept on its head. Design forms that emphasize some level of high style would be out of place in a room that looks more like it has been thrown together than well though out. Mismatches in furniture styles and the use of handmade or homespun types of fabric would hardly be considered high style.

My own home reflects a level of shabby chic. The furniture does not match, and room accents such as artwork and lighting fixtures do not come together in some grand plan. In contrast to Early American or say French country motifs, my home might accurately be described as Early Second Hand. Simplicity is the rule in our home, simply used and functional without the emphasis on form.

To achieve a shabby chic look, a new item of furniture is sometime intentionally made to look worn. The process distressing has been used for years, on everything from furniture to wood floors. I have seen installers take a perfectly new wood floor and beat it with heavy chains to give that Gently Used look.

The practice of antiquing is another way to give otherwise new furniture an old look. Tea staining is a process of treating new fabric making it look gently aged.

Now you may think it a waste to take a new item of furniture and intentionally turn it into an old item of furniture. The simple beauty of shabby chic is that there are no rules, no strict tenets of interior design.

Of course, there are ways to achieve that gently used, shabbily chic look. Furniture and room accents that have aged naturally are preferred. Like flaws in fine leather, certain distress features can add value to an item of furniture. Most antique experts advise against refinishing antique furniture. Damage can be done to the patina of the wood greatly diminishing the items value.

Since daybeds have such a long history, you can use your daybed as a focal point of the room. Daybeds can fit quite well into a shabby chic environment. Even if the daybed is new, the daybed cover can be used to attain that shabby chic look.

You can easily achieve this popular look through various choices of fabrics and colors. Pinks and other light colors, lace trims and patchwork fabrics are all available to transform your daybed by simply changing the daybed cover.

Shopping online for shabby chic day bed covers is a great way to create a look and feel that is comfortable, informal and inviting.

About the Author

Mitch Endick is a short article writer for the popular daybed site: http://www.daybedcovers.com. He provides informative advice on purchasing quality daybed covers and ensembles.

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