Shabby Chic Kitchens

Contemplating renovating your existing kitchen into a country style, shabby chic kitchen? Here are some helpful tips to guide you through the process.

Assess the Situation
Take a long hard look at your kitchen. Note the existing style concerning the wall color, the cabinets, and other dominant details. Consider the size and the layout of your kitchen. Is there enough floor space to accommodate any additional pieces of furniture? Is there enough wall space for more shelves or cabinets? If not, you might want to consider how the existing look of your kitchen could be altered in order to achieve a more shabby chic vibe. A new coat of paint or perhaps some patterned wallpaper along with the right accents can make a world of a difference

Get Measurements
You are going to want to get accurate measurements of the floor and wall space. In case you get new treatments, you should also measure your windows. Think about accessories like canisters, towels, tea pots, etc, that will help you attain that shabby chic feel.

Recycle Old Items
Chances are you already have some useful home decor items that have been put away or neglected that can be used to bring together the shabby chic look in your kitchen. This particular decorating style is all about utilizing less than perfect pieces, so you might want to take a peek in your garage and see if anything you stored away stands out as salvageable/useful.

Colors!
Arguably the most important part of a proper shabby chic decor, you should take special care when selecting your colors. To create that cozy, country feel, consider using all white. The shabby chic style makes it acceptable to mismatch colors and has no real rules when it comes to doing so. The cottage feel is generally defined by the use of light colors, especially pastels, but feel free to experiment with any colors you wish. As long as the texture is worn, just about any color can work.

Mind the Details
By incorporating materials such as wood with iron, glass with iron, etc, you can really add a lot to the overall picture. Chipped, cracked, or otherwise aged materials are of course ideal. Any kitchen linens displayed such as hand towels or even oven mitts should appear homespun. Precious glassware like delicate sugar bowls are great touches, along with tin canister sets. Try to incorporate as much as possible with small accessories such as coffee mugs, salt and pepper shakers, and other typical kitchen items, but also be sure not to make it appear too cluttered.

The big things are just as important as the little things when pulling off the shabby chic motif. An ideal table would be a French-style wooden table, complete with chipped accents. For solid wood tables and chairs, try applying an extra coat of paint and then allowing it to dry. Once it has dried, sand the surface as desired to show the underlying color layers. White washing is another great way to bring out the country home in your kitchen furniture.