apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I'd forgotten how love it or hate it Shabby Chic is...but also how forgiving. It's like a worn pair of jeans; it looks great because of its flaws.

I love the ceramics in the photo above.

my wife loves shabby chic.

If you like the look they sell a "simply shabby chic" line at target. Similar look with lower prices. I know it's not the real thing, but if it's the antique white look you like it, it can suffice, with much lower prices.

We just a bought a hutch and desk from the line, and i can say yes it's not amazing and super high quality, but for the price, it is way above other furniture. We can't afford expensive and designer furniture, so this is a good solution if you're in the same boat.

I kinda like shabby chic, but I find it ironic that Rachel Ashwell has a store selling things that *look* like they came from a fleamarket but don't.

jmorey - an even more affordable and authentic shabby chic move is to buy furniture from thrift and garage sales and paint it white. The furniture is generally already better quality because it's not made of MDF.

That couch looks absolutely delicious!

Nap time anyone?

This look takes the emphasis off materials, form, and craftsmanship and places it squarely on a grab-bag juxtaposition of cheap, over-ornamentation. It's really against everything good design stands for.

Oh, *sniff*, seeing that shot I realize how much I miss Fillamento, the previous occupant of that spot. I think I went into RASC once in that space and couldn't bring myself to return. Am I alone in missing Fillamento?

This store pretty much sums up everything I detest in home design.

I definitely agree that the bulk of her furnishings and accessories are heavily "inspired" by flea market finds. But I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of Moroccan influence that her latest pieces have. Worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood!

Sparkle - I too miss Fillamento & strolling on Fillmore St. just isn't the same without it.

Oh how I miss Fillamento! That was an awesome store... it's replacement, above, doesn't even come close in fabulousness...

Rascal...I couldn't disagree with you more strongly. Good design must be internalized and lived with. The intention is not a "grab bag" mentality at all, but of things aquired over time, with thought, reason, or sentimentality.

This is the exact opposite of the MCM Me Too mentality.
Comfort, warmth, familiarity..

I for one am sick to death of modern this and modern that.

hdtex,

What one chooses to live with is entirely a matter of personal choice. Paint everything magenta and gold if that's what makes you happy, but that doesn't mean it's good design.

True classic modern (MCM, if you like) is based on a strong foundation of aesthetic, sensory, and even ethical principles. It emerged from a dedication to raising the level of consciousness in our living environment through an enlightened awareness of form, function, and material.

"Shabby Chic" is like comfort food; overstuffed and steeped in sentimentality; nourishing, perhaps, but neither enlightening nor even particularly interesting.

While I do like Shabby Chic, I ended up not doing my entire apartment that way because it was just a little too much. But, I did love the beds - more specifically, the sheets.. luckily, the Shabby Chic at Target line has wonderfully soft sheets for a fraction of the price. I've mixed and matched several sets (keeping within the same color scheme), and my bed looks great, I have to say.

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And what makes you the ultimate authority Rascal?

Always hated it, always will. Absolutely no guts.

Wow, I find many of you very harsh with Shabby Chic.
I would like just to say that I can't afford the big pieces there and that I often went to Target to buy the cheaper items. But I have some bedding items from the "true" Shabby Chic, and the quality is incredible, as the bath towels too.
But every time I go to the Santa Monica store, I often arrive stressed, and when I get out, I feel so relaxed and cool. The mood there is incredible, the saleswomen adorable and I never feel bad not to be able to buy everything. It is a true inspiration, and I prefer buying one piece I will love a lot than too many which are not necessary, as I don't like to have everything identical. The spirit is great and it's what we must remember from there.
And I don't know who told it has no guts. Sorry, I think you are wrong. I'm French, I think I know a little about the good gut and elegance, and I can tell you, it is very classy, comfortable and very quality made, including the Simply Shabby Chic, even if it's cheaper.
That is my opinion. You should give a chance to this style.

I'm more into the MCM aesthetic for sure but I think my approach has a lot in common with shabby chic ideas.
The search for the right piece or the delight at finding something just right at a flea market, second-hand store, craigslist etc. It can be very satisfying.
The thing I find odd - is going to Target or somewhere for some mass produced things that look like flea-market finds.
I'd rather wait for the real thing to show up at the Goodwill or something.
I appreciate the authenticity of the real deal.