How to get a kitchen in perfect shabby style. What colors not to use for furniture. What to avoid in order not to weigh down the kitchen.
The shabby style is as particular as it is difficult to respect. There are, in fact, some mistakes that could be repeated in the furniture, turning your kitchen into a mass of meaningless furniture, appliances and lace. But don’t despair: there is always a way to go, with clear and safe guidelines. By knowing the most common mistakes you can easily avoid them and you will get the shabby style kitchen of your dreams.
1. Confusing the shabby style
Are you sure you are connoisseurs of the shabby style? Attention, as sometimes we tend to aconfusing the shabby style with the Provencal style. So, let’s put some basic differences.
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In the Provencal style, there is a quite varied color palette: for example, pastel shades, mint green, light blue, wisteria can be used. In reverse, nin shabby styleinstead, there must be one prevalence of white, as with it you will go to furnish the kitchen: from the worktop to the curtains for the windows, from the table to the cabinet doors.
Secondly, in the Provencal style you try to give it to kitchen an aspect similar to the houses of Provence, in France. Instead, in the shabby style there is a big one attention to recycling. You can delight in giving new life to old objects. The jars of jam become flower holders; a cupboard in the kitchen can become a comfortable wardrobe in the bedroom. In short, in the shabby style there is a bustle of furniture, objects and decorations waiting to be useful again.
2. Buy new furniture
The shabby style, we have said, greatly appreciates recycled furniture. In your kitchen, therefore, think carefully before buying new furniture.
Rather, you might go to an old flea market or vintage shop and buy an old sideboard or an old cupboard. It doesn’t matter if it has been used in the dining room or living room until then. Indeed, even better: you can easily readjust the kitchen furniture.
Even an old bookcase that was in the garage, after having thoroughly washed it, can find space in your kitchen, as a pantry for flour, sugar, salt and pasta.
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Obviously, do not go extreme this conception: aged yes, but abandoned no. Carefully measure the antique furniture, without making the environment too heavy, especially if you have a small kitchen.
3. Give up on practicality
Always remember that the kitchen must be functional, thus respecting all your needs. The shabby style often uses a lot of decorations, lace, frills, bulky fabrics. But it is not always good to be carried away by beauty.
Before purchasing various accessories, consider the practical aspects of cooking well and its main purpose. L’furniturein fact, it must not be an obstacle to the liveability of the environment. On the contrary, it must make cooking even more pleasant to live.
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For example, after buying the necessary furniture and appliances, measure the remaining space. Then, calways match the distance between the various elements of the kitchen, as an island and worktop, always guaranteeing you enough space to pass through.
Another idea often put into practice in shabby kitchens is one linen or cotton curtain curled to put in place of the doors for the wall units. But if they can be get in the way when cooking, continue to use the doors. In the future, you can always change your mind.
4. Too white
As much as the shabby style is so fond of white, the too white good luck. In particular, it could create a stuffy environment, no longer livable and, especially, that gets dirty very easily.
First, try use the various shades. There is, for example, the navajo white, which tends to pink, and could give a shock to the kitchen environment. Or, the ghost white it is a very rare and precious color, as it also mixes light shades of blue and purple.
Finally, if you want a real break from white, you can take inspiration from the Scandinavian style. Steal a little idea: use slightly brighter details on a pastel background. In a kitchen, for example, you can buy dishes, utensils, Pans, of an mint green, so as to stand out in the white cupboard. Or, do not buy plain-colored curtains, but opt for some curtains with floral motifs or geometric designs.
So, don’t get carried away by white: as much as it may seem like one choice obvious and safe, it must be undertaken in moderation.
5. Too many things exposed
Let’s set a final rule: we are in a kitchen, not in a museum. With the shabby style, there is often a tendency to buy display ceramics, pots and pans to hang, objects of various kinds that reproduce animals, writings, candle holders. All very nice to see, but in essence it can become redundant.
If, in fact, there are too many objects to display which are not used, the risk is that yours kitchen you become a room to visit and not to live. So, just buy the things you really like with limitation, focusing yours first focus on what you really need. In this way, you will avoid an unpleasant stiff effect that clashes a lot in the kitchen.
Shabby style kitchen: 5 mistakes to avoid
To be sure of your choices, browse the image gallery, as you will find many shabby-style kitchens to inspire you.