An expression which has only recently entered the home decorators vocabulary, ’shabby chic' describes that peculiar mix of style and dilapidation which, in the right hands, can be a truly magical formula for decorating success. It takes a practised eye, a confident touch and, preferably, a crumbling French chateau or Italian palazzo to achieve its full glory, but there are elements which are adaptable to bathrooms on a more modest scale.
The shabby-chic bathroom furniture is the absolute antithesis of the fitted bathroom. No elements are built in, nothing matches, pipework and plumbing are flaunted rather than disguised and fittings are either old or, at the very least, unusual. The focus is often one particular element - a magnificent cast-iron bath, a splendid wardrobe or a beautiful mirror - beside which everything else in the room pales into insignificance.
Fittings have an individual touch. They may be new but seem curious and original, as if they have been picked up at random from auctions or antique shops. This is not the look for those who haveiust invested in a brand-new bathroom suite; it is more appropriate for those who have inherited a bathroom and need to replace one or two items but cannot find anything that matches the existing scheme. \/ariety here is definitely the spice of life, and differences should be exploited rather than concealed.
Unusual pieces of furniture or decorative items are employed in unexpected ways. A china bowl, sunk into a washstand, makes an eye-catching basin. An antique jug might be used to hold toothbrushes and toothpaste. A panel of old tiles, set into the wall, could make a characterful splashback above the bath. Objects are used and valued for their intrinsic beauty rather than their conformity to an overall decorative scheme. When it comes to decoration, the theme is the same: nothing is conspicuously nevv. Walls are either left in their natural state or subtly colour-vvashed and irregularities in the plastervvork are left untouched rather than disguised. Woodwork can be left unpainted or rubbed downto allovv the grain of the vvood or the layers of paint underneath to shovv through.
Rather than conventional blinds or curtains, window treatments might include an old velvet throvv or an oriental hanging loosely draped from a pole or tacked to the window frame and svvagged to one side. Using the original shutters, if your house still has them, or placing a \/ictorian decoupage screen in front of the window might prove an apt alternative. Upholstery is visibly ancient, vvith vvorn tapestries or vvashed-out chintzes covering a chair or chaise longue. A magnificent but tattered Persian rug may take pride of place on the floor, but the boards underneath shovv their age and imperfections. The new bathroom furniture really can look great in this setup.
A gilt-framed mirror is propped rather than hung above the basin vvhile an unframed old master hangs above the bath. The overall effect is one of gracefully faded grandeur and elegance, with every item in the room telling an intriguing and nostalgic story. But do not be deceived: the taps may not match but they produce gallons of hot vvater just as effectively as their brand-nevv counterparts and the old-fashioned radiator pumps out heat, Shabby chic definitely does not·mean spartan chic.
The shabby-chic bathroom furniture is the absolute antithesis of the fitted bathroom. No elements are built in, nothing matches, pipework and plumbing are flaunted rather than disguised and fittings are either old or, at the very least, unusual. The focus is often one particular element - a magnificent cast-iron bath, a splendid wardrobe or a beautiful mirror - beside which everything else in the room pales into insignificance.
Fittings have an individual touch. They may be new but seem curious and original, as if they have been picked up at random from auctions or antique shops. This is not the look for those who haveiust invested in a brand-new bathroom suite; it is more appropriate for those who have inherited a bathroom and need to replace one or two items but cannot find anything that matches the existing scheme. \/ariety here is definitely the spice of life, and differences should be exploited rather than concealed.
Unusual pieces of furniture or decorative items are employed in unexpected ways. A china bowl, sunk into a washstand, makes an eye-catching basin. An antique jug might be used to hold toothbrushes and toothpaste. A panel of old tiles, set into the wall, could make a characterful splashback above the bath. Objects are used and valued for their intrinsic beauty rather than their conformity to an overall decorative scheme. When it comes to decoration, the theme is the same: nothing is conspicuously nevv. Walls are either left in their natural state or subtly colour-vvashed and irregularities in the plastervvork are left untouched rather than disguised. Woodwork can be left unpainted or rubbed downto allovv the grain of the vvood or the layers of paint underneath to shovv through.
Rather than conventional blinds or curtains, window treatments might include an old velvet throvv or an oriental hanging loosely draped from a pole or tacked to the window frame and svvagged to one side. Using the original shutters, if your house still has them, or placing a \/ictorian decoupage screen in front of the window might prove an apt alternative. Upholstery is visibly ancient, vvith vvorn tapestries or vvashed-out chintzes covering a chair or chaise longue. A magnificent but tattered Persian rug may take pride of place on the floor, but the boards underneath shovv their age and imperfections. The new bathroom furniture really can look great in this setup.
A gilt-framed mirror is propped rather than hung above the basin vvhile an unframed old master hangs above the bath. The overall effect is one of gracefully faded grandeur and elegance, with every item in the room telling an intriguing and nostalgic story. But do not be deceived: the taps may not match but they produce gallons of hot vvater just as effectively as their brand-nevv counterparts and the old-fashioned radiator pumps out heat, Shabby chic definitely does not·mean spartan chic.
