Chicken wire in cabinet doors fits perfectly for country and shabby chic styles
Chicken wire instead of glass
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Lace
The pattern of lace is not added to the fabric afterwards, but it is created while during the production of the textile itself. Lace has important rule in fashion and interior design.
The stitched lace is created with a needle, with buttonhole-like stitches. For pillow-lace, there are several bobbins used to guide the threads around the pins on the pillow, this is how the pattern is made. Crochet is made with crochet-hooks, the product is a bit heavier than the other types but is more flexible as well. Lace pattern can be also created by pulling or cutting out threads from a textile and the holes thus formed are embroidered around with yarn. Hem-stich is a similar method. Filet lace has a net-like base and the pattern is created by filling the holes with yarn, that’s why it has an angular look.
With the rise of the Italian Renaissance, the demand for lace has increased. Mainly linen, silk, gold or silver threads were used in those days. Nowadays it is made of cotton or synthetic fiber. It was an expensive type of fabric, so using it as decoration was only the nobles’ privilege. It appeared e.g. as altarpiece in church. The most famous, leading-edge factories are still working in Brussels, Venice, Chantilly. Lace was a determining element of the Victorian interior design, especially in decorating the bedroom where specifically feminine and romantic effect was required. Bedspreads, cushions and baldachins were not only decorated with lace but were made entirely of it. Their color was generally white, off-white or cream. Nowadays it is fashionable again thanks to shabby chic style which creates also feminine and romantic interiors. Soft pastel shades are present here. But the black, red, dark blue and dark purple colored lace accessories fit better for the powerful steampunk style.
Many people inherited lace clothes or other lace objects from their parents, grandparents. Some of these might already serve more generations. If you don’t want to get rid of your collection, ask for help of an interior designer for ornamentally using.
Rustic
Truly rustic interiors – neutral and harmonic color palette
Lavender
In the pull of lavender
Shabby chic
Shabby chic is an interior design style which is very popular nowadays. It can be relatively easily realized in any home.
A shabby chic interior is feminine, light and has a little bit warn effect, despite of this, still elegant. Dominant colors are white, grey, powder blue, pink, crème, light green and beige. Furnishing is made of wood, chairs are upholstered comfortably soft, or even wicker braided. Basically it has French style characteristics. Although the overall effect is rural, yet it fits well even in an aristocratic environment. The double doored large wardrobe, the Bergére armchair and the great variety of fabrics provide the luxurious, but still muted feeling. Feels like if we spend our holiday in our country castle.
We can produce the furnishing ourselves for this style. Let’s paint the old furnitures purchased at a flea market with off-white and generate the antique feeling using some umbra brown. Another method, if the paint is burnished back at the edges, at the handles and at the bottom of the legs. This simulates the worn effect gained by the heavy years of usage. At accessories, avoid using strong colors. Flower bouquet is always an important decoration element. It can be placed in practically anything, like a watering can, a jar or old cookie box. Select pastel coloured flowers, which fit to the rural atmosphere, like lavender, roses, tulip or wild flowers. Prefer natural materials at fabrics, like cotton or linen. Use patterned material or plain weaved ones occasionally with toile pattern using only two colors. Use them brevely, combine several hues of a given color. For metallic accessories, silver or gold color is the best choice.
If you like shabby chic, but don’t know how to start, ask help from an interior designer.
Provence
Provence. A word that enchants most people immediately. Large lavender fields, calm country cottages and millions of hues of white, gray and blue appear in our mind. This landscape inspired lots of poets, painters and writers.
Who wouldn’t like to live in a large house made of stone with blue shutters and a garden? Old wooden furniture, wrought iron accessories and terracotta flooring in the interior and a calming atmosphere welcomes the visitor. The furnishing reminds us to the passing time and eternal values with a worn elegance. We are talking about handmade of natural materials, each of them served several generations already.
Let’s imagine a bedroom, where tranquillity radiates from the painted, but warn walls. Where the beautiful, carved bed and the fresh, embroidered white bedding provide pleasant sleep despite of the warm climate. Where we can sit out to the small balcony in the morning to drink a coffee by the wrought iron table, later we can go down to the terrace to have our breakfast made of local foods and products – sitting on a cosy bench.
In the kitchen, there is a large, top glassed sideboard with two door panels standing near the wall. This is also painted wood, such as most of the furnitures. In the massive stone fireplace, there is a big earthenware full of fres lavender instead of fire. A solid wood table looms proudly in the middle. It is used for cooking activities such as serving the lunch or dinner. Opening the double French door, we can feel ourselves almost in the garden, the whole house is filled by the scent of flowers and the cool breeze.
Unfortunately, not everyone can live in Provence or can buy a cottage there. But we can smuggle the feeling and the view to our home even if we live in a completely different country. It’s all the same we have a floor apartment or a house with modern design, with clever tricks we can realize the mood. Everyone deserve to have their dreams come true – at least this one…
