Shabby Chic is not my "thing". I’ve never understood the need to pay 4,500 dollars for a beat-up – excuse me, timeworn – old desk that looks like something you could have found in my first apartment. In truth, though, it’s not the price that grates. It’s the frills, the pastels, the relentless roses, and the utter lack of something, anything dear God that isn’t nicked up.
That said, my friend Carrie’s entire home is a perfect vision of imperfect, complete with Rachel herself on the coffee table reading stack. It’s not at all pretentious (the house; not the book). It’s cottagy and comfortable and very Carrie. And since I find myself hanging out at Chez C so often it’s practically my second home, I have to give proper credit to le chic du shabby: the aged look so many love is inherently eco-friendly. After all, reclaimed finds from the flea market or eBay don’t require new production resources. Shabby Chic is Perfectly Green.
A word of caution: for all you readers in love with the distressed corner, the ratty edge, and the faded finish, don’t go to the Shabby Chic store (sorry, Rachel). Scoop up treasures online to get the style you adore – sans the inevitable credit card overlimit fee. (There we go with green saving you green again.) While I’m not personally excited about what appears to me to be a lot of fuss about ruffles, I enthusiastically applaud all things secondhand, and that includes the Shabby obsession.
Just look at some of the vintage sweetness we’ve found:
The Vintage Nest has all kinds of feminine pieces, but this lamp caught my eye. I’m pretty sure I saw an exact replica in the Shabby Chic store in San Francisco.
Spend a little time on eBay and you’ll find loads of chic timeworn furniture for a steal. This little table had worked its way up to a grand $38.99 last time we checked (may not be available now).
Simply searching online classifieds brings up a wealth of vintage treasures, like this milk glass dishware set for $50.
Or, if you’re willing to scour good old Craigslist, you’ll be amazed at some of the gorgeous weathered pieces that pop up. I have personally had great luck with the site – I scooped up a sleek mid-century chair last year and a rich maple credenza a few months back. (Big spender: chair, $15 and credenza, $80.)
There’s nothing so "shabby" as secondhand.
Top image: Sherry’s Rose Cottage
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