When it comes to interior design perfection is a pursuit best left to show houses or gloss magazines covers. Who can really live with perfection in their home or more to the point who can maintain it with pets, children, an active work and social life? If over polished just isn’t your thing then the latest in interior cool might just be for you, Shabby chic!! It is forgiving, easy to live with but also most importantly CHIC!!!!!!!!!!

For get styled to perfection with shiny spotless surfaces and lots of high maintenance chrome. Shabby chic is about timeless elegance, distressed woods and antique finishes. Think vintage inspired pieces of furniture mixed with soft fabrics and feminine touches.

The great thing about this style of decor is that wear and tear on flooring or furniture and leaving bits and piece out of place will only add to the authenticity of the look. Making it very easy to live with.

To create this look think antiques, vintage pieces, soft fabric upholstery and distressed floor boards covered with aged rugs. This style of décor gives you the opportunity to combine lots of different pieces of furniture and not be afraid of mix and matching different chairs around a dining table for example, the contrast will just add interest.

Colour wise choose pale pastels and bleached hues like soft duck egg blues, lilacs, pinks and sage greens. Faded or distressed fabrics that have an old vintage feel add to the shabby chic feel. The great think about this look is that any sun fading or wear on fabrics will only enhance the look giving this style longevity and making it easy to live with.

When it comes to fabrics for made to measure curtains, linens and cottons have a lovely light casual feel that works well with this style of décor. Choose delicate floral, cool stripes, timeless French damasks or subtle ginghams. This style borrows heavily from French styling, so French patterns like toile de jouy will also work well with this look. To add extra hints of glamour to a formal dining room or sitting room, introduce velvet and chenille, which will give that extra dimension of texture.

Cream or white washed woods look particularly well with this style, especially if they are distressed or aged. A cream cabinets for instance would be the ideal choose for a shabby chic kitchen or cream wood bedroom furniture for a boudoir.

So go on get a bit shabby and shake off the confinement of the pre-occupation with perfection