How about this idea for instant shabby chic furniture? If you just happen to have some old suitcases why not try it? Ideal for that Ghost furniture look we love so much but do remember it’s not easy to get that perfect smooth white finish and messy just won’t do for this look.

old cases painted white and turned into a side table

Black winged decoration and forms, originally uploaded by Andyrob.

Isn’t she extraordinary? I love the idea of having what is more or less a theatrical prop in one corner of the room. The shop in Islington had lots of them in different outfits. They are delightful confections but with a bit of a post modern edge. Many of the forms are just bare painted polystyrene with the costume glued on.
I’m sure these forms are aimed at young women, possibly of the sort who might just want to snaffle those wings sometimes to go clubbing in When I was the age to fall for such things I’d much rather have made her myself and I think I’d have used her to model one of my more Gothic outfits, or at least something that could be worn. Either that or make the whole thing an exquisite fantasy confection. Covering the bare form with silk or even muslin would help.

The Shabby Chic Furniture

The quiet but delightful items in this photo are the sweet little couch, so French, so delicate and the understated chair. The shop was quiet reasonable for mostly faux pieces. Similar stuff can easily be found online and one or two pieces of Shabby Chic furniture like this can really add to the atmosphere of a room.

Shiny, shiny, Shabby Chic, Islington, originally uploaded by LindaH.

All this gorgeous, glamourous Shabby Chic furniture was outside a shop in Islington yesterday. It just goes to remind us that not all shabby chic is painted.
There’s just a whiff of decadence about this sort of furniture. It makes me think of glamourous starlets in those silky 30s or 40s dressing gowns you only ever see in black and white films. You can almost smell the perfume and I can just imagine the sort of bright red lipstick that ought to sit on that dresser!
The big mirrors are totally over the top with their ornate decorations, a bit less Deco than the furniture but still great fun.
You would think this stuff would be very expensive but I was amazed at how reasonable some of it was. You can find this sort of
glamourous shabby chic furniture quite easily or if you are brave you could try to re-create the look yourself. I’ll post more about the DIY techniques for this sort of shabby chic furniture sometime over the next few weeks.

High Gloss Black Vanity Table, originally uploaded by Nadia Bacons.

Once you’ve done all your hard work painting you could end up with something as yummy as this glamourous Shabby Chic dressing table.
I’d love to see this adding a bit of Holywood glam to a bedroom with lots of mirrors and satin bedcovers.
I’d need lots of lovely accessories to put on it of course……….