Beautiful shabby chic bedrooms to unwind in

Looking for shabby chic bedroom ideas?

Shabby chic is essentially a country look, with an elegant, often French-inspired twist. Relaxed at its heart, shabby chic style is an infusion of time-worn furniture, a pale palette and dainty florals and tea-stained linens - making it perfect for your bedroom.

A predominantly white or pale neutral scheme is a classic shabby chic look, and is ideal if you want to evoke peace and tranquility in your bedroom scheme. Colours in keeping with this way of living tend to be soft, palatable tones such as mint, dusky rose, seafoam green and creams, and crisp, clean whites that will blend with any colour scheme.

Take shabby chic style into the bedroom with floral fabric and distressed furniture that you can make yourself, or expand into the dressing room with vintage hanging rails and coat hangers.

Visit antique fairs, auctions and salvage yards for your furniture. This look is all about celebrating beauty in the patina of aged objects. Whether you love or hate it, you can't deny it, the shabby chic trend is here to stay.

Don't miss these brilliant small bedroom ideas.

1/16 Add a little romance

Rest up with a touch of romance in your bedroom. Update a vintage setting with a stylish streamlined four-poster bedstead. Hang a modern floral wallpaper and choose a few pretty floral accessories in similar shades. Pair your pretty buys with distressed furniture and enamel lighting for a contemporary take on shabby-chic style.
Wallpaper
Wallpaper Direct
Bed
Heal's

Chair
Oka

Table and trunk
Pale & Interesting

2/16 Decorate in pastel shades

Although white is a key element of the style, soft pastel colours such as sky blue or dusky pink also contribute to the look. Pale, sumptuous bedding adds a light, restful atmosphere to the bedroom decor. Look for subtle patterns or details accentuated by intricate needlework, like pin tucks.

Similar bedding
Laura Ashley

3/16 Be inspired by a modern take on Shabby chic

Create a classic yet pretty look in your home with an abundance of florals and feminine
details, such as these statement light pendants and the fabulous vintage prints applied to
the walls with decorating tape. This scheme mixes up prints featuring
different flower types, such as roses, hydrangeas and hollyhocks - the
more the merrier - all perfect for a shabby chic bedroom.

Bed
Loaf
Table
Oka
Eiderdown and throw
Laura Ashley

4/16 Make it festive

Ditsy florals and celebratory bunting bring more than a hint of 1940s
style to a bedroom. Use soft furnishings to add a punchy patchwork layer
of stripes, dots and pretty flower prints to an otherwise white scheme.
An off-beat sequin cushion or two gives this type of scheme a fresh
twist.

Similar bed
Laura Ashley
Similar bed linen
Cath Kidston

5/16 Introduce practical storage 

Take inspiration from a boudoir boutique by having your clothing on display. Hanging rails and glass-fronted cabinets can be used to display bright sweaters and pretty scarves and add colour to a bedroom scheme. This is a great idea if you have lots of pretty dresses, suits and shoes that you want to show off. Wood makes such an unexpected statement in this dressing room. Don't be discouraged by sourcing salvaged wood - any dents and scratches become part of the patina of age.

Pink cabinet
Graham & Green
Rug
Very

6/16 Create a tranquil environment

Decorate a bedroom with soft blues and greys to create a serene space
designed to encourage tranquil evenings and a good night's sleep. Don't
overdo it with patterns; if the walls are covered with a patterned
wallpaper design, opt for fresh, white bedding and simple curtains.

Similar throw
Not On The High Street
Wallpaper
Emma Bridgewater at Sanderson

7/16 Keep it simple

Bring a feminine touch to a pure white bedroom with subtle pink
accessories such as floral bunting and fresh cut flowers. Adding gold
handles to a white bedroom chest will give it understated glamour, while
an retro-style mirror adds traditional charm.

Similar chest
Wayfair
Similar mirror
Marks & Spencer

8/16 Factor in florals

Add wow factor to a dressing table. Combine pretty floral accessories
with distressed furniture and enamel lighting for a contemporary take on
shabby-chic style. A floral mug, ditsy stationery and white mirror sit
stylishly together, while the black flex and copper fitting on the
pendant add an industrial touch.

Wallpaper
Floral Wood Panelling from Wallpaper Direct
Desk
Pale & Interesting
Light fitting and shade
Rockett St George

9/16 Layer bedding 

Base your bedroom around a white or cream scheme, adding subtle touches of colour, pattern and texture. Complement a classic iron bed by layering vintage-inspired bedlinen to create a cosy, kitsch scheme that wouldn't look out of place in a rustic country pile.

Similar bed
Laura Ashley
Patchwork quilt
Pinch of Salt

10/10 Create a dressing area

Don't be afraid to use colour in your scheme. Bright furniture such as this fun patchwork cube (used here as a stool) are used to bring vibrancy to this bedroom. Neutral walls and carpet are the perfect background for bold pattern and colour choices in soft furnishings and accessories. The shabby chic dresser is a lovely addition to the room, giving it another country-style element. Reclaimed lumber can be stripped and made into a table, or an existing piece can be whitewashed for that signature, worn, distressed look.

Cube
Homesense

11/16 Invite vintage trinkets into your space

Bring together a few well-chosen accessories and use them to create a pretty display. Updating this console table with a colourful floral wallpaper has given it a new lease life. A few well chosen accessories can easily rejuvenate an existing bedroom scheme. Here, vintage glass jars, jewellery stands and trinkets enhance the eclectic, shabby-chic feel.

Wallpaper
Osborne & Little
Console table
Chelsea Textiles

12/16 Think in pink

Dusky pink wallpaper combined with a wood-effect design gives a relaxed feel in the bedroom. Layer the bed with soft pink and lavender linens. Against simple, pale-pink walls, all those natural and woven textures will stand out beautifully.

Pink wallpaper
Sanderson
Wood effect wallpaper
Piet Hein Eek at Bodie and Fou
Pink bedlinen
Loaf

13/16 Paper with ditsy florals

If you know you are going for a strong theme or trend in your bedroom, then pick out wallpaper that will complement and emphasise your theme. Here, floral wallpaper and shabby chic furniture create a pretty, feminine look in this quaint country bedroom. If your room is on the small side, position a mirror above the bed to help bounce light around the space, thus creating the illusion of increased space.

Similar wallpaper
Cath Kidston
Similar metal bed
Laura Ashley

14/16 Opt for distressed furniture

This shabby chic chest of drawers was the inspiration behind the pretty vintage scheme. A sanding, a couple of coats of paint and another sanding will give a piece that well-loved look. Further enhance this disntinctive look with dainty, vintage knobs to add colour and charm. Use black-out blinds and voiles to save on buying lined curtains.

Similar wallpaper
Laura Ashley
Similar chest of drawers
Sweetpea & Willow
Similar blinds
Ikea

15/16 Incorporate shabby chic into a child's room

Nothing says shabby chic more so than a cream or white scheme, but that doesn't mean it needs to be so vanilla. The vintage furniture and floral soft furnishings in this girl's bedroom creates a sense of fairytale charm. Keep the accessories complementary to the rest of the room scheme for a co-ordinated feel.

Toys
Steiff

16/16 Go for classic pieces that will last a lifetime

Add a certain je ne sais quoi to your room with a classic armoire. Go for a pale painted model, which will show off the wardrobe's fancy filigree forms without overpowering the rest of the room. Keep the rest of the furniture simple and white, allowing your prize piece of furniture to take centre stage. Use a less-is-more approach for a cohesive scheme.

Similar armoire
Sweetpea & Willow

What do you think of our shabby chic bedroom ideas? Let us know in the comments box below.