theSun Property August 2015

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ON FRIDAY AUGUST 28, 2015
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Vintage interiors
> Five easy and affordableways to achieve this timeless and comforting look
BYMEERA AMMANI
ACLASSIC interior décor style, shabby
chic is for the ruggedwho enjoys all
things vintage. Fromaged furniture,
accessories that showwear and tear,
weather-beaten keepsakes and décor … these
are all commonly found in such interiors.
However, the best thing is that one does not
need to spend a fortune buying antiques.
Freelance interior designer Karina Fong
says there are plenty of economical DIY
methods for creating this look, using
everyday items fromhome.
WAYS OF ACHIEVING THE LOOK
Aged furniture
Aged furniture is important if one wants to
incorporate the shabby chic look interior. To
achieve this distressed, worn or antiquated,
peeling look is fairly simple. “Find furniture
predominantlymade with solidwood (tables,
chairs, cabinets, doors, beds, etc), wipe the
surface with a clean damp cloth and let it dry.”
Sand paper the furniture’s wooden surfaces
till it is smooth, then rub it downwithwax.
Paint the furniture with a coat of either satin
or flat paint, and let it dry.
“The next step is to applywax on the first
coat of paint before applying a second coat
and letting it dry. Finally, distress the
furniture by coating a lighter shade of paint
on certain areas, such as edges of arms for
chairs,” says Fong.
Vintage-inspired lighting
This works on lampshades. “Clean the
lampshade with a dry cloth and prepare the
lamp for painting by covering the bulbwith a
plastic bag and the cordwith cling wrap. Paint
the lampwith a vintage-inspired colour such
as ValsparMetallic. Set it by topping it with a
clear sealer and let it dry for a day or two,”
Fong advises.
Once dried, use art glue to fasten the jute
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or linen ropes to the lamp stand. “With the first
piece of rope at the base of the lampshade, work
your way up. Do it slowly so that the glue dries
properly,” says Fong.
Shabby chic wall art
Forget the expensive wall paper, wood art looks
fantastic in shabby chic interiors, and this is an
easyway tomake it. “Browse through
X
magazines or the internet and find
a shabby chic painting of your
liking, with that as a reference,
replicate the art onto an old
wooden cutting board from the
kitchen, using a wood paint
palette.”
“To accentuate the wooden
board, paint two lightweight door
handles in a soft faded beige or
white colour and super glue them
to the horizontal sides of the
board,” she informs.
‘Vintage’ accessories
“Every shabby chic interior needs
a vintage flower vase,” says Fong.
“This adds a finishing touch to the
overall look.” Pick some old tin or
glass bottle and thoroughly clean
the bottle withwater and soap.
Dry it and paint with a colour of
your choice.
Once the paint has dried, use
metallic or gold coloured sparkles that can
be found in art stores, and glue them to the
bottomof the bottle, and add long
stemmed flowers of choice to your
‘vintage’ flower vase.
Distressed mirror
A distressedmirror works verywell in
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Above: Balcony Plissé full.
Below: Plissé Design.
shabby chic interiors. Before starting this task,
make sure to use gloves and protective
eyewear.
“Go outdoors for this project and pour
muriatic acid in a spray bottle. Using themist
outlet, spray the acid onto the parts of the
mirror where youwant the antique spots to
showup, this generates a sputtering effect.”
says Fong.
“Allow it to sit until the acid removes the
reflective surface. Blot away any excess acid
with a dry cotton towel, thenwipe with a
damp towel,” she concludes.
For an added shabby chic look, spray gold
paint on the frames of any paintings or framed
photographs or use gold frames itself if
desired.
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