How to Decorate in Shabby Chic With Dark Furniture

Paint or distress dark wooden furniture. You can gently sand the edges and corners to give a worn, used look to the finish or paint a crackle medium over the dark paint and then add a coat of white or a pastel that will crackle over the dark finish.

Cover your couch with a white or pastel slipcover that has a floral or striped pattern. Tuck the slipcover in around the couch cushions and add a few throw pillows with floral designs.

Layer a rug with a feminine or cheerful pattern over your hard or carpeted floor.

Use repurposed items to decorate your home. An old door can be used as a table top, shutters become a headboard and an antique trunk turns into a coffee table.

Decorate your walls with cheerful pictures in light colored frames. Frames with carved or delicate details add to the shabby chic look.

Mix patterns and fabrics, but stick with a basic unifying color scheme. You can have a blend of plaids, stripes and floral patterns in the same room, but harmonize them with a color scheme of mostly white, pink and green.

Set out candles in interesting holders; natural decor such as seashells, branches or bird nests; plants in pastel pots; and old baskets.

Light your room with real or faux antique lamps, chandeliers and wall sconces. Paint and distress lamps from the secondhand shop or add faux crystal tears to a ceiling fixture to create the look of a crystal chandelier.