2014 is going to be a crazy year for me, in a good way. I am getting married this summer and then moving to Phoenix, Arizona, where my fiancé lives. I have been shopping around for things for the home, and I have to say, it’s pretty exciting. I get to decorate a whole house with things I love!
Sometimes when I’m browsing Japanese fashion magazines, I see really cute bedroom and living room designs with pink princess or Lolita themes, which are my main inspiration. I’m the kind of person who loves bright rooms and needs a lot of sunlight, so I was thinking mostly white with pink rose designs. I’m also obsessed with Royal Albert china and daydream about hosting cute tea parties, so I wanted my home to match that image. I gathered plenty of reference images of rooms I liked, but was stumped on where to find the right pieces.
I went to play around with home and decorating ideas on Pinterest (I’m new to the site but I think I’m getting the hang of it), and during my browsing I discovered a style called “shabby chic”. How did I not know about this before? It’s pretty much perfect for me! Ok, I’m not so much into the “shabby” part (distressing items to look old and worn), but the rest of the aesthetic is exactly what I want. It’s like an antique look with a wash of pastels over it. Lots of white, soft pink, and sky blue. Vintage floral patterns are often used, with a huge emphasis on roses. There is also some Rococo influence. I would say it’s probably the interior design equivalent of the more Classic side of Sweet Lolita, which is what I tend to wear.
Now that I have a term for the style I want, shopping for items becomes a lot easier. Shabby chic seems to be popular these days. I was surprised to find that Target carries a brand called Simply Shabby Chic that does bedding and some furniture. Also, the other day I happened to pass by a store called Shabby Creek on Main in Walnut Creek, CA. Of course, there are always antique stores too. One of the great things about shabby chic is that it’s also very DIY, taking old worn out furniture and repainting it in pastel colors. You can use inexpensive items as long as you dress them up properly. I have so many crafting ideas already! I really can’t wait to see how my own home will turn out.
Update 2024: Romantic Princess (Romapri) is the iconic Japanese brand for cute princess interiors. I love browsing the site for ideas even if I can’t buy anything!
Unfortunately Target stopped selling the Simply Shabby Chic brand years ago, but there are a few Shabby Chic (sister brand) items on Amazon. FADFAY has a lot of cute shabby chic style bedding, and of course there’s always Laura Ashley too. I also enjoy browsing A Touch of Class. [Affiliate links]