Rumpled, Romantic and Comfortable

THE ALLURE OF TIMEWORN objects, coupled with a simple, practical approach to living, epitomizes the perennially popular shabby chic style. The Europeans have been perfecting the look for centuries. Think of an English Cotswolds country cottage filled with furnishings handed down from generation to generation: threadbare silk pillows, faded velvet curtains, a table set with a mix of china and silver, a child’s rocking horse with thinning mane and well-worn leather saddle. Slightly rumpled, oversized-slipcovers--easily washed--invite you to put up your feet and snuggle with your dog on the sofa. In keeping with the “effortless” romantic look, colors are soft pastels--dusty roses and celadons, an array of creamy pearl-whites and occasional sun-bleached floral prints. With furniture and accessories picked up at flea markets, garage sales and thrift shops, not to mention your relatives’ attics, the look can be inexpensively put together.

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Armchair, $950; drapery panels, $195 each; toile pillow, $125; marble-topped table, $225; silver-plated pitcher, $95; silver-plated candlesticks, $35-$125; silver-plated tray, $195; glass-drop chandelier, $2,850, at Pom Pom, Los Angeles. Tufted ottoman, $1,295, at Heaven on La Brea, Los Angeles. Chenille rug, $510, at Lawrence of La Brea, Los Angeles.

Styled by Shannon Shapiro