straw sticks & bricks: not shabby chic...SHABBY chic

The Rough Luxe Hotel in Regency Terrace in London's Kings Cross is redefining luxury with SHABBY chic! Ok, maybe they aren't calling it shabby chic - but I am! Once an area of shady characters, the buildings have quite a past - so instead of remodeling from scratch, they have embraced the past in this boutique hotel.

The walls are distressed and stripped back, leaving traces of paint and god knows what else. The stairs aren't pristine polished timber, but show traces of time gone by.

Would I want my house to look like this - well no. But I appreciate the uniqueness and raw quality of this design. You could go modern or classic with it quite easily and it really embraces the past. Some homes are very dated - and not in a good way - but instead of adding new layers to an old place, this really inspires me to buff things back and see what I find!

You know, the more I look at these images, the more I am drawn to them. The buffed back walls remind me of a time gone by - they remind me of my Nanna's house as I was growing up. The room looks neat and clean, but there is a quality that I cannot quite pinpoint. Its a unique beauty, somewhere between a remodelling stage and the final product - time standing still.

Antlers becoming a chandelier? Priceless!

I have to thank the Life and Leisure Luxury magazine for this image.

LOVE that magazine. Thanks Fairfax! 2009, issue 7.

Painted bricks and stencils work. It doesn't have to be perfect...

website

I have to thank the Life and Leisure Luxury magazine for this image on the left.

LOVE that magazine. Thanks Fairfax! 2009, issue 7.

website pic on the right

A more modern touch... and still with the shabby walls...genius!

Red in a bathroom... not my first choice but it looks fab

website

This is one of my favourite rooms! The colours of the walls have so much character and they work so perfectly with the furniture! They are made for each other!