Shabby chic. Cottage style. Farmhouse chic.

Which decorating style is your favorite?

While the three decorating styles are sometimes thought to be one in the same, they are uniquely different.

Whichever you prefer, we embrace all three (because it’s just too hard to choose a favorite).

Here’s an easy decorating tip that will bring alive any of these popular styles, whether you envision a shabby chic look, a cozy cottage style, or a rustic farmhouse motif:

Accent with vintage chenille!

Why? Vintage chenille bedspreads are:

• Abundant in color – our favorites are timeless white, feminine pink & soothing mint
• Top ranking for texture – from bouncy pops & little dots to thick, luxurious tufts
• Off the charts for the ‘wow’ factor – vintage chenille can make your farmhouse, cottage or shabby chic décor take on its own personality!

Not Familiar With Vintage Chenille? Here’s a Quick History.

Chenille bedspreads were in their heyday during the 1940s and 50s, where an array of bedspreads, robes, rugs & more found their way into homes everywhere.

Taking a step back, around 1890 in Dalton, GA, Catherine Evans Whitener began tufting cotton sheeting with thick tufts of yarn that formed designs. The bedspreads took off in popularity both on a local – and later – a national level.

This handicraft was vital to the economic growth of the northwest Georgia area. As the spreads grew in popularity, marketers took notice…

By the 1920s, chenille bedspreads were appearing on department store shelves in major American cities like NYC and Philly.

The 1930s saw major advancements, when big time industry players like Cabin Crafts transformed production from rural homesteads to bustling factories.

Also during this time, chenille bedspreads began dotting clotheslines along the now-infamous Highway 41 in Dalton, which became known as “Peacock Alley” thanks to the prevalence of the bold and beautiful tufted peacock chenille bedspreads.

Owning one of these incredible tufted relics is like glimpsing a little piece of textile history, not to mention, the decorating possibilities with vintage chenille are virtually endless.

Browse The Cottage Divine to feast your eyes on the most shabby chic, cottage style, and farmhouse chic vintage bedspreads that will accent your decorating style with old-fashioned charm and coziness.

Vintage Chenille is So Shabby Chic

Slightly worn, a bit old, and with a lived-in look, many have incorporated shabby chic décor into their homes.

Shabby chic has its roots in Great Britain, reminiscent of the type of decoration featured in large country houses. Think worn ‘n shabby faded old floral drapes, broken in sofas, chippy, decades-old paint. And it all comes together in a surprisingly elegant way.

Recycling vintage and antique furniture, fabrics & other finds has always been a foundation of shabby chic. This beloved interior decorating style blossomed during the 1980s, and has remained popular, a favorite among Bohemians and artisans.

Vintage furniture that had worn gently through the years takes on a new life. Chipped paint? No worries…it’s a must in true shabby chic décor. Dressers with worn edges and pulls, doors showing their natural age wear, and tables with chipped and missing paint, often with different under colors showing through…all shabby chic staples.

Incorporating shabby chic is fun and easy – old and new accessories can compliment each other in beautiful ways. And accenting with vintage chenille offers the answer to making your shabby chic décor go from common – to extraordinary shabby chic.

With natural fabric patina, a missing tuft (or two or three), an age mark here and there…ah yes, a vintage chenille bedspread is the perfect accent to your shabby chic fantasy.

Cottage Style Charm Calls for Vintage Chenille

Think of that cozy English cottage, surrounded on the outside with graceful gardens and white picket fencing – and the inside?

Light, bright, airy is the cottage motto. Eclectic furniture. And a lived-in look, maybe some floral 1940s style wallpaper, dotted with old-fashioned accessories.

And since there are many varying styles of cottages, from French, English, coastal or simply rustic, your decorating scheme will reflect your specific cottage visions.

Probably the best way to describe a cottage -style décor is a space that welcomes you, where you definitely feel at home. You get to display your collections of teacups, antique vases, or whatever else you love.

Even the walls display a variety of nostalgic items, maybe with a nautical emphasis if you’ve got a coastal cottage theme, or lots of shabby old picture frames and other antiquated treasures.

Here’s where vintage chenille shines. Its outstanding array of colors make for one-of-a-kind pillows on welcoming, soft sofas. Chenille quilts, displayed over the back of a chair or comfy sofa offer a warm, welcoming, and homey touch.

With the variety of patterns in vintage chenille, from florals to geometrics to stripes, you’ll find that accenting your cottage style décor with this nostalgic fabric will add that premier finishing touch that you’ve been looking for.

White Vintage Chenille Bedspreads: A Farmhouse Chic Fav

And what about farmhouse chic? It’s all about comfortable sophistication.

It’s a wonderfully warm and cozy combination of rustic and contemporary together. Almost like vintage-meets-modern…in an American classic kind of way.

It’s all about creating a comfy environment, a place where you want to snuggy in with a good book on a gently worn sofa, accented by pillows that reflect charm and nostalgia.

There’s an old-fashioned charm that brings together old and new in such a way that the look and feel of an old rustic farmhouse is maintained – yet doesn’t disregard modern comforts that the good old days had to do without.

Usually furniture is simple, nothing fancy. Lots of natural wood, perhaps walls of old barnboards, open shelves or cupboards, reclaimed wood floors, kitchens that boast a traditional apron sink. Grounding, calm, rooted in tradition, with an appreciation of the present.

Accenting rooms with antique frames on white walls is a way to personalize your space.  And simple, elegant vintage chenille bedspreads are a superb way to add a unique dimension to your special space.

Since the traditional farmhouse style usually has plenty of distressed wood, maybe some old floors that have been brought back to life…it can be a way to embrace our historical roots. And the décor boasts lots of textures – another way vintage chenille, known for its unique texture, can bring warmth into a room.

When it comes incorporating chenille into the farmhouse chic style, we typically recommend white or ivory tone vintage chenille bedspreads. They add just the right amount of vintage appeal without being over-the-top.

Whatever Style You Choose, Vintage Chenille Will Amp Up Your Decor

Whatever decorating style you choose – and there are those that incorporate all the three styles together – vintage chenille offers literally endless decorating ideas.

From throw pillows to slipcovers, from skirting to chenille curtains, vintage chenille fabrics and bedspreads will add that warmth, coziness, and comfy feeling to your living space.

Vintage chenille bedspreads have been given new life as romantically sweet slip covers to make one-of-a-kind overstuffed chairs and couches.  Even foot stools and chairs can be accented with skirting made from vintage chenille.

And don’t forget while you’re relaxing on your shabby chic sofa, take cozy to a new level and unwind in a vintage chenille robe. For chenille lovers, it’s a one-of-a-kind feeling: like being wrapped in a big hug!

Cottage style? Shabby chic? Farmhouse chic? The beauty of interior decorating is that you get to choose how to adapt a space according to your vision.

And now you know all about vintage chenille: available in an endless array of colors & textures…with a unique ability to adapt to both vintage and modern settings…Wherever it is incorporated, chenille infuses an unmatched warmth & nostalgia.

Oh, one little mention: once it enchants you, a single piece of chenille will quickly multiply – and you’ll never quite have enough…