Thursday, 15 October 2009

• Shabby Chic: Comfortable Furniture for Uncomfortable Times

  
  
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  The New York Times published an article yesterday about Shabby Chic, a brand of oversized, slip-covered furniture that had its heyday during the country's last recession. The company actually filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, the result of some unfortunate timing—the brand decided to expand in early 2007, right when our economy started going south.
  
  But Brand Sense Partners, an investment and marketing firm, noticed that Shabby Chic's cozy, carefree furniture is—with a little rebranding and price reduction—a perfect fit for recession-era homebodies, and the two companies entered a partnership. Shabby Chic's trademark over-stuffed couches will now be sold in other furniture stores, with three Shabby Chic Couture flagship stores in New York, Santa Monica, and London.
  
  The Times did a very thorough coverage of Shabby Chic's ups and downs since its birth in 1989, discussing the brand's loyal fanbase (Jeff Goldblum, a brothel owner), and why people love it so much, especially during times of economic turmoil. One psychiatrist likened aspects of the Shabby Chic line—featuring items that are usually white, dressed in billowy slipcovers, and a little messy—to the qualities that attract us to comfort food, like vanilla ice cream.
  
  Others suggest that Shabby Chic furniture is more likely to fit in with items shoppers already have in their homes, allowing them to do more with less. Or maybe people are just ready to move on from the streamlined, modern styles which have lately dominated the market. If you ask me, a big comfy couch sounds like the perfect accessory for a time when going out all the time is just not in style.
  
  Has your home adopted a recession style? What do you think of Shabby Chic's story?
  

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