A Toile Kitchen

By H. Iacobacci-Miller

Whether you choose, blue, black, red, pink or brown, toile is a great way to enhance any kitchen, especially if you like the shabby chic or cottage looks. If you're looking to redo your kitchen, think about repainting those outdated cabinets with a fresh coat of soft white and add new door handles in an antiqued or brushed silver.

For a shabby chic kitchen, paint your walls a soft white or pale blue or if you have a toile in a pale green, sage walls would be ideal. Use a washing technque to give the walls an aged feel and don't be afraid to paint that paneling.

An antique or distressed white table is the perfect base for a beautiful shabby chic toile setting. Use your fabric to create new seat covers to spice up old chairs. If you like to sew, have a ball sewing up linen napkins and table runners in coordinating fabrics like stripes or pale solids.

A center piece of pink or white roses add a touch of romance to your table setting. For my table setting, I added eggs that I decoupaged with toile tissue paper. Your imagination is your only limit.

If you like the more eclectic style, keep in mind that the shabby chic is all about incorporating the beauty of antiques with the new. Don't be afraid to mix and match old pieces of china with white chargers. There's no rule that says that each setting must match. Just keep your settings within the same color palate.

Window valances in your toile fabric and really dress up lace or battenburg café curtains, even better, they're easy to make. Joann Fabrics carries all the accessories needed to sew up your new curtains. If you don't sew, don't worry, there is an endless supply of no-sew products available to help you with your projects and decorating needs.

Accessorize your counters and even your floors. Throw down rug in an accent color or toile pattern. Use coordinating tea towels and oven mits.