Gently Worn has moved to: Mount Pleasant, Port Elizabeth Contact number: Dee: 079 498 0697 There is so much to see and do in Walmer and much of it is within 2kms of us at Dempsey’s. Today’s gem we share with you is “Gently Worn”, a shabby chic French country furniture & decor shop, a short meander from us. Housed in the same gracious old Walmer building as the Malkinsons’ Mangiamo Restaurant, Gently Worn stocks vintage treasures, old and new and all are sourced with love. The roomy store is packed with authentic shabby furniture, rusty chippy goodness, a right royal feast for the soul! Don’t bother visiting if your time to browse is limited as TIME is needed to see and feel and breathe it all in slowly at Gently Worn. And the service at Gently Worn? just as at Mangiamo’s:- Everything you’d expect – knowledgeable, intelligent, attractive. Gently Worn:- 50 6th Avenue Walmer, Port Elizabeth Dee: 079 498 0697 Claire: 082 828 4741 E-mail: claireliston@telkomsa.net https://www.facebook.com/GentlyWorn Trading hours: Monday to Friday: 8.30am -4pm Saturday: 8.30am – 1.00pm OPEN IN THE EVENINGS TOO, FOLLOWING THE SAME HOURS AS “MANGIAMO RESTAURANT”. no longer open SO WHAT IS SHABBY CHIC? Shabby chic items are often heavily painted through the years, with many layers showing through obviously time-worn areas. The style is imitated in faux painting using glaze or by painting then rubbing and sanding away the top coat to show the wood or base coats, known as “distressing” the finish of the furniture. Furniture pieces that are not genuine antiques are usually selected for their resemblance to older furniture styles, and may be reproduction furniture with a distressed finish. Elaborate furniture appliques depicting flower swags and garlands, cherubs, and other motifs may be added. Fabrics tend to be cottons and linens, with linen being particularly popular, inspired by old French linens. Pure whites, as well as ecrus and worn or bleached out pastels are favorite colours. Fabric is often stained with tea to give it the look of old fabric. Bleached and faded are terms often applied to the style. Vintage floral patterns with pastel colours, cotton ticking patterns, or linen in earth tones, are all typical of shabby chic style. Antique pieces such as pie safes and jelly cupboards are popular in shabby chic décor. Besides white, the Shabby Chic style also includes soft neutral colours such as sky blue, rose pink and beige tones. The shabby chic aesthetic also expands to the garden, with the same design principles of using timeworn garden furniture and feminine accessories. Roses gardens are popular with the shabby chic style of decor. Other popular decor items are pillows made of vintage barkcloth fabric, vintage linens, chenille bedspreads, vintage chandeliers, and anything with roses in the design. It is a soft, relaxed, feminine, romantic style of decorating that looks comfortable and inviting. Variants of shabby chic style include: Cottage chic Beach cottage chic French country Gustavian (Swedish) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabby_chic 
