Bringing in the Beach Year-Round

Guest writer Rose Morrison has contributed another wonderful article, Bringing in the Beach Year-Round, which helps you maintain that summer-serenity feeling from traveling to the beach.

Please be sure to read Rose’s bio below and follow the link to her other articles on Slipcovers for Your Walls.

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The coastal decorative theme has adorned seaside households for centuries. For those who spent summer holidays at the beach growing up, adding nautical elements into your living space is nostalgic of toes in the sand and warm sunshine on your skin. Others may simply love the soothing tones and textures of the shore environment.

The desire to bring beach living into your home year-round is not uncommon. Who wouldn’t want to feel inspired by a warm ocean breeze in the middle of winter?

Whether you’re looking to add nuanced style or an abundance of beach-themed accessories, these six tips offer several ideas for incorporating coastal decor into your home.

 

1. Remember That Less is More

Homeowners with minimalist tastes will want to decorate their coastal-themed homes with a less-is-more attitude.

That’s not to say you can’t use coastal materials or patterns, but it does mean you should do so more subtly. For example, you should find inspiration from neutral tones and organic elements rather than fabrics and wallpapers with bright marine life patterns.

Perhaps hang coastal artwork on off-white walls or integrate a sea green and blue-marbled rug under a solid navy sofa. There are plenty of ways to combine natural beauty and beachy colors more conservatively.

 

2. Maximize Lighting

Beach lovers usually find that a casual morning stroll alongside rumbling waves is an enjoyable, relaxing and mood-boosting experience. Of course, natural light may also have something to do with that.

Studies show that adequate lighting in your home eases seasonal depression and reduces infection, keeping you and your family healthier and happier.

Allow natural and bright lighting to inspire the way you design your coastal home. Opt for recessed lights and attractive pendants over the kitchen island — perhaps those that hang by rope, have antiqued glass or resemble the lanterns used by sailors to find their way home.

Sheer, white curtains are another way to enhance the natural light that comes in through windows. If your home receives a lot of shade during the day, you won’t want to darken the rooms with heavy drapes.

 

3. Opt for Breezy Seaside Colors

A fresh coat of paint does quite a bit for your interiors — thankfully, you have several sea-inspired colors to choose from.

Depending on your decorative tastes, you may want to keep it light and airy or draw inspiration from the bright-colored bathing suits and tropical tones you often find in the summertime.

On the other hand, embracing a blue-black accent wall will highlight lighter shades in your coastal decor and deliver a more elegant look for bringing the beach indoors year-round.

If you’re decorating a smaller space, you may want to stick with white or off-white paints since they tend to make rooms feel more spacious.

 

4. Add Maximalist Beachy Interest

Imagine walking into a room with a coastal mural customized to fit your walls, delivering the definitive seaside landscape inside your house.

Not everyone wants a muted coastal design. In fact, some people prefer to go all out with the beach theme. In addition to hanging starfish or setting out bowls of seashells, homeowners may look for other ways to add greater visual interest.

For instance, a powder room [or bathroom] is a perfect space to enhance maximalism style with nature and art using fish-patterned or abstract wallpaper.

 

Choosing a starker coastal theme may also pave the way for colored glass, rope elements and other specialty items, like palm-themed ceiling fans.

Built-in bookshelves are another area you might decorate with various coastal accents. Similarly, you might want to upgrade your kitchen with a multicolored backsplash that looks like sea glass.

 

5. Play with Textures

Whether you prefer minimalist or maximalist coastal home decor, playing with different textures delivers several opportunities to give rooms greater dimension and tie your entire design together.

Are you trying to create a seaside cottage aesthetic? Adding shiplap to the walls is a great option. You can even install partial shiplap in white to the bottom part of a wall and paint the remaining area a coastal color of your choice.

Consider incorporating a blend of wood, glass, metals and textiles, as well. Burlap may work its way into centerpieces, while canvas fabrics with beach-inspired marine designs are ideal for decorative pillows.

Additionally, toss linen throw blankets over accent chairs and place seashell displays in wicker trays on the coffee table.

If you’re creative, look for old wooden oars and make a new headboard for your bedroom. Handwoven artwork also adds a bit of texture to bare walls.

Remember to mix old and new to make your home feel beachy all year. It’ll keep the style contemporary and maintain the organic, rustic charm we tend to love about the beach.

 

6. Bring in Natural Elements

Natural elements, like seashells and driftwood, are staples of coastal decor. Homeowners often decorate with shells in vases, bowls or other containers. Giant conch shells are also popular novelty items that can sit attractively on tables or shelves by themselves.

You might also assemble a sea-scented candle display with driftwood, situating tea lights along the top for twilight mood lighting.

Sand and plants are other natural elements that help build a more organic atmosphere in coastal design. Look for indoor plants that mimic sea grasses or an indoor palm tree. Majesty palms, Kentias and Parlor palms are all possibilities — you can even arrange them in wicker pots.

Beachcombing for some of these items is easy enough if you visit a beach. Many people enjoy collecting seashells or sea glass to make jewelry. Those who only occasionally make it to the beach may take a seashell memento with them each time they go.

Of course, you can purchase several of these natural elements at craft stores or niche home decor boutiques if you’re in a pinch. However, it’s important to remember the environmental impact of shell removal from shorelines, whether collected for commercial purposes or yourself.

The Caribbean’s queen conch shell, in particular, grows an algae-like food source for marine species, such as loggerhead turtles and nurse sharks. From an ecological standpoint, this helps keep the water clean.

Driftwood that builds up on sand also nourishes marine ecosystems. It becomes a buffer against powerful waves and rising tides — a critical natural process for developed coastal communities susceptible to hurricanes.

[You can collect consciously or you can display your own photo collection or Casart’s Nature Noticed natural elements using our architectural panel display as reusable wallpaper — with or without printed design elements.]

 

You Can Bring the Beach Home Every Day of the Year

There are plenty of ways to bring coastal flair to your home decor. Whether you like filling your house with beach-themed materials and accessories or prefer to blend the style more subtly, your home will be the ultimate seaside escape.

Click on this previous post if you Don’t Want to Just Wave Summer Goodbye for more decorating ideas.

 

Many thanks to Rose for this article with lots of helpful space transformation tips that help us transition our homes into a new season.

About the author:

Rose Morrison is a home improvement and design writer.

She is also the managing editor of Renovated. Follow her on Twitter to see more of her work.