How to Give Your Home That Chic Coastal Look (Even If You're Nowhere Near It)
We’re going coastal. March sometimes feels like unofficial escape season, with some traveling on spring break and others just seeking a getaway from cooler temps. And these days, just like our vacation bucket list, our design inspiration spans coast to coast. When we are in a vacation state of mind, we love finding inspiration in beach houses that bring coastal décor into the 21st century.
Gone are the days of seashell soaps, starfish accessories, and sand dollar art. The new coastal décor is all about bringing the look of the chicest beach destinations back home. Even for those in landlocked states, going coastal with décor can take the shape of artwork, accessories, or even a color palette that transports you back to the beach house. Taking inspiration from Montauk to Malibu, this is how to get the coastal cool look.
No matter the location, coastal décor lets us at least put our metaphorical toes in the sand. The bleached-out, beachy palette of whites and pale blues in this home instantly puts us in a sandy state of mind. And the seashell chandelier? We can almost smell the salt air.
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Ashley Batz; DESIGN: Daphne Nauleau
For coastal inspiration that really makes a splash, aquatic wallpaper in a tie-dye effect gives this room an ocean spray of washed color. Turquoise pops throughout the space create an endless summer vibe that’s reinforced by the surfboards resting in the corners.
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We’ve heard it called a million hyphenates from boho-beach to Cali-casual, but in our own words, the most universal descriptor for a coastal-cool home is chic. For bohemian beachy interiors like this Bondi Beach home, we recommend lots of textures in relaxing sand-inspired palette of whites, creams, and tans.
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Alyssa Rosenheck; DESIGN: Elsie Larson
Aquatic blues and shades of turquoise are a hallmark of coastal home inspiration, and we love the way these colors pop off bright whites, warm neutrals, and lots of greenery. But the defining coastal-cool twist in this room comes from the wicker and rattan textures that give the space a lighter, breezier twist.
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Indigo textiles are the perfect hue to evoke the deep blue sea in this home office lounge space by Emily Henderson Design. Not only are the shades of blue connected from the ottoman to the throw pillows to the oceanside artwork on the wall, but the accent shades of cream and tan keep the entire room grounded in beachy neutrals too.
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Mary Costa; DESIGN: Black Lacquer Design
Hammocks and hanging chairs add fun factor to any room that harkens back your favorite boho beach resort. Swinging in front of art that depicts a soothing seascape, this coastal chair is the most relaxing seat in the house.
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Blue and white together make for a classic combination in a Cali-cool living room with nautical influences. Throwing in lots of textural pillows, indigo artwork, and a deep blue vintage trunk as a coffee table give this space the ultimate casual coastal appeal.
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One glance at the coastal décor in this beachy home and you can’t help but feel the ocean air. From the window to the wall, shibori drapery and aquatic imagery play off textural tabletop décor and lighting to give this dining room a breezy twist.
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Sometimes, all you need is a little bit of beach photography to build out an ocean-inspired palette. The bright turquoise shades in this living room evoke the crystal clear seas of St. Barth’s.
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Time to complement your brown wood tones with the blues. A navy-and-white tapestry paired with hanging rustic bells exemplify coastal décor redefined, nodding to nautical influences with a more laid-back, casual twist.
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The swirls of watercolor blues in ocean-inspired art always go best with a beach chair. This chic coastal vignette gives us all the fresh feels of a cool dip in the ocean.
Which of these coastal interiors inspired you most?