Bring the fresh look of the coastal regions into your dining room decor. This is a feeling, rather than strictly just one style. Consider such widely ranged stylings as Savannah Southern Traditional, New England Maine, West Coast Casual, Gulf Coast Beach House, All have hints of the ocean, seashore living, and good times in common.
Gulf Coast Sophistication
The formal look of polished wood, celadon green placemats, a gracious living mark this look as truly Southern but with a soft and easy look that came from those sweet Gulf breezes.
The formal look of polished wood, celadon green placemats, a gracious living mark this look as truly Southern but with a soft and easy look that came from those sweet Gulf breezes.
Small Space SolutionsThe Casual Comfort of Coastal Dining
Half the fun of a beach house is the way you can kick back and enjoy things like eating a great meal together without too much fuss. Games are at the ready for times when you aren’t on the beach, or just surfing around the area spying out great little shops or sitting and watching the sunsets.
Beach House colors and textures make a dining area a good place for the family to gather. Simple and made for highlighting the important things like the conversation and the food.
That doesn’t mean the dining design goes unnoticed! Just that it isn’t in the way of having a relaxed good time.
Maybe this style of dining is for you year round… take a look at the beachside ambience this look could offer in your own kitchen and dining areas.
Explore for decorating ideas of your own…
A sampling of whats on this page:
- Elements that make a coastal look
- Examples of dining furnishings
- Dinnerware styles and accessories that create looks for New England, Gulf Coast, West Coast, or Hawaiian styles.
- Craft ideas
- Some delicious recipes
- Regional colors
Casual Textures
One of the best points of beach house decor, especially in the kitchen and dining area, is its sturdy resistance to daily wear and tear. Kid friendly furnishings with a sense of fun create a welcoming atmosphere for diners of every age. All without any sacrifice of style.
Gulf Coast
The Gulf coast has a Southern vibe that is lighter and brighter with touches of formality to it. You will find white surfaces with dark woods as a favored interior look, or Rattan with glass tabletops.
I have yet to see a Beach house in this area that is done in a Retro style or with the down home Yankee look of battered tableware or nautical kitsch, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.
Seagrass Textures For Beach House Dining
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Seagrass: The perfect foil for cool sea side colors
Natural textures are such a vital part of this interior style. Seagrass is a material that is easy-care and adds great texture. So many items are made from it- even a dining room set of chairs! It lends an instant beach house feeling to any room.
Think of where you might best accentuate your room with an item made of seagrass.
Natural Inspirations
- An entire dining room set, table and chairs, all made of seagrass
- The rug is a popular dining room decorating item. Made of seagrass or some similar material, like sisal, it brings texture and a casual, easy care feeling.
- Rugs, chairs or baskets made of seagrass bring elements of the beach into the house.
West Coast
The California look is well known. Bright and sunny with lots of comfort and good living vibes. More Mediterranean influences than on the Southern or Eastern coasts, this dining room can go Spanish, Asian, or Retro, and everything in between.
But one thing rules: the look is expansive and open, with sunny or light colors predominating.
Color, comfort, and style are important on the West Coast.
Natural Textures: Rattan, Seagrass, Woven Burlap
No matter which color scheme you choose, Beach House dining style is made with lots of natural textures, woven mats, seagrass baskets, nubby textured table linens.
The boat ropes and sea-wind worn wood are echoed in the colors and surfaces of the furnishings and accessories.
Northern Coastal Dining Room
Dinnerware with Beach Themes
Set Your Table With Coastal Style
New England Coast
The Yankee sensibility is frugal and battered, well worn furnishings and tableware add to the charm of many a Yankee household. Red, white, and blue abound, with iconic sea creatures, both real and mythical.
While strongly practical, traditional antiques, and heritage looks are common, there is quite a bit of whimsy included.
The Northern clime requires more warmth and a cozy feeling, which is reflected in these rooms.
New England Clam Chowder, Anyone?
These dishes seem waiting for new England clam chowder.
The embossed seashell motif is subtle but makes you think of easy beach house living. Relaxed mood for a great dining experience.New England Lobster Mats
Get in the mood for a seafood feast when you lay out lobster decorated linens and serveware. This Northern coast boasts of bright colors from boiled lobster, deep blue waters, and pine forests. It has elements of mountain lodges but with its own seacoast influences.
Click here for food ideas
East-West Sea Coast Buffet
Summertime Dishes for Entertaining
Create your Beach House dining room, and then get ready to entertain! Serve an East Coast Buffet and enjoy time with your guests.
Try This Menu
West Coast Grilled Veggie Pizza
Cold Soba Salad
Guacamole and Tortilla Chips
Cold Lemonade and Beer, if desired.
Ten grilling recipes from Coastal Living
Maryland Crab Bake? Maine Lobster? Outdoor grilling?
Coastal feasting
Ingredients
- shrimp
- scallops
- chicken chunks
- various colored bell peppers
- tomatoes
- mushrooms
- onions
- marinade:
- 1/4 cup olive oil or cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- crushed 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- crushed 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Choose your combination of veggies, seafood, or meat ingredients, have all “chunk-size”.
- To prepare marinade: mix oil, lime juice, onion, thyme, fennel seed, and pepper in a plastic zip bag. Add scallops, fish, or meat with fennel, sweet pepper, and veggie chunks. Seal bag and place in refrigerator. Marinate for one hour, turning bag occasionally to distribute the marinade.
- Soak wood skewers, then thread onto the skewer. Cook on the grill, turning occasionally and brushing with additional marinade.
Classic White For Gulf Sun and Sand
Beach Themed Dining Room
Colors of the Sand, Sky, and Sea
A palette of colors from well known paint suppliers, Sherwin Williams and Behr.
Southern coastal colors
Go Retro
… And fun is part of the beach house scene
Using beach house colors of driftwood, seafoam, ocean blues, nautical navies, and sailcloth white can dress up the dining room environment, set the tablescape, and create a kitchen-dining room ready for family meals of entertaining friends.
While I love the colorful ones, there are subtle seashell embossed, white tableware sets that will quietly showcase any meal. The decorative quality of the designs add a feeling of the seaside, and reminders of scenes that are unique to the coast.
Beach House Color Styles
Beach House Colors Are a Visual Vacation All Year
My favorite color schemes are the restful, yet cheerful colors and the whimsy of the beach houses I’ve rented. It makes me feel calm and happy no matter what the weather or season.
Natural Objects
Use driftwood or collected shells to create jars of natural objects or decorate mirrors or picture frames.
Romantic Beach Memory Vignette
Explanation of the items included in this vignette are listed below. Create your own beach house vignette for a mantle, the top of a dresser or side table.
Memories + Beach Materials = Romance
the photo above is a picture of a totally romantic gift for a friend’s wedding memory. “The frame has three panes of glass. in the back is sand from where they stood and took their vows.
In the front are shells from the beach of the house they stayed in for the wedding.
The polaroid was taken at sunset just after they took their vows.
In the bottle are three sands:
- The bottom layer is the sand from the house in which they stayed,
- The second is the ground on which they stood, the top is from Hawaii where they honeymooned.
- The broken shells on top are also from their wedding, added for sparkle effect.”
Beach House Crafts
Creative ways to add the beach look
Crafty Decor Ideas
Seashell Shadow Box or Coastal Wall Shelf Display
Get a shadow box, antique it white, gather some seashells and arrange them within for a simple, yet effective looking wall decoration.
Or use the floating wall shelves with the vignette effect of the hexagonal openings.
Objects for accents:
- small sea landscape paintings
- collected seashells
- small branches of driftwood
- coastal or nautical figurines
- small seagrass baskets
- Sand dollars
- Decorative ocean themed salt and pepper shakers or plates
Or create a miniature vignette like this…
Keep The Style Going: A Coastal Kitchen
- Coastal Kitchen Comfort and Sophistication
Do enjoy you visits to the coast? Is seafood one of your favorite foods? Bring the coast to your own home kitchen with some of the beautiful beach themed dinnerware and accessories to create some of the resort ambiance that makes a vacation so much.
Beach Decor List + Craft Projects
- Centsational Girl – Sisal Rope Bowl
I’m a simple gal with a simple dream: transforming the drab into the fab with an arsenal of paintbrushes, primer and power tools. I completely reject the notion that second hand is second class. I shop thrift stores, flea markets, antique stores, and - My Sea Glass & Shell Bottles
Sea glass & shell bottles made with green mini wine bottles. - Coastal Decorations and Crafts in a Florida Home
The Florida Beach Look
