Welcome to Coastal Casual Living
Oyster shell embedded fireplace
Increasingly popular for people who desire the relaxed lifestyle of life at the beach! Maybe sea and sand are far away, but the convivial and inviting look of a vacation can be yours at home, all year around if you choose to decorate your interiors with coastal good looks.
There are formal interpretations , but I prefer the casual and easy care look of the rustic beach cottage style. Sea, sand, ocean breezes, and collected seashells are all welcome in a place like this.
Soft sunwashed colors, nubby textures of seagrass, weather-smoothed woods, whatever you imagine your favorite shore getaway to look like. Let your imagination carry you away to your the beach cottage of your dreams, without traveling a mile.
This Look is for Relaxing
A room design, or theme for an entire house?
Whether you give your whole house the coastal casual atmosphere or just one room, the colors and evocative motifs make it easy. Think soft and sun bleached, wave washed, and easy care and you are halfway there.
It is easy, too, to choose colors that appeal to your tastes, since warm tropical or cool water and sand color schemes can both say “coastal” and “beach house”. It is the ideal décor for a family room, a bedroom, or an eat-in kitchen. And seashells have long been at home in the bathrooms of our houses.
Another plus for this style is the availability of accessories and the ease of creating crafty touches to complete the look. That, and the materials makes this economical and great for a family with kids. Scratches and spills aren’t a big deal with furnishings that are made to be easy to clean and care for.
Besides, it is a fun look, too. Where else are pelicans and seagulls so welcome? Not to mention beach sandals…
When you do kick off your shoes, especially in a living room or a bedroom, you might want something soft underfoot, with great looks. How can you go wrong with a stylish area rug?
Instead of being stressed each time you glance at the clock, consider injecting a bit of “beach time” into your décor. It won’t slow down time, or change your schedule, but it will be a reminder of those days that are spent by the sea.
Needlepoint Throw Pillow – Welcome to Our Beach House – 14 x 14
Needlepoint welcome with this beach scene.
Beach Place Stair
Beach Place Stair
photo by foxypar4 on Flickr
Coastal Motifs – Home accessories for the beach house
Shells are always evocative of the seaside and casual beach walks in the morning. Driftwood is like a piece of the beach indoors.
This fabulous driftwood based table is one of the most unique pieces of furniture I have ever seen. Surely there are many of us who would love to incorporate nature’s beauty into a room with something like this. for those who collect little memoirs of the beach in shells and driftwood, this is like a dream come true. I can tell you- I want this table.
Set of 3 Seashell Planters/vase Great Floral Vase or Decorative Figurines
Sandals say “Kick off your shoes”
…make yourself at home
Sandals are those easy slip-ons that we slide on or off at the door. Coastal living is usually easygoing and casual, and sandals are what most of wear to go to the beach, so what represents all of this to us more than these simple icons of beach visits, vacation fun, and ocean views?
Sandals Underfoot
cute beach style rug
On The Walls
Everywhere!
Have Fun With It – Coastal Décor Has a Bit of Humor
Porch photo by Josh Rothman
Having fun with it is probably the whole point. “Live, Laugh, Love”, right? It is a little bit upscale and a little bit kitschy, the balance of the two is up to you.
Try it on the enclosed front porch…
The blues around you are the welcome, relaxing kind. There is a lot of eclectic mixing and matching, especially with the beach cottage casual look. You could get a little TOO casual, so don’t throw in all the cute things you come across. Let each item stand out, or create collections that work together to give a statement of what you feel is important – nature, good times, etc.
The lines of coral and seashells are whimsical in themselves, but there is a lightheartedness to whole idea of sea creatures, boats, and nautical equipment brought into our interiors, or maybe it is just that we feel less uptight around ocean and beach colors?
Blues, turquoise, seafoam green, emerald greens, sunwashed blues and green; sand, seagull gray, driftwood beige, sailcloth white, blue-greens, all these are colors of the oceanside coastal areas.
Those colors are a natural for bedroom spaces.
Seagrass Dining
If you love the idea of decorating your dining room in Coastal Casual décor, be sure to see the Beach House Dining Room ideas.
This probably comes from happy times our family spent renting a place by the ocean in Edisto, south Carolina, or Destin, Florida. Ease of care, comfort, and a feeling of light infused these places, and I began to want to carry some of that north to my own home.
Comfortable and easy-care seagrass.
Many inspiring tips and ideas for Coastal dining rooms:
Coastal DiningBeach House Colors
Beach House Colors
Wake Up To Sea Air – And morning orange juice in a chilled glass
Every house should have a pitcher just right for keeping lemonade or orange juice cold.
Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre Jug with Hermetic Lid, 1 Liter
The shape fits perfectly in the fridge and the clear view of the contents is delicious looking!
Or maybe a tall cold glass of Tahitian Limeade? A sign of the hospitality of the house.
And while you’re relaxing with your chilled juice… get more ideas in the following pages:
Beach House Colors and Combos
