While I may be a true Colorado girl these days, I still have a love for coastal design after living in Florida for over 20 years. I have a few adventurous and devoted clients who have trusted me enough to bring me along as their traveling designer to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Venice Beach, FL for a few seaside projects that have been a true inspiration.

Easy Breezy

Coastal design, as described in my previous blog, encompasses the breeziness of the beach. This means that the design is light and bright and the overall feel is relaxing. Coastal design is clutter-free with simple, clean lines and a cohesive color palette.

Colors & Textures

When I am looking for inspiration for a color palette for seaside homes, I always look to, well, the beach! There you will find blues, greens, whites, creams, yellows and grays. These soft colors paired with lots of different textures become the components that make up the perfect waterfront paradise. In these lakefront or oceanside homes, you will find materials like rattan, wicker, weathered wood, jute and seagrass. I also incorporate white-washed woods, soft patterns and matte finishes. White, being a crisp and clean color, is always a dominate tone in my coastal designs.

Accents

I love to bring in the vibes of the ocean through my smaller accents. I use elements like coral and dried grapewood or other botanicals to bring the feel of the outside in. One important thing to remember while designing your beachfront home is to not get overly ‘themey’. While I love to add in a few elements that have a strong costal feel to them, you don’t want to be too literal. This design style can speak for itself with the various colors and composition of the materials.

Artwork

I think art in a costal home is one of the most important elements to curate. The artwork is the feature that brings in the visual interest and influences the rest of the design. Abstracts are the perfect way to bring in the feeling of the sunset or the ocean. I also love watercolors or paintings of seashells and coral.

The Views

Most oceanfront homes have spectacular views and large windows that let the natural light come in. I like to let my designs center around the view. The interior finishes should reflect and highlight the view, not take away from it. Plus, letting in a lot of natural light is key to the perfect beach home.

The sea is the place where you go to relax and unwind so if you let your interior space be simple and calming, you will successfully achieve coastal design. All of this talk about the sand, sun and water sure makes me ready for my next beach vacation!