Elements of coastal decorating

Soft sand under your feet, the blue cloudless sky and azure blue sea. All those blissful days spent at the beach basking under the warmth of the sun, the salt water lapping at your feet as you walk over the hot white sands.  This style of coastal decor is reflected in the purity of seaside beauty, as you can see in the clean, simple lines and designs ... 

 

Creating a coastal retreat focuses on connecting a living space to an environment. Lifestyles are easy and interiors are oriented to the sea, subtly incorporating beachcombing keepsakes throughout the home decor. Often eclectic in style, a touch of the coast can aesthetically coexist with any colour scheme or decor.

Whether a primary residence, vacation home or weekend getaway, the coastal abode delights in uncomplicated style. There are no recipes or rules for the coastal colour palette.

Purposefully selected colour groupings assist with the creation of casual coastal elegance. Traditional sand and sea colours such as variations of blues, greens and neutrals are particularly attractive when spotlighted using soft, sunbleached combinations of colour. Bold fluctuations of hues that are characteristic of the ocean also produce dynamic colour groupings.

 

ABOVE and BELOW: The application of paint can be effectively used to implement a seaside air throughout the coastal home. Painted beadboarding can be gracefully applied to wall or ceiling coverings to evoke a refreshing coastal style. This technique is particularly effective when subdued colours are selected to reflect sunwashed interiors.

Whitewashed and painted furnishings compliment the casual coastal feel. Wide, narrow, horizontal and vertical painted stripes are classic coastal favourites that are simple enough that even the novice do-it-yourself painter can achieve instant painting success, or make abundant use of striped fabrics for soft furnishings.

 

 

ABOVE and BELOW: Easy looks blend with the eclectic elegance of the coastal interior. With the addition of paint, even old discarded items can be converted into a functional and fashionable home and decor accessories. Whitewashed furniture is the epitomy of coastal decorating, and distressed pieces add to the casual and comfortable settings in a home decorated in coastal style.

Found shells used to fill ordinary bottles or starfish placed on open shelving are found natural accessories that are especially attractive when painted and scattered throughout the coastal home. Sand pails constructed from varying fabrications can be painted and used for storage of small household items.

A fresh coat of exterior paint instantly perks up a disparate coastal front porch seating vignette. Painted vertical slats are an attractive and easy way to lend a festive air to popular adirondack style outdoor furnishings. Durability is a key element when selecting furnishings that are exposed to nature’s elements on the coast. The application of quality exterior paint to hard surfaces such as wicker cane and bamboo offers unification of mismatched styles and enduringness for years to come.

A homeowner’s personal choice of furnishings and accessories combined with a paint palette that considers the coastal landscape and its tones, graciously forms the basis for today’s contemporary coastal retreats. Uncomplicated and casual living married to touches of seaside trinkets represent key ingredients for creating a stylish coastal residence.

 

"I love vintage quilts, seashells, old outdoor furniture, white cotton, Adirondack chairs, Peroni, nautical stripes, vanilla, bare floorboards, lavender, home-cooked food, wicker baskets and pots of Australian tea. I try to get away with doing the school run in my pj's and I have a pathological love for vintage china..."
a beach cottage

a beach cottage