Whether your home is on the beach, or you just love the beach style, here are a few ideas for decorating in a sophisticated beach house style.
photo courtesy of Ines Garcia flickr.com/photos/miamism/6963509811/Casual Style
Beach style tends to be casual, eclectic, and comfortable.
Select furniture that is not fussy - a slip covered sofa is a great example since it is casual and able to easily be washed if it gets dirty.
Collect pieces to go in your room that are not matchy-matchy.
Consider shopping at antique stores, estate sales, and flea markets for unique vintage items.
Carefree furniture that does not require drink coasters is best.
Solid fabrics create a carefree sophisticated look.
Fabrics that look like a Hawaiian shirt should be avoided.
Bring in the latest decor trends minimally, perhaps through throw pillows on the sofa.
Avoid the Gift Shop
Beach homes usually have beach themed accessories, such as lighthouses, boats, anchors, fish, or seashells.
Do not overdo it.
Consider only using natural elements in your decor, such as seashells, starfish, coral, or sea fans.
Keep the items together as a collection.
Consider using a clear glass lamp filled with seashells, one shelf with a collection of starfish, or a wall collection of framed sea fans that are spray painted an accent color.
You do not want your room to look like a store display or a theme park gift shop.
Not every surface needs to have an accessory.
Spend your money on fewer items that are of higher quality.
Better yet, collect accessories the next time you are at the beach.
Black and White
Beach houses typically have a lot of white or light colored moldings, paneling, cabinets, and built-ins.
Balance all that white with some black or dark brown touches.
You can have black countertops, black curtain rods, black and white photography, black light fixtures, black and white houndstooth pillows, and/or black door knobs.
A good beach color for the walls would be a grayed aqua, sand, or a green blue.
You can even have a stained wood accent wall to add warmth to all of the stark black and white.
Wood Floors
Wood floors are charming and add character to beach decor.
Make sure to keep wood and wood-looking laminate away from areas that may get wet, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and entryways from a pool or beach.
Window Coverings
Use minimal window coverings in a beach house to maximize the view outside.
You can go without window coverings in your living room, dining room, and kitchen, however you will probably need window coverings for privacy and light control in bathrooms and bedrooms.
Books
Accessorize with a lot of hard back books.
Display them on bookcases, end tables, and night stands.
Consider discarding the paper covers to add character to the room.
The room should look as if it has no TV, even though one is probably hiding behind a cabinet somewhere for use on rainy days.
