Key Takeaways:
- The colors and building materials used in coastal home interior design should reflect the surrounding environment.
- Natural light can go a long way in giving a home an airier feeling.
- Throw in a few vintage coastal furniture pieces to give your home character.
- Refrain from going overboard and drifting too far into nautical territory.
You don’t need a front-row view of the surf to have a beachy home. It doesn’t hurt, obviously. No one here would turn down the chance to sip morning coffee on a balcony in Malibu or walk straight from the front door of a Laguna Beach home for an afternoon snorkel in Emerald Bay.
But coastal design doesn’t ask for immediate proximity. And contrary to what you might imagine, it has far less to do with putting seashells in jars and nautical-themed paintings on the walls than with simpler things like texture, color, and light.
As a design firm with a long history of interior design work for coastal homes in Southern California, we’ll give you a few ideas to bring your living space closer to the shoreline.
An Airy Color Palette
Think of coastal elements. Sand, water, stone, and sun-faded shiplap. While white can be a good base layer for a lighter coastal home interior design palette, it’s not the whole equation. Some other colors include:
- Soft beige
- Sand
- Greige
- Pale gray
- Driftwood brown
- Muted blue
- Sea-glass green
- Clay
- Faded navy
Warm whites often look better than cold ones for Southern California coastal home interior design. That’s not to say that a crisp gallery white can’t work in the right house, but being beach-adjacent has a way of making cool white feel a bit sterile.
Build the Room With Texture
Whenever we’re working on interior design projects for coastal homes, one of the first things we discuss is texture. Coastal design calls for it. Without texture, all those pale colors can start to feel flat. Start with materials:
- Washed linen
- Cotton
- Jute
- Sisal
- Rattan
- Cane
- White oak
- Teak
- Light stone
- Plaster
- Terracotta
You don’t have to remodel your entire home with coastal building materials. It can be as simple as putting a rattan basket near the front door or a jute runner down the hallway. If you’re incorporating coastal interior design style into your bedroom, you might flank your bed with two weathered wood nightstands or toss some striped linen throw pillows on the bedspread.
Find the Right Flooring
Thick carpet is a poor interior design choice for coastal homes for many reasons. It collects sand, it doesn’t do well with moisture, it fades with constant sunlight, and it feels overly warm.
The classic choice is a lighter wood, like maple or pine, both of which are popular coastal building materials.
Some other coastal home flooring ideas include:
- Concrete
- Natural stone
- Terracotta tile
- Wide-plank engineered wood
If you want to bring in a little bit of texture, you can also add an area rug or runner made out of an organic material like jute.
Let the Light Shine In
The Southern California coast has some of the best natural light in the world, so why shut it out?
It makes the house feel airier and limits the amount of electricity you need to use during the day. Privacy is a concern. We get it. But that doesn’t mean you need to hang heavy drapes or blackout curtains.
Some good window treatment options include:
- Sheer linen curtains
- Lightweight cotton curtains
- Woven wood shades
- Bamboo blinds
- Painted shutters
- Simple Roman shades
We’ve incorporated coastal interior design into many living rooms in Southern California homes, and one thing we’ve come to realize is easy to overlook: the direction the rooms face.
It can be hard to watch TV in the afternoon with the glare you get in a west-facing room. It can also be hard to work in a home office if you’re staring at the sun coming down on your monitor.
For that, we recommend layered treatments, like sheer curtains for texture and light, and woven shades you can pull down when needed.
Curate Your Furniture
Beach life is relaxed. Your furniture should match. This requires careful curation. Pieces should feel soft and comfortable. We’re not saying to make each room feel like it came out of a coastal home interior design catalog. But consider each piece carefully.
We could spend a whole article going room by room. For now, here are a few coastal home ideas that feel more interesting than the typical “add a blue pillow” advice:
- An oatmeal sofa
- A vintage accent chair with faded stripes
- Woven counter-height stools
- A live-edge oak coffee table
- Layered linens in the bedroom
- A narrow wooden bench in the entryway
- Painted ceramic lamps
- Baskets for holding shoes, keys, and other small items
- Cane-front console tables
Vintage pieces can be especially helpful in coastal homes, so don’t be afraid to hunt for unique items at your local thrift store or on online platforms like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. We’re big fans of standalone wood islands for coastal interior design in kitchens.
Sprinkle In a Few Coastal Details
It’s easy to overdo the coastal theme. You don’t need shells in every room or paintings of sailboats and coral. A few references are more than enough for coastal home interior design.
A framed seascape in the bathroom can work. The same thing goes for a woven tray for your keys and dog leash, or a driftwood end table next to the couch. Skip the generic beach art. Hang family photos in light wood frames instead. Or place a mirror near one of your front windows to reflect light around the room.
Coastal home interior design is biophilic in nature, since it relies on natural materials and a strong connection to the ocean. The right plants can do a lot of work too:
- Olive trees
- Monsteras
- Fiddle leaf figs
- Succulents
With a bit of restraint and careful placement, you can breathe life into your space without it feeling like a kitschy beach bar.
Incorporate Coastal Interior Design Elements Into Your Home
Many homeowners in Southern California dream of creating an easy-breezy interior design style, and the coastal home ideas above are just a drop in the bucket of what’s possible.
5blox works with coastal homeowners throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. If you want help choosing building materials for a coastal interior design project, schedule a free consultation with our team today.
Interior Designer
With a degree in Interior Design, Calinia brings over 15 years of experience to the interior design industry, specializing in high-end remodels. From architectural plans to final execution and beyond, she’s passionate about turning clients’ dreams into reality. With a refined eye for detail and an innate appreciation for texture, depth, and the perfect balance of elements, Calinia has earned a reputation for building lasting relationships with her clients throughout Southern California.
Calinia believes that every design she creates should be a reflection of the home’s owner as well as an investment in quality and beauty that lasts.