Five ways to achieve that beach home look without being tacky

There are many interior design styles to choose from. One of the most popular is the coastal trend, or the beach home look. It can be a great look but so often, it’s done incorrectly. If you think you can just hang a few fishing nets on the wall (don’t you dare) or put some seashells all over the place, you’re mistaken. It is possible to have a coastal look that’s classy and evokes a carefree, cool, breezy atmosphere. Here are five ways to do it tastefully.

All white, all the time

The best coastal interiors use a lot of white. Use white slipcovers that use a light airy fabric to cover dining room chairs and sofas. Paint the wainscoting and a glossy white hue. The fireplace and walls throughout your home should also be a light shade. If you have pets or young children and are worried about so much white, use a tan or sand color that will hide smudges a little better.

Choose a neutral palette

For your furnishings, artwork, and other pieces throughout your home, try to go for a neutral palette. Think grays, whites, pale greens, and sea blues. Beige is a little predictable. If you want to have an unexpected accent color, go with some dark blue or aqua stripes on the walls or floors. If you don’t want to throw out furnishings that don’t fit your neutral palette, consider repainting them.

Let plenty of sunshine in

You want plenty of natural sunlight and fresh air. If your budget allows, install a skylight or two to let in sunlight from above. Add a set of large sliding doors and widen or lengthen existing windows. At the very least, dress the windows in light and airy coverings. You don’t want thick curtains that are going to lessen the effect of all that sunlight.

Embrace natural textures and fibers

You want to use natural materials as much as possible so go with a wood coffee table and end tables. For the dining room table use open-weave, wicker, or rattan chairs. If you’re really attached to your leather sofa, you can make it work by adding some oversized throw pillows that are white, aqua, or nautical blue. For rugs, use durable materials like sisal or jute. You may also want to consider using rope accents for a nice, nautical twist.

Skip the seashells, fishing nets, and life preservers

When you’re going for the beach home look, it’s easy to get carried away with the sea theme. But all those cliché things that come to mind when you think of the ocean are just going to make your home look tacky. You’re striving for elegant so resist the urge to go crazy with seashell displays and fishing nets and whatever you do, don’t mount a life preserver on the wall. Instead, you can create a sea-themed gallery wall. Choose some sea-themed artwork and maybe use some family photographs from your last trip to the beach to adorn your walls.

Source: Realtor.com

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