Coastal Decor Ideas

By Home & Garden Last updated Tuesday, July/09/2024

Coastal design reflects the environment.Coastal image by Gon?¡ìalo Carreira from Fotolia.com

Coastal decor brings together a variety of styles ranging from natural to tropical. Create the perfect coastal decor in your home by focusing on paint colors, flooring, furniture and fabric. With a little creativity, you can fashion a coastal inspired home that not only is beautiful, but suits your lifestyle.

Natural

For a coastal design scheme that never goes out of style, consider the use of a natural and neutral color palette. Soft brown and beige tones provide a casual and relaxed feel to a room. Wood or stone floors provide substance for flooring, while lighter toned walls give a neutral backdrop to darker browns found in leather sofas. Add texture to a room with the use of bamboo or rattan window shades. These shades offset sleek surfaces such as stainless steel appliances in a kitchen, and give a timeless appeal. Use linen and burlap fabrics for bedding, curtains, pillows, upholstery and table linens.

Tropical coastal style infuses a space with energy and boldness. This palette brings vibrant hues into the home with bright purples, blues, yellows, lime greens and reds. Throw color rules out the window. Paint walls a vibrant fuchsia and accent with yellow trim. Add bold, floral prints to pillows and rugs. Combine stripes and plaids for even more variety. Patterns don't need to match perfectly, adding visual interest. Tone down a tropical palette if you prefer warm wood tones. Otherwise, create contrast and a clean look by pairing bold, tropical colors with white trim and white painted furniture.

Blue and white, a classic color combination suitable for coastal design, achieves a sophisticated look too much formality. Blue and white ticking fabric is an optimal choice for upholstery and holds up well to everyday use. Pair with navy blue pillows for a pop of color. Blue and white toile fabric works well in bedrooms with plush bedding and toile-inspired wallpaper. Whitewash wood floors with a diluted light blue paint and follow up with a sisal area rug. Use furniture that is painted white for a clean look, or opt for dark wood furniture for maximum contrast and impact.