What is Coastal Decor? (Explained)
Dreaming of living by the beach but don’t live close to the water? Create a coastal decor-styled home an feel the sea breeze. Coastal decor is a popular home decor theme, and it has been around for centuries. According to Spruce.com, a designer Andra DelMonico, shared that it has originated on the Atlantic coast. Since then, it has made its way across the country, taking various forms depending on the region.
What is coastal style decor? What does it look like?
It's a beachy-chic look that mainly showcases seaside elements. It feels like having a summer vibe all year round inside the home. It usually features natural hues and soft tones to bring out the breezy aura of the space. Having this kind of look is not hard to achieve since many people love the beach and are very familiar with the setting. They usually find themselves imagining beachside scenes to release tension and stress. So creating a beachy-kind design is not as challenging as you think it is.
Since this style is related to the beach, many people mistakenly equate this to nautical decor. Though they may have a lot of similarities, it should be clear that they are different things. Nautical focuses more on sailors and ships while coastal highlights more on the beach and seaside elements.
Another style that is mistakenly likened to coastal decor is tropical style decor. While coastal style takes more neutral tones, low, on the other hand, is more bright and bold. Though they may share similar color palettes, tropical uses more bright green, turquoise, and hot pink colors. The tropical style also has more lush details and exotic elements, utilizing a palette of corals and greens. The coastal style is inspired by the ocean, using beachy accessories such as shells and corals.
Among these styles, why should one consider coastal style decor?
Because it is more soothing and relaxed. People usually want to unwind and destress by beaching, hearing soundwaves, feeling the sun's scorching heat, and walking through the sand with bare feet. If a home is styled with this kind of decor, it seems one will experience a vacation that will last a lifetime.
The ease and comfort of styling are other factors to consider in choosing this decor. It is not hard to pull off. The accessories and elements to be used are just around the corner because they can be ordinary things found at the beach. There is no need to spend much to attain the calming effects and breeziness of the beach.
What is so tempting about coastal-themed decor is its versatility. This adds to the ease and comfort of designing because it can work well with other styles. Depending on your choice, you can mix it up with a contemporary design to have a modern twist or stay with a traditional look. No one will go wrong with having a coastal style because of its uniqueness and timeless beauty.
To enjoy this kind of decor's pleasure and beachy vibe, here are five valuable tips when decorating a coastal style design.
- When designing a home with coastal decor, avoid making the place dim and dark. Vibrant beachy feels must be sunny, so it should reflect more light. Create an open, airy room by placing flowy fabric of curtains in the windows, having no boundaries between indoors and outdoors. Recommended are large windows and glass doors, so house owners may opt for an open-air inviting more freshness from the outside.
- Buying furniture that complements the relaxed and easy vibe of the coastal-style home makes a perfect beachy theme. A nice pick of ideal furniture might be made of rattan, bamboo, and wood. Lessen those metallics and flashy and use more natural and light materials.
- Having a majority of whites and accents of bold colors is another excellent way to design a coastal style decor. Since having beach vibes is all about natural light, having more white will help the homes be airier. But it is not restricted to containing the design with purely white. Accenting with warmer neutral colors will add vibrance to the room.
- Collect seaside elements from mother nature herself and add them up as a decoration for home. Gather unique shapes of shells, driftwoods that have distinctive forms, and some beach glass. Gathering these natural elements will guarantee a space to be a coastal vibe. But remember, do not go overboard with designing. Clutters will automatically remove the easy-breezy vibe.
- For variation, you can combine some elements of a nautical and tropical look. But bear in mind not to overdo it. It should be clear that the overall theme, the coastal style decor, should be the dominant one. Add a few essential elements to show a bit of nautical and tropical. A captain's wheel decor piece or a colorful signal flag is an excellent add-on to give a nautical vibe. Combining it with a low look adds lush details to achieve the tropical feel.
With this style, nothing is bold and strong. So keeping it simple while adding some styles and decors will preserve the freshness and natural beauty of the beach. Avoid the pitfalls of cliche. No one will go wrong with keeping it simple and classic. Have the freedom to design and style, showing off your uniqueness. But always remember that having space does not mean there are no restrictions at all. No one is restrained to decorating but keep it within boundaries and not overdone.