Design concept for a dreamy coastal interior

I’m sitting on a secluded beach…Colonies of seagrass are swaying and rustling behind me in the ocean breeze. Golden grey sand fills the spaces between my toes. The deserted rocky beach is littered with weathered pieces of driftwood, seashells lying about haphazardly, and small pebbles worn smooth by the relentless actions of the tide. The ocean--its rolling waves reaching out to greet me--stretches out endlessly before me, only stopping when it meets the horizon with its watercolors of peach, pink, and yellow morphing one into another as the morning sun wakes from its slumber.

​That’s not where I am at the moment—just in case you were wondering—but that’s where I’d like to be! If I can’t be there in person, maybe I can be there in spirit—through a little design magic. This vision of perfection inspired me to create a design concept of an interior that mirrors the colors and ambiance of such a sweet spot of solitude.

Non-product images from Pixabay.

As you can see from my mood board above, I used two sets of color trios. The first set has cool, muted blues and dusty greens that represent the look of the water and sky in the early morning light. The second set of colors is the warmer and more earthy tones, consisting of grey, sand, and peach tones—all colors evocative of sand, stone, wood, and the warm pinkish glow of the morning sky. A few decorative pieces that inspired me were the Driftwood candleholder, the coastal wall clock, the sandpiper decorative pillow, the green beach bottles, and the rose pink decorative pillow. The colors and textures of those items captured the look and feel I was going for in my final design.

Before decisions were made about individual design elements, I decided to dig a little into the coastal style to find some inspiration. I found a dizzying array of labels and sub-labels for any style relating to the seashore or the beach. You name it, there’s a label for it—modern coastal, transitional coastal, beach cottage, boho beach house, coastal farmhouse, modern coastal cottage, beach bungalow, coastal chic, boho botanical, and many more. It’s all in the interpretation. Look at a few links below to see examples of each style.

Popular Coastal styles
Modern Coastal
Boho Beach decor
Farmhouse Coastal
Beach Chic Coastal Cottage

People do love to put labels on things. I’m not such a great fan of labels. I like spaces that don’t necessarily have a defined style but instead speak to the human interactions that should take place in a room. Design is all about association. So, as you may have already guessed, I’m more of an eclectic type of gal, which is why my dream design today is called “eclectic coastal”—since I have to put a label on it! I am more than happy to put things together that wouldn’t normally be in the same style family, but I am always careful to make sure there is a common thread holding it all together. 

​So, what makes this room design special? I first fell in love with the rattan barrel chair, and then I found a coffee table that matched the style, and I was off and running with ideas! The area rug--with a beautiful range of blues and grays--sits on top of a wood floor with a color resembling sun-bleached driftwood. I adore mid-century modern furniture and clean lines, so I decided on a few interesting pieces that would tone down the rattan and keep me from creating a space that explodes with wicker furniture (I almost did just that!). Once I made that decision, the rest of the furniture pieces fell into place, tied together through the rich golden brown wood of the sofa and the antique brown metal finishes of the console table. Beige and off-white run through the entire room to keep the space from being too dark and to keep a common thread in the color scheme. A blue side table plays on the blues in the area rug, and the wall art I found on Etsy kept me inspired and helped guide my color choices for the furniture and the accessories.

​The lighting I chose played into the textural aspects of worn wood and rope, with a weathered wood light pendant and a table lamp with a rope-lined base. Decorative pillows were added with a sea green blue, cream, palm frond design, and crab and fish motif. Final decorative accessories include a jar of shells, a set of blue vases, coral, and rock sculptures.

And finally, I decided on a sandy color for the walls to tie the entire design together in a warm cocoon. 

So I hope you enjoyed taking this little journey with me! Please feel free to drop a comment below about how you bring elements into your home that remind you of your favorite spot outdoors.

Serene Shores Decorative Candleholder by Di's Studio Designs

I hope you found this eclectic exploration of the popular coastal theme! Drop a line below in the comments if you have created a coastal haven of your own!

​Enjoy your summer!

​This article contains external links for demonstration purposes only, and are not endorsements for specific products or brands.


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