Beach House

Mixed fragrances of salt air and pungent seaweed, the harsh cry of gulls and crows mingled with the peeping of skittering sandpipers, these belong to a place we call our BEACH HOUSE. Places like Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Laguna Beach spring to mind. BEACH HOUSE, the words conjure up wonderful images of surf, sand, seaweed and shells. Seaside cottages against a backdrop of clear skies and blue/green seas. It is a coastal state of mind, a place where nature is the main attraction.

Many of us probably put BEACH HOUSE and vacation home into the same category, but coastal décor is wonderfully inviting and relaxing even if you aren’t one of the lucky ones with an ocean view. With a little imagination you can still create the mood and ambiance that the words BEACH HOUSE evoke. If you are fortunate enough to live near any body of water, it is, of course, a natural extension of the river, lake or stream in your life (or maybe even your pool). But even if you find yourself in an apartment in the heart of the city, with no crashing waves, no meandering streams and not even a dipping pool, you can still create your own BEACH HOUSE environment.

BEACH HOUSE is an attitude, an approach to life more than a physical location, the coastal look can happen anywhere you live. It is clean, breezy, crisp and casual, with furnishings that are lightweight, airy, and, of course, natural. Coastal décor means using colors that reflect the cool hues of the sea, the soothing neutrals of sand, the dusty, sun bleached colors of chipped, worn paint, or the soft, warm shades of pastel pinks, corals and ambers of washed ashore seashells. Coastal décor is the texture and patterns of natural materials like bamboo, raw silk and cotton fabrics, and leaf and grass mattings. It is soft candlelight reflected against bubbly old sea glass. Coastal décor is versatile enough that you can go for the total look, or just add a few elements that hint that the sea may be nearby.

BEACHCOMBER’S SHELL HURRICANE

BEACH HOUSE is that place in your mind that has billowing seashell fabric at the windows with specimen shells sitting on the sill. It is that room you paint seashell pink, with wicker or bamboo furniture filled with soft, fluffy pillows. It is candlelight flickering out of casual luminaries or votives casting their dancing shadows against the opaqueness of natural capiz shell.

BEACH HOUSE LUMINARY

CAPIZ CANDLE GLOBE

Maybe your idea of BEACH HOUSE is a room filled with nautical accents, pictures of yachts or maybe boat racing. Nautical antiques like an old ship’s wheel, an anchor or salvaged lifesaver may set the mood. Think about Boat Bumpers for adding a touch of the boating life to your rooms.

JUTE BOAT BUMPER, "OBLONG", “ROUND”

Add the transparent element of ocean and sea with various types of glass. Collect beach glass floats. Clear glass will mimic the liquid appeal of the water’s surface and frosted glass or tumbled glass will bring in the frothy look of waves breaking on the beach. All kinds of beach glass is wonderful to use, its wavy surface and air bubbles adding to its sea tossed charm.

SEA TOSSED GLASS VASE, “PINK FROTH” set/3

BEACH GLASS FLOAT “GREEN”

BEACH GLASS FLOAT “BLUE”

Seashells, can you ever have enough seashells? Of course you can just set them around, but shells are also wonderfully functional in your BEACH HOUSE plans. Shells particularly lend themselves to creating a coastal tabletop. Serve exquisite broiled shrimp on the elegant Mother of Pearl “Plates. Let your guests eat their stuffed olives off Shell Hors D’oeuvre Picks and unroll their napkins from a Shell Napkin Ring. If you like a bit of a “hands-on” approach you can create your own seashell dining table decorations using small shells glued to placemats, or make your own shell napkin rings.

SHELL HORS D’OUVERE PICKS, “NUTMEG SNAIL”, “WHITE NASSA SNAIL”, YELLOW LADYBUG SNAIL”

MOTHER OF PEARL “PLATE”

SHELL NAPKIN RING, “ALBINO”

SHELL NAPKIN RING “TIGER”

 

Casual is the definitive word when you think BEACH HOUSE, so let your furniture reflect that attitude in easy to care for, natural materials, like bamboo, rattan or wicker. Use accents that say “coastal”. Let ephemeral Shell and Twine Curtains flutter at the windows, or tie them back with a Sunshine Scallop Tassel.

SHELL AND TWINE CURTAIN AND PILLOW

SUNSHINE SCALLOP TASSEL

BAMBOO DECK CHAIR

BAMBOO HASSOCK

For LOTS more product ideas for creating your BEACH HOUSE, be sure to check out our COASTAL DECOR category in HOME & GARDEN and SEASHELLS in ART, CRAFT and DESIGN DIY sections of our website. No matter where you live, with a few added touches, and, of course, the right “casual living” attitude, you can be enjoying your BEACH HOUSE anywhere at all!

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