If you’re lucky enough to own a summer beach house, then you’ll want to be sure it stays current with its home decor. Decorating for a coastal home can be a challenge, especially because coastal decor can seem cheesy or outdated. Your summer beach home should always feel fresh and light — like the perfect space for your summer getaway. Here are some must-haves for the decor in your summer beach house!
1. Floating natural wood shelves
Natural wood is a critical component of coastal design. Floating shelves that are either stained in a natural shade or made from reclaimed wood are a great decor addition to your coastal beach home. Use them to display knick-knacks or even to store your family’s personalized beach towels. Add sea glass bookends or bleached coral to really round out the summer beach home vibe.
2. Wicker baskets
Wicker baskets are great for any home decor, but they really shine for summer beach homes. The perfect addition to any coastal space, wicker baskets function as both decor and storage. Why use plastic storage totes when you can have a stylish wicker basket?
They come in a variety of unique patterns and designs — there are even different shades! Mixing up the basket sizes and incorporating them into your space will really help achieve the summer beach home style. Wicker baskets are great for hiding all your items — whether you need to store any of those summer gifts you’ve received or your large collection of flip flops, wicker baskets are perfect for any space in your summer beach house.
3. Blue striped throw pillows
Decorating with throw pillows is one of the best ways to make your home feel a certain way. With so many shapes, sizes, colors, patterns and textures, throw pillows really are the most versatile decor piece!
For your summer beach house, a blue striped throw pillow is the way to go. You’ll easily find that incorporating anything blue into your summer beach home instantly makes it feel more like summer. If you’re not one for the seashells and starfish patterns, then a simple blue stripe is perfect. It still feels coastal without screaming beach.
And, even if you love the quintessential stars and fish scales for your summer home, then a blue striped pillow is still a great decor piece to have. It’ll balance any of the other patterns or colors you have in your furniture or decor. It really rounds out the space! Blue is also known as a calming color, which means that by looking at something blue, you’ll start to feel calmer and more peaceful. So go get that blue pillow!
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
4. Coastal artwork
Is it really a beach house if there isn’t some artwork of the beach on one of the walls? The answer is no, it isn’t. There’s a reason coastal artwork belongs in beach houses — because it makes it feel like you’re at the beach! Find a watercolor painted by a local artist of one of the many spots around your beach house and hang it up on one of the walls in your living space.
If you’re looking for something truly unique, why not commission the artist to do a watercolor or drawing of your home? Many artists work on commissions, and you’d have a truly unique piece to add to your decor collection — one that can stay with the house for years to come! Plus, you’re supporting a local artist and their business. Win-win, right?
Photo by HausPhotoMedia on Unsplash
4. Rattan dining chairs
Your dining room in your beach house deserves as much love and attention as any of the other rooms in your home. Rattan dining chairs with thick chair cushions are perfect for a summer beach house. Think about it this way: You’re bringing the outdoor elements in. Rattan chairs do just that! They’re typically wide bucket chairs, too, so they’re great for you, your family and any guests you have over to lounge in while enjoying a delicious dinner of salmon and vegetables. Add in a summer cocktail, and you’ve got yourself a true summer beach house!
5. Gray-ed out backsplash
A coastal kitchen should have lots of neutrals with pops of coastal colors, such as blues and pale corals. Your backsplash in a coastal kitchen looks great with a combination of grays and whites. It mimics sandy, rocky cliffs of the shoreline. A smooth backsplash is best because it’s easy to clean. Match it with your cabinets by using white or gray cabinets in your coastal home. Your summer beach house should feel fresh, clean and inviting.
6. Natural cutting boards
Cutting boards can double as decor, especially in your kitchen. Where you stack them will provide a unique decor piece for your coastal kitchen. Light-oak-stained cutting boards are best for coastal kitchens. You can even use one as a display board for other kitchen items, such as utensils or even a vase of fresh flowers. Rotate out the items for each season or month that you’re staying in your beach house.
Photo by Lee Myungseong on Unsplash
7. Ash wood storage bench
Wood-stained ash — gray with flecks of brown — is perfect for your summer beach house. A storage bench that features ash wood will fit well in your summer beach home. Place it right by the front door to have a place to put all your beach gifts and to-go items for a day out in the sun. A storage bench is a good transitional piece for your home because it can hold a variety of items and be placed in many different rooms.
8. Pendant lighting
Pendant lights come in many different shapes and styles. For your summer beach house, you can invest in some wicker pendant lights, or you can go bold with some large glass pendants. Incorporate a farmhouse or rustic look by bringing in a metal light fixture, or make it modern with a unique, starburst light fixture. Either way, pendant lighting in your kitchen is just one of the many must-haves for your summer beach house.
Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash
