Everything you Need to Know About Beach House Interior Decor

Beach House interior decor has been popular for some time now, and there’s no sign of this laid back look going out of fashion any time soon. It’s easy to see why this decor style is so popular – relaxed, bright, fresh and simple, beach house interior design is the perfect option if you love contemporary style but want to add charm and interest.

Read on to discover everything you need to know about beach house interior decor…

Beach House Decor Explained

Credit: AD Italia

The moment you step in the door of a beach house style home, you’ll notice how light and airy it feels. The vibe is laid back, you feel soothed and relaxed in this space, but it’s not stark and stripped of detail. Beach house decor focuses on bright white walls and soft neutral linens and fabrics, but character and interest is added through natural materials – lots of wood in natural finishes, and pops of colour to add interest without being overpowering.

Credit: Hydrangea Lane Home

The style is convincing of an up market beach house, but it’s not gimmicky. It’s not trying to be a beach house when it’s not, but the feeling is there. You can almost hear the waves lapping on the shore in the background and smell the salt in the air. Beach house decor is elegant while also being simple and chic. It’s not showy and there’s little in the way of metallics and unnecessary glitz, instead the look focuses on quality pieces and beautiful fabrics. Any metal fixtures are brass and wall art depicts seascapes in shades of blues.

How do I Make My House Look Beachy?

Credit: Amy Borman Interior Design

The first step to creating a ‘beachy’ home is to start with a simple white scheme. Walls should be painted fresh white to act as the base for your scheme. Ideally, flooring is wooden – if you have original boards, sand them back and oil them to bring out the natural colour and grain. You can layer flooring using chunky woven rugs – jute works well, or a stripey blue and white rug would be perfect.

This is the ideal starting point for any beach house scheme – bright white walls and simple wood flooring, you can then layer the look from here. Should you wish to avoid replacing your current flooring and if it doesn’t suit the beachy look, try laying large rugs down, ideally in light natural or neutral shades.

Tips to Decorate using a Coastal Interior Style

Credit: AD Italia

As previously mentioned, the best option in terms of wall colour is bright white. Once your walls have been painted white, you can then add interest to your beach house decor using soft furnishings and accessories.

Start with soft furnishings and fabrics. Linen curtains or blinds are ideal for this style, ideally in neutrals, but if you want to add a pop of colour here this is the perfect opportunity to introduce a different shade to your scheme. To keep the look simple, stick to one or two colour palettes for your space – blues work especially well, but the beach house interior style can be flexible when it comes to colour, with greens, pinks and yellows working too.

Credit: Marshall Watson Interior Design

If you love colour, don’t be afraid to use it in this style. The wonderful thing about the beach house style is that it can be open to interpretation, as long as the main principles are there. If you do choose to introduce colour, tie the look together by using it across your scheme in art work, cushions and accessories.

How do you Furnish a Beach House?

When it comes to furniture for a beach house, a mix of old and new is perfect. If you opt for all new furniture, you might find that the space is lacking in character a little. Beach house interior decor is perfect for pieces that look a little bit rustic and weathered. Take inspiration from a piece of driftwood that you might find washed up on the shore here.

Credit: House & Garden

For sofas and armchairs, opt for new, ideally with linen upholstery in neutral shades, or blue. Mix in some antique pieces, such as a vintage coffee table in natural wood, or a white painted sideboard. An antique bed is ideal for this look. Opt for white painted, or upcycle a piece and paint it yourself. Should you want to create a ‘weathered’ look, use some sandpaper to reveal the light wood finish underneath in places. Dress your bed in beautiful white linens and add oversized blue cushions for a contemporary and high end finish.

What Should be in a Beach House?

There are a variety of pieces that you can use to achieve the beach house look. For lighting, opt for brass or rattan options, and for lamps, you can’t go far wrong with a rattan base and simple fabric shade. When it comes to pattern, stripes always work well, or abstract seascapes, as well as block printed nautical patterns. Artwork can be eclectic in mix and match frames for a vintage look – tie the look together by going for the same colour scheme across your prints and paintings or photos.

Credit: Cove gallery

Oversized glass vases always work well, as do dried or artificial flowers. Wooden bowls and ceramics in white or colourful options will add interest. To add a pop of colour to your kitchen table and create a statement piece in the room, try a blue and white striped tablecloth, such as the Handcrafted Italian Linen Tablecloth in Linea Blue.

Credit: LGF Spaces

Beach house interior decor is a simple and stylish look that you can adjust to suit your own personal sense of style. Ideal if you favour light and airy spaces, this look is full of character, yet modern and laid back.