Decorating with a Beachy Chic Interior Design Style

By Drew Knight

You don’t have to live on the coast; you don’t have to own a million dollar vacation home; and it’s not just for bathrooms. We’re talking about a beachy chic interior design style!

If you’re a beach lover by heart and want to create that coastal, salty-air look in your new home, we’re here to help. We sat down with award-winning interior designer and author Jennifer Adams to find out how to design with a beachy chic interior design in mind.

Key Elements

“Depending on what you are going for, you could do a beach theme that captures the clean, airy, relaxing feelings of a beach vacation or go all-out with a full nautical theme,” says Adams.

Adams prefers using calming, cool colors opposed to designs with things like starfish and anchors.

“Start with rustic, wide plank wood flooring, distressed painted finishes, sandy-colored neutrals and off whites,” she suggests. “Accent with blues from navy to pale sky for a tranquil look.”

Then go with a variety of textures like woven baskets, jute or sisal area rugs and fabrics like sturdy canvas and soft linens for a casual, calm and welcoming décor. Aged metals, driftwood, weathered and painted wood and rounded stones and pebbles are other things to keep an eye out for.

Use “things people would find as they’re walking along a beach and will remind them of their last vacation,” Adams says.

Color Trends

When opting for colors, beachy chic color schemes usually stick to blues and greys, along with neutral colors.

“If you wanted to go bold, you can use tropical turquoise blues and greens with white,” Adams says. “A great way to coordinate using these colors is to use lighter neutral colors for the backdrop, including the walls and sofa, and colorful throw pillows, accessories, artwork, lamps and area rugs.”

And when it comes to patterns, Adams suggests going with stripes with deep colors like navy blues on off whites. Knotted netting or distressed rope patterns are also appropriate.

“It’s functional because the style is so casual and inviting,” says Adams. “Comfortable, worn finishes and soft fabrics in neutral colors help hide stains and dirt, so a sofa or chair will look the same for years.”

Furniture and Accessories

Now for the fun part: choosing furniture and design accessories!

Casual is key with a beachy chic design. Adams prefers natural finishes like wicker, raw woods, unbleached muslin or linen fabrics when picking out furniture items.

“A huge trend that’s been popular for a while is rustic, weathered-wood finishes or rubbed white, ivory, slate blue, deep red or gray paint,” says Adams. “These finishes are great because they are already distressed — your kids or pets won’t mess them up.”

For accessory design elements, the sea’s the limit. Just about anything you could find washed up on the beach might work.

Adams suggests decorating with big clam or conch shells, wrapping simple vases with rope or thick string, pieces of coral, artful driftwood pieces, old maps or beach photos, fishing gear, jars filled with glass pebbles, sand and seashells … the possibilities are as limitless as the ocean itself.

So, besides finding it on the beach itself, where does one find it all?

“You can make some of your own pieces or shop in secondhand shops for great older furniture and treasures,” Adams says. “Keep your eyes out for estate and garage sales especially in coastal towns.”

So go ahead and get to scavenging. Once you “sea” your beachy chic home, you’ll be in paradise.