A Blank Canvas - Decorating Tips

Create a blank canvas - so you can add your personal style.

Create personality with colour and accessories

When faced with the task of decorating a beach house - the easiest way to start is by creating a black canvas. Work out a budget, then invest the most money in your core pieces like sofas, armchairs, dining setting, coffee table, etc - keep these in whites, neutrals and timber tones as part of the neutral canvas. Once you have these in place, then it's time to have fun with accessories and styling! It's safest to limit each room to one or two key accent colours. Work out the look and mood you are trying to create - flick through magazines or coastal blogs if you need some inspiration. Then starting layering away ~ building a story with artwork, scatter cushions, occasional lighting and decorator accessories. Always remember to add a couple of vintage or eclectic pieces into the mix to get it interesting and exciting - you don't want to end up with a room that looks like it has come straight from a showroom floor! You want it to reflect your personality and sense of style.

Melissah xox

Images Country Living via Vicky's Home 

Check out my other blogs Scrapbook and Country Style Chic

Nautical Decor

Here are some great ideas for creating a nautical decor scheme in your beach house. Stick to a classic palette of navy and white or give it a twist and work with a black and white colour scheme. A splash of red will brighten things up if you are looking for a pop of colour. The look will really come together with the accessories you use - hunt around antique markets, vintage shops and salvage yards for old oars, wooden steering helms, life boys, sailing flags, anchors, ships lanterns, telescopes and model boats. These will all add character and charm to your scheme. Something with a bit of age and history will look more authentic and have more personality than something new and shiny. Nautical themed cushions and artwork will put the finishing touches to your look!

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Melissah xox

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4,  5 Moodboard by Design Darling

Check out Coastal Style on tumblr and Pinterest

Naturally Textured

 

 

Visual Interest 

Use materials, textures and details to provide interest, character and warmth

Use layers of textures to create depth.

I love using a mix of organic materials in natural 'beachy' tones to create a visual feast.
Some of my favourite materials to work with are ~
seagrass matting, rattan furniture, sisal rugs, woven bamboo blinds,
recycled timbers and cane pendants.
Keep the colour palette simple and let the materials make the statement.

Melissah xox

Images via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Check out Coastal Style on tumblr and Pinterest

Tips on 'Decorating With Color'

 

Test Out Your Paint Colours

Once you have made your paint colour selections, invest in a litre can of the desired colour (not just a small sample pot) and brush them out on the actual walls where the paint will be applied. Select a large test area and paint away. Review the colour over a few days in different kinds of light and at different times of the day so you have a good understanding of the colours before painting the entire house! A paint chip can look totally different to the colour when applied to an actual surface on a large scale.

Don't Forget the 60-30-10 Rule

Follow the color principal of 60-30-10 to create an aesthetically pleasing color scheme. Divide your color choices into percentages: 60 percent is a dominant color, 30 percent is a secondary color and 10 percent is the accent or highlight color.

Don't Overload Your Palette

While a mixture of colors can be beautiful, too many colours together can be overwhleming and end up looking busy. Follow a favorite color scheme, like monochromatic or complementary, and stick with the 60-30-10 rule to create the perfect palette.

Don't Always Rely on Color Trends

Adding a trendy color to a room's palette can be the fresh take you need, but choose where you use the trend wisely. Wall colors can easily be painted out and accessories changed, but when purchasing furniture, choose shades that will stand the test of time.

Melissah xox

Inspiration : HGTV, Images via Coastal Style Pinterest

Check out Coastal Style on tumblr and Pinterest

Beach House Accessorising - Decorating Tips

 

 

 

 

Homewares and Accessories

Accessories chosen for their coastal or nautical theme evoke a sense of a magical life by the sea.  Model ships, sailboats, fishing floats, baskets, coral, artwork, driftwood, nautical equipment and hurricane lamps all contribute to a coastal theme.

Use coffee tables, side tables, wall units and consoles to display your accessories. Beautiful bold corals are stunning and give an instant ‘wow’ factor to your room. Small accessories look great in fisherman’s baskets on the floor, fill them with rope balls or fishing floats. Simplicity is the key when deciding on accessories so keep the look clean, breezy and clutter free.

Melissah xox

Images via Coastal Style Pinterest, homewares via John Lewis

Check out my other blogs Scrapbook and Country Style Chic 

Earthy Textures - Get The Look

 Re-create this look

 

To create relaxed, earthy feel to your coastal home only use natural materials and a simple palette of organic colours like chalky whites, chocolates, driftwood and bleached linens. Use textured accessories, lots of timber finishes and introduce rustic, vintage and industrial pieces for added interest. Consider recycled floorboards for an eco-friendly approach. For a similar fashion look use natural materials that breath like cottons and lines in neutral tones teamed back with white or denim.

Melissah xox

Images via 1, 2-4, 5 Mood Board by Coastal Style, 7, 6+8

Check out Coastal Style on tumblr and Pinterest

Beach-Chic Decorating Ideas

It's difficult to achieve a beach look in your home without being too clichéd.

 So here are a few decorating tips for achieving

a fresh, sea-inspired coastal feel to you home with going overboard!

Make it Personal

One of the most important aspects of a decorating a home is that the decor and style reflect your personality, your taste and your passions. Rooms should reflect your life and your personality - I always like to see something interesting or witty in a space that has a sense of humour and tells a story about the owner. I like this quirky collection off globes in this room that reflects the owner's love of travel!

Seaside Palette

A neutral color palette of white, beige, gray and cream creates a tranquil seaside look for your beach house or coastal retreat. Add a splash of colour like blue, seafoam or soft aqua to bring the outside in and make the most of your natural beachside surroundings. Use soothing colours that are reminiscent of the ocean, sky and sandy beach or use a vibrant shade of bright aqua for instant pop and holiday fun!

Finishing Touches

The last few layers of any space are the most aesthetically important as these are the details that truly personalise the room and bring out it's soul. For texture, warmth and a burst of colour, add decorative cushions, artwork, interesting art d'objets and natural looking rugs. It is often the details in a space that give the room interest and character and can take an ordinary room and make it extra special!

Natural Elements

One of the keys elements to creating a chic coastal retreat is natural materials and textures. Bring the beauty of nature inside with rattan accents, bamboo furniture, cane baskets, jute, coir and seagrass matting. These natural elements are usually affordable and they also give a space a casual, relaxed feel. Natural colours and tonings also work back well with coloured accents. I am loving this quirky coral chandelier and the 'beachy' rattan bedhead.

Large-Scale Accessories

I love large-scale accessories that make a statement. My husband is a mad keen surfer and has our beach shack decorated with 3 vintage surfboards ... there were 4 but fortunately he sold one many years ago to buy my engagement ring! They each have a history and they make for great conversation pieces. This fabulous upside down rowing boat is bound to be a big talking point!

Real Items Make Great Accents

Weathered oars, vintage fishing rods, old surfboards and abandoned life buoys all make for great decorator items in a relaxed beach house setting. If you can't find anything in the shed or under the house then scour around local markets, second-hand shops and garage sales for some interesting treasures to hang on the walls and ceilings or prop in the corner.

Oceanic Artwork

Be inspired by the sea for coastal inspired artwork. Hunt around local galleries for up-and-coming artists, cut up an old lighthouse calendar, paint your own beach scene or create a collage from shells, pebbles, seaglass or coral fan. Frame them in a simple beachy frame and you have yourself an original work of art! 

Melissah xox

Images via Coastal Style Pinterest

Check out Coastal Style on tumblr and Pinterest