How to turn your living room into a cozy beach cottage in seven easy steps. Let me show you how to create the perfect backdrop, add in the right colors and accessories, and finish it with just the right amount of coastal flair.
I love decorating beachy style, even though I don’t live anywhere near the beach. I had a bit of a beachy boho style going in the last home which was a run-of-the-mill family home in the Netherlands that worked really well.
I have just relocated to a 230-year-old farmhouse in the middle of Germany that couldn’t be further from a seaside design style. And yet I am planning on bringing in as many cozy beach cottage design elements as I can get away with.
Going for a beach themed decor while living in the city or the mountains is a bit of a challenge but it can be done. It is a matter of adding the right kind of accessories, carefully choosing materials and colors, and restraining yourself to prevent going overboard (pun intended).
How to give Your Home a Beach Vibe
How do I replicate the Beach Cottage look without living by the beach?
The beach cottage look is also referred to as coastal decorating and sometimes as nautical decor too. Although I don’t agree with that last one.
The difference between coastal and nautical decor is that coastal decor is about lazy sunny days at the beach. It is a laid-back style that is perfect for summer decorating. It relies on soft colors, vintage elements, and delicate use of beachy accessories. Nautical decor has its roots in the navy and military and is tied closely to boats and sea life. Favorite elements of nautical decor are anchors and sailing boats, lighthouses, and strong colors like reds and blues.
Turning your living room into a cozy beach cottage isn’t hard at all. With the right bones, you only need to add a few details to get that perfect beachy style.
7 Ways to Get the Beach Cottage Look
1. Coastal Accents
When decorating my room in beachy style I like to use things with a coastal feel. I try to stay far away from anything with a theme though. Avoid the seagulls, lighthouses and flamingos from the decor stores. Instead look for old trunks, crates, lanterns and straw hats. These are easy to find all over the world and they can be used to create a coastal look easily.
A bit more specifically beachy are using faux corals, sea shells, driftwood, and sea stars. You don’t need many to compliment the look. Place a niece piece of coral next to some fresh flowers, hang a string of sea stars from a hook, make a driftwood mirror and decorate a vase with a macrame fishnet and some shells.
2. Vintage Things
Vintage furniture and accessories are a must for the cozy beach cottage look. The more it looks as if the sun, sand, and sea have weathered it naturally the better. Peeling paint, distressed wood, and rough edges are all great when it comes to beach themed decor.
A beach cottage should be light and airy. To help create a light effect it’s a great idea to collect old mirrors both for their aesthetic qualitites and because it’s good to get some light bouncing around.
Any collection of old things can work though, I also like to stack up piles of vintage plates and china, love decorating with old books, and like to throw an afghan or two over the couch.
3. Pops of Colour in a neutral backdrop
A neutral backdrop is the starting point of a great beach cottage design. I have loved living with white painted floors for years. In combination with white and very light grey walls, my floors were the perfect starting position for a beach cottage look. Most of my furniture is painted white (because I buy my furniture at the thrift store), or kept in a natural wood look.
I add interest by using lots of textures in furnishings, pillows, table cloths, and other fabrics. Baskets and wicker chairs are also perfect beach cottage accessories that add a bit of a natural and neutral element to the coastal style.
In that neutral background, any pop of color will look good and attract attention. For a cozy beach cottage style, I prefer soft muted colors though. Think ice cream stand when choosing coastal colors.
4. Old Furniture
Collecting old furniture and giving it a beach cottage treatment is an easy way to decorate a beach cottage on a budget. You can’t go wrong really if you paint everything white, it will all come together naturally. Leave some pieces of old furniture in their natural state (especially when they already have a wonderful lived-in patina) to add some contrast and some texture…
Keep your eyes open for natural wood and peely, shabby things to add interest and bring all that white down a bit…
Related Reading: How to Get Rid of Musty Smell in Old Furniture
5. Flowers
I like flowers in the house for just about every reason! Nothing says lovely like a bunch of flowers plopped in a vase shining on the coffee table.
I budget for flowers and buy them frequently at the grocery store. I go with flowers that are in season. If and when I can I use flowers from the garden or that are free in nature. For the beach cottage look, I prefer bouquets from a single kind of flower or a combination of just a few different with some greens. Keep the bouquets simple and easy, no need for lots of styling.
…also don’t forget to bring in some herbs, lavender, and greenery. It all adds a dash of color…
6. Coastal Stripes and Polkadots
I don’t need to say much more here other than that a stripe goes a long way for the beach decor look….drop it into any setting and it will probably work. Same for using polkadots.
Mix them up and clash them…navy blue and cream for a rug, putty & white on the sofa, throw a few stripes in on your china and there you have yourself a cozy beach cottage to live in.
Look for stripes in different colors on different things – napkins, bedding, cushions, throws, curtains, or tablecloths.
7. White
Hmmm, lastly white, contrary to what many think it’s easy to keep clean and actually works as a base for lots of other colors in your life. Going white is the key to the beach cottage look because it keeps everything fresh but neutral. A white foundation allows for all the things I mentioned earlier to be added easily and to evolve into a unique look of your own.
Bonus tip: Don’t forget the scattering of sea shells everywhere. Throw a few of these around, wherever you find a good place for them. Your family may raise their eyebrows, but you will, do a little beach cottage style dance and love living in your cozy beach cottage. life will be good 😉
I hope you liked the ideas…
Leave a Reply