Beach house style can mean so many different things. Beach houses can be traditional, traditional or modern. They come in countless regional styles (think Bahamian, Key West, West Indies, Cape Cod, Miami Modern, etc.,). They can be beach mansions or beach cottages, or everything in between. They can be formal or very casual. But there is one thing that all beach house interior designs have in common – they try to bring the outside in and they extend the inside out.
Designing a beach house means taking nature into consideration first and foremost in one’s design process. The views, the natural light and, the cross breezes – all of these elements will inform the furniture placement, lighting plan, the durability of materials and finishes used throughout and, of course, the color scheme.
Beach house living rooms and beach house family rooms would often be furnished with light colored sofas and chairs. We prefer pure white or off-white fabrics designed to be stain resistant for easy cleaning. After years of using indoor/outdoor fabrics by Sunbrella, we started using textiles by Perennials a few years ago – they are our absolute favorite! We accessorize those beach house white sofas with lots of colorful pillows and soft, patterned throws.
For those happy moments after the beach, when families and friends gather around an oversize coffee table, we love using floor cushions for casual feel and endless seating opportunities.
Beach house floors are often natural stone or tile (practical for sand-covered bare foot experience) or light natural woods for a more relaxed beach house look. We love layering natural floor coverings, especially sisal, seagrass for living areas and coir rugs for mudrooms and front and back entryways (and on stairs).
As always, dramatic ceiling light fixtures are a must! We love using chandeliers and pendants made out of natural materials such as glass, capiz or coconut shells.
