40 Ways To Embrace Modern Coastal Style In Your Home

Pairing well with neutrals and rustic textures, splashes of aquamarine, indigo, cobalt and turquoise enliven and soothe, inviting indoors that breezy tranquillity so redolent of the coast. From crockery to cabinets, mix watercolour shades with saturated inky tones.

There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about enamelware plates, mugs and cookware. Perfect for beach picnics, they’re charming when stacked on open shelves. A colourful stovetop kettle, bucket or colander used as planters and industrial light shades add old-school character.

A simple net, mottled buoy, wire basket or thoughtfully positioned rod could be the statement piece that anchors an entire coastal scheme, whether a lucky market find or carefully chosen on a specialist site. A subtle approach is the trick.

Bringing jaunty colour and artistic flair to the table when piled with grilled fish and salads, original handcrafted ceramic platters, like Anne Barrell’s fishy designs, are worthy showpieces displayed on shelves and dressers. Search potters’ markets for a lively mix of playful and painterly marine-themed bowls, plates and cups.

Trawl at sunrise, low tide or after a storm for shapely pieces that have been washed ashore, being mindful of any sheltering creatures (and local bylaws). The polished forms are striking on their own or, here, crafted into a lamp base.

The decorating trick of bouncing light and brightening spaces with a well-placed mirror is especially useful in achieving that energy-charged seaside effect. Vintage styles with bevelled edges, found on Vinterior and Ebay, are fetching in a group.

We’re all aboard decking out a seaside escape, or recreating the look, with preppy (and pretty) verve. Capture the regatta spirit using sailing-motif wallpaper, like classics from Sanderson, and serve tea with a boat-themed cosy by Poppy Treffry. Harbour views aren’t missed when a window is the perfect nook for a model ship, like those from The Nautical Company and antiques dealers.

Sally Denning, stylist and author of Relaxed Coastal Style, says: “Using textures and natural materials is key for adding interest and depth. Mix layered linens, cottons or hemp with worn, bleached, stripped or painted wood. Add in woven jute rugs with rattan or wicker furniture and any style of stone.”

It’s not only the classic shades that are synonymous with the coast. Dive into a wider palette of bright coral, rich tangerine and salmon pink to deep aubergine and sandy yellows – perfect for a modern rustic style.

A concerted search may reward with a vintage catch still bearing an original coat of arms or crew identification colours. Old or new, painted in classic nautical shades and patterns, a single oar or mismatched pair makes for a spirited decorative feature when mounted or casually leaning against a wall. We recommend The Coastal Lifestyle Company to source a playful pair.

Atlanta Bartlett and Dave Coote, interior designers and founders of Pale & Interesting and The Beach Studios and Locations, say: “If you’re lucky enough to live by the sea, making the transition between inside and out as imperceptible as possible is a must. Open-plan living spaces take full advantage of natural light, allowing it to flow through seamlessly. If knocking down walls is not an option, consider adding internal windows or glass panels to dividing walls.”

With its white shiplap-style walls, the home below exudes the laidback charm and airy feel of the classic New England aesthetic. Hardy and practical, tongue-and-groove panelling gives a more modern beachy look than beaded boards, which add old-world character.

Little beats the comfort of a glowing lamp come nightfall, all the better when the source evokes navigating moody oceans. Add a touch of seafaring drama with reclaimed or replica naval bulkhead, mast and signalling lights, with good industrial options at Davey Lighting by Original BTC and Skinflint.

The lived-in character of the rustic beach-shack look comes from a collector’s knack for finding, and mixing, pieces seemingly sun-faded and weathered by the elements. Hunt for aged treasures at auctions or see our Vintage Home bookazine for CL’s recommended markets nationwide. Take matters into your own hands by using two tones of a muted matt or chalky paint and tools like sandpaper and steel wool.

Char Legge, founder of Duxmore Botanics, says: “We love a blend of rosemary, cypress and eucalyptus (used in our scent The Island), which is inspired by coastal scenes – the salty air, windswept grasses and driftwood treasures. It brings calm, clarity and focus. Add a few drops to an aroma diffuser or enjoy by candlelight.”

Featuring fanciful fonts, naive illustrations and edible pastel shades, look to authentic funfair, arcade and pier signs as an idiosyncratic finishing touch to a coastal theme. For a customised version, choose a traditional typeface for a message to stencil or paint freehand onto firm board with signwriting enamel paint.

Sturdy lighthouses, anchors, pincer-wielding crabs, starfish and the flowing forms of waves – these and other distinctive shapes woven into our imagination from childhood seaside forays never fail to delight with their graphic and organic forms. Seek out lampshades, cushions, napkins and other homeware by independent makers such as Cream Cornwall and as those on the Country Living Marketplace, including Lino Lord and Milly & Monty.

Strung indoors or out, a flutter of fabric triangles evokes formal ceremony as well as festivity. It harks back to the 1700s when the Royal Navy used a worsted wool called bunting for its signal flags. Create a buoyant seaside feel with The Stripes Company’s designs in a parade of maritime colours.

Light-filtering as unlined curtains, and with a pleasing drape as cooling bed sheets, linen coordinates with everything and becomes more supple with wear. Choose a nubbly grainsack quality for cushions, and smooth vintage material in washed-out blues for tablecloths and napkins.

A comfortable perch for gazing out at sea and sky (and gulping in fresh air) is a coastal-living essential. Fit a custom-built seat in a bay or modern picture window with a quilted mattress or layer pads and cushions onto a freestanding bench.

Edward Bulmer, founder of Edward Bulmer Natural Paint, advises: “Our sense of the go-to for decorating a home by the sea is just as assuredly strong whites, vivid blues and a flash of red as it is for the driftwood seagulls and old glass fishing weights. But the process of translating these cherished memories into a look that works on land requires a good deal of earthy tonality to connect it to terra firma.”

No beach house is complete without binoculars (and RSPB guide) to hand. Celebrate the seabirds and waders populating Britain’s shorelines and estuaries with fabrics, mobiles or artworks like these by Angela Harding (below) featuring oystercatchers, curlews, gannets and a black-throated diver.

Introduce cottage classics and small-scale graphic prints as an unexpected complement to stripes and smart marine hues. Aquamarine florals can be a refreshing counterpoint to the solid primaries and nautical patterns. Larger blooms in soft or brighter coastal-inspired colourways work just as well on cushions and accessories indoors.

Bring a shelf or windowsill to life with foraged elements arranged by form, colour and size: feathers, dried seaweed and the delight of a mermaid’s purse (leave behind protected pebbles). Market-found nautilus or coral, earthenware bottles and other curiosities are equally museum-worthy.

You might not hear the susurration of waves when holding them to your ear, but shells’ spiral, spiky and turreted forms (there are 40 common seashells in the UK) translate into attractive traditional and modern designs, like the graphic scallop-printed styles of Stoff Studios.

This is the hallmark pattern of coastal chic, from the classic Breton stripe (of early French Navy uniforms) and colourful jaunty stripes on deckchairs to chunky bands of two-tone colour. They are easy to use and mix – perfect for a bedroom.

Houses editor at Country Living, Daisy Bendall, says: “The most beautiful coastal homes successfully blur indoors and out, layering limewashed walls, reclaimed timber and tumbled stone underfoot. It’s all about raw, tactile surfaces that echo the landscape to create spaces that feel naturally worn and weathered.

35. Metal furniture

Modern zinc or powder-coated Tolix chairs in a bright primary pop or salvaged factory shelves bring a hardy industrial edge to a classic look.

36. Beachcombing references

Long after joyful shoreline strolls admiring sea debris from the mysterious deep are done, the enchantment lingers on. Look to artists like British printmaker Angie Lewin who captures it with such eloquence, as seen in her still-life studies of natural finds from moor to surf. A framed artwork, such as her Shell, Seaweed and Feather screen print, will add unique character to any room.

37. Glassware

Glinting like sunlight on water, reflective glass bottles, vases and hurricane lanterns (for pillar candles) make an eye-catching statement grouped together. Mix shiny vessels in shades of green and jade with frosted pieces resembling sea glass, like mottled vintage bottle stops. Hand-blown glass fishing floats are captivating when propped on a shelf or arranged in a bowl.

38. Deckchairs

Foldable and portable, this CL and British seaside staple still cuts a dashing shape. Go for the traditional (and iconic) striped canvas or pretty vintage-style prints, like a paisley in duck egg – we recommend Susie Watson Designs.

39. Hardy plants

Take cues from nature, using varieties that will thrive in briny winds and sandy soils. Grasses, shrubby winter savory, sea thrift and low-growing succulents, such as houseleek, in a rockery capture the maritime look. Or admire indoors in a reclaimed wood planter, helping soil drainage with fine grit.

40. Wall displays of collectables

Michele Jameson, chief sub-editor and editor of Country Living’s Vintage Home, suggests: “Enhance the coastal vibe by displaying a group of finds on a wall. Think vintage maps of favourite beaches, old plates with coastal motifs or a collection of hats with a seaside feel – from elegant straw sunhats to a yacht cap.

Get the coastal look

Block Stripe Frilled Cushion

Chik Rattan Lamp Base – Blue

Blue Coastal Shell Shaped Platter

Alaina is the Style & Interiors Editor at Country Living (previously Home & Crafts Editor). Her creative eye stretches over decorating, style shoots, seasonal inspiration and craft, as well as event styling and licensing creatives. She has a BA (Hons) degree in Graphic Design and started her 17 year career at Hearst on House Beautiful  before discovering a love for nature, the country home and bird watching. Alaina also works on Modern Rustic where she champions talented makers, and Vintage Home. Alaina has held several craft workshops and talks and styled a Country Living with Raymond Blanc’s at Le Manoir.