Now more than ever, we are seeing nautical and oceanic influences in interior design. Many of us enjoy the peaceful and calming nature of this aesthetic so it is very understandable why this style has become such a fad. Given the right balance and stylization, this look can be achieved in a way that is appealing to a broad range of witnesses. Because “coastal” design is more of a niche style, it can easily become off-putting when incorporating the wrong materials.

As an interior design firm that specializes in home staging, we definitely strive to develop concepts that appeal to a wider audience. A successfully designed space should make most people feel comfortable with the slightest bit of intimidation. Coastal design is a great way to evoke those two feelings because the whole idea behind it is reminiscent of the ocean, the beaches, and all the tones that exist in a nautical environment. When done properly, you can have both an elevated more contemporary space with a noticeable coastal presence.

Decorative items to incorporate and to avoid

When selecting pieces to incorporate in your coastal space, you want to be very careful because with this style it is easy to end up using items that may be too blatantly nautical. You want to make sure you use pieces that contribute to the coastal environment but almost in a discreet way. For instance, let’s say you want to hang a paddle on the wall -this is acceptable and we’ve done it ourselves (check out the photo below for reference) but we made sure it wasn’t too loud and didn’t overshadow the surrounding articles. The paddle’s colors were muted with a whitewash and everything around it was more calm and contemporary. Again, you need to find the right balance for your coastal design to work. Nothing with flashy blue’s or red’s will sit right if you still want the space to be more elevated and mature. Stay away from monograms and quotes as well -you don’t want to include these in any high-end environment. Instead, use less dramatic pieces.

A great example of an item that emulates a coastal vibe but maintains a sleek style is driftwood. You can use driftwood on walls, tables, or any flat surface. There are even accessories like candle holsters and planters that are made of driftwood. Lastly, using elements inspired by textures seen near the ocean is one of the best ways to tie this style in with contemporary. For example, maybe your sofa is a modern square shape with not much character -put it over a jute rug. Jute has the most amazing ability of bringing textures reminiscent of the sand and the trees near the water. Again -balance.

Furniture pieces that work best with coastal design

I’ve got three words for you: light, bright, and airy. Whether you choose to have your furniture be coastal on it’s own or to use pieces that are more contemporary, make sure that your key pieces are on the lighter side. Stick to colors like white, ivory, and cream. Using lighter colors for your main pieces is essential because this will give you the opportunity to use a variety of textures and colors that are more on the coastal side. For example, in a living space where you have a beautiful cream sofa, you can incorporate art, decor, pillows, and rugs that have more nautical tones. Furthermore, coastal design is all about the beach so you want the space to be as bright as possible. Starting with a light palette is the best way to go. Light wooden textures for credenzas, dining tables, chairs and desks are also a great way to add a light and airy accent that works very well in a coastal environment. I asked the design team here at CURATED. about their thoughts on this and according to them “Keeping it simple is key; comfortable sofas in white or beige tones mixed with tables or storage pieces in a light-oak finish are a great foundation of a well-balanced contemporary coastal piece.” -Melanie Haselmayr, Lead Designer at CURATED.

Bedding for coastal bedrooms

In this case, you also want to be as light and bright as possible. There is something so luxurious and comforting about white sheets and linens and they work great with coastal accents. Your bedding is the start of your palette in the bedroom so make sure that it is on the lighter side. You can add contrast with coverlets and throws using natural colors still in the same range. For example, if your comforter is white, use an off-white coverlet for dimension and maybe a beige throw on top. Then feel free to add a couple pillows while sticking to natural earthy tones. Overall, just focus mostly on keeping it very light and comfortable -nothing to dramatic or dark.

Art for coastal style spaces

Last but not least, when it is time to choose what you will be dressing your walls with, consider looking at things that will effectively add coastal influence while still being minimal. Always being conscious of the contemporary feel you want your coastal home to have will help you very much in this process. Art for coastal homes doesn’t always have to be palm tree portraits or paintings of waves crashing in the sand. There are plenty of abstract art pieces that convey a more nautical feeling and with the right decor and furniture, this will enhance your coastal space in the most tasteful way. In one of our most recent projects (check the photo below for reference), we were inspired by the breathtaking beach location and we wanted to incorporate some hues that reflect the ocean just outside into the home using art. Instead of taking the literal approach, we found the piece you see above. It is mostly white and has strokes of light blue. This piece does not draw to much attention to itself and we want it that way because every piece in a coastal contemporary design should work collectively and not against each other.

The key takeaway from this lesson is that if you want to achieve a well-executed coastal contemporary design, you must always consider the balance. As I mentioned, you want every piece whether it be art, decor, bedding, or furniture to work together. You don’t want one piece to be way stronger than the other because that’s not what the coastal style implies. Coastal is all about being soothing while drawing inspiration from the beach and the ocean. For this reason, everything you use should have the same impact and altogether the space will feel like a proper coastal contemporary escape.

Written by Jordan Toste

If you’d like to see more photos of the project that inspired this article, check out our Contemporary Coastal gallery