Whether you live by the beach or not, it is always great to have a taste of the ocean in your home. Here are a few decor ideas and tips to bring the freshness and beauty of a beach house into your space.
Blue & White
One of the best and easiest places to start is with a beach house classic; the white and blue colour palette. Whether it be one of the sofas at GlobeWest Australia, a side table, or a rug, blue and white is an amazing colour palette to use.
You can also incorporate it in small ways with couch cushions, sofa covers, or your art. If that isn’t for you, painting one wall with a coat of sea blue and leaving your other walls white will give you an amazing effect without being overwhelming.
Sand & Shells
One thing that many people miss out on when trying this style of decor is the one thing so many of us love about the beach: the smell. However, there is a way to make this happen, and it can be free to do.
Picking some shells off the beach and gathering some beach sand to place in vases will give you a subtle hint of that beach smell, and is easy to decorate with. You will eventually need to replace the shells and sand, but as mentioned, it’s an easy and completely free way to decorate.
Rope & Buoys
If you want to add some nautical decor items to your space, another affordable way to do it is with ship rope and buoys. You can easily pick both of these things up for cheap, as they are almost always in antique and secondhand stores in beach towns and cities.
Don’t go too overboard here, as you don’t want your home to look like a nautical-themed restaurant. Instead, use one or two buoys around your home, and use the rope in smart ways, such as wrapping it around the base of a lamp, chair legs, etc.
Driftwood
Another typically free item that can be beautiful and embodies the beach house feel is driftwood. You can put a piece or two on a counter in your living room, create a small pile and put it on your dining room table, or attach some hooks to a large piece and use it as a coat rack.
Once again, considering it can be free, you can experiment with pieces and find new and unique ways to incorporate them into your space.
Brass Hardware
Gold plate and silver are standard in homes, but brass is the material of the beach and nautical-themed home. Whether it be the handles on your kitchen drawers or the knobs on your doors, this is a subtle change that can make a massive difference.
Take the time to replace the hardware around your home for the brass counterparts, and you will immediately see the difference it makes.
Channel the Landscape
Another brilliant way to bring the beach indoors is to channel the landscape. The best way to do this is with indoor plants, such as palm fronds and banana leaves. It allows you to bring in a touch of the deserted island feel right into your home. If you can’t get your hands on these, leafy greens will have a similar effect.
This is also why bringing in driftwood, sand, shells, etc, are all good ideas, as you are reflecting the best parts of the beach in your home.
Patterns
Patterns are another great way to include the nautical theme. Whether it be anchors on cushion covers, blue and white chequers, or something similar, it all adds to the vibe of the space.
This is also the best route for those who want a more subtle beach feel, as patterned cushions or blankets can be put on white or off-white sofas or beds, and won’t make the room feel overwhelming.
Art
No matter what style or image you are trying to convey with your decor, art has always been one of the best, and sometimes the strongest way to do it. Therefore, it is no surprise that it applies to the beachy nautical theme, too.
Paintings of ships, photos of old sailors in vintage frames, or something similar will all do the job. However, a bit of self-control is needed, as you still want to it to look good, and as mentioned before, you don’t want your home to resemble an overly-decorated, cheesy seafood restaurant.
Old & New
Mixing vintage and modern pieces works with almost every decor theme and style, but with the nautical theme, you have a few more unique options. Old storage trunks, for example, are perfect side tables, with large ones being ideal for a coffee table.
Balancing the old and new will give you the best of both worlds, and your space won’t feel overly modern and sterile, but will simultaneously not look outdated.
In conclusion, it is very easy to bring the beach into your home and give you the beach house look you are after. You can spend as much or as little money as you want, and you will still end up with a beautiful, themed space.
