Coastal blog living room 2 9 2018
Room designed by Frank Roop

It’s late in the evening and you finally have a moment to relax. You see a great room on House Beautiful and immediately you are drawn to everything about it. The floors are white washed oak, the walls are white and there is that ever popular touch of blue.

Or, maybe it’s a Pinterest kitchen board with white kitchens that you keep coming back to. The kitchen has a high ceiling. The island is large enough to fit a crowd. You can see yourself there with the kids, family and friends all year long. In the corner is a banquette where you enjoy your morning coffee. It’s just everything you love.

Coastal blog kitchen with soapstone countertop and banquette
Kitchen by Papyrus Home Design

Whether it’s a living room, kitchen or bedroom you are dreaming of, you keep coming back to revisit the room. You wonder how you can have a touch of this look now. Or, if you are building a new home,  how you will make this dream come to life?

If you’re staying where you are but long for a new look, this is the easiest and less expensive way to get that coastal look:

  •  Cabinets – paint them white and add polished chrome knobs and pulls
  • Remove some upper cabinets and install shelves instead
  • Windows – use matchstick blinds for a breezy and casual vibe
  • Use a nautical style lantern or pendants
  • Recover your breakfast room chairs with a Sunbrella white and blue stripe

  If you’re building a new home, do this:

For new homes, you’ll need to decide early on how to get that coastal look when you meet with your architect and interior designer. You may have many Pinterest boards and magazine clippings. You may love and want everything you’ve collected.

But, the best way is simple. The architect and the designer can glean the most important elements to get you the coastal look you love. Hand over your boards and let them do their magic.

How to start your new home project:

  • Create a separate board for countertops, cabinets, lighting, flooring, appliances
  • Edit your Pinterest Boards and rename them for specific rooms of your home (laundry, main bath, powder room etc.)
  • Create a board with 5 of your favorite color schemes

At some point, whether you’re redecorating or building, you’ll want to get something done. It may be tough at first to start your dream. But you know what Antoine de Saint-Exupery said?

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.”

What plans do you have for your coastal home?