Beach house décor can quickly become kitschy, if you’re not careful with your design choices. In the Perspective New England Beach House, interior designer Kate Jackson focuses on three elements to elevate the beach house’s décor to coastal chic: clean lines, a simple palette, and mixing vintage and new accessories.
Clean, unfussy lines
A beach mindset is all about rest and relaxation. Match that vibe with a beach house interior design that isn’t fussy. Instead, focus on clean lines that are easy on the eye and don’t compete with the surrounding landscape.
In the beach house living room, Kate selected two sofas with low, square arms and cushions that feature an unobtrusive saddle stitch. They’re upholstered in a textured white-on-white Sunbrella fabric that emphasizes their simple form. She extended the look to the beach house backyard with a boxy outdoor sectional on the porch and a modern teak table on the dining deck.
Her choice of polished nickel lanterns in the kitchen and dining room, along with simple, high backed dining room chairs repeat the clean lines throughout the first floor of the beach house.
A simple color palette
Interior designers know what they’re doing when they look to nature for color inspiration. In the beach house, Kate’s simple color palette mimics the warm neutral tans and whites of the beach. Then, she creates areas of interest with decorative pillows in blue and orange arranged on the furniture like colorful seashells and rocks on the beach.
Mix vintage and new
Beach house accessories can be the most challenging part of the interior design. If you don’t pay close attention to your choices, you’ll end up with a house filled with lighthouses and starfish. Kate’s advice is to look for items that tell your story and don’t be afraid to mix antiques with new pieces.
In the beach house living room, she used a selection of brass fixtures salvaged from old boats, along with small paintings, books and coral on living room bookshelves. Found at a local antique store, they tell the a story of the family’s nautical passions, while also adding points of intrigue and conversation.
A beach house is the ultimate sensory vacation: the sound of crashing waves and oysters being shucked; the smell of a clam bake and salted air; and, of course, a view with unending variations of blues and greens. Follow these interior design tips to assure that your beach house décor doesn’t complete with Mother Nature.
Watch more interior design tips videos from Kate: Learn about using area rugs to bring the beach house design together and see how she hung window treatments in the beach house to filter the sun, but maintain a view.
The Beach House video series is part of Perspective New England, a design journey exploring the versatility of Sunbrella fabrics for every aspect of your life—at home, on the water or on an adventure. Also check out The Rhode Yacht, a 1977 Airstream Argosy transformed by Sunbrella, and The Real Yacht, a Morris Yachts M36 brought to life with Sunbrella. Follow the entire project on Twitter and Instagram @Sunbrella and #PerspectiveNE.
