If you’re looking for a light, breezy style for your home then look no further than Coastal interior design. While Nautical interior design has been in the spotlight for the last few decades, the rise of Coastal design is starting to overshadow it.

Inspired by the beach and the sea, Coastal interior design features light and airy colour palettes with shades of blue, grey, green and white. Natural materials are also big in this style, with wood, wicker and rattan furniture all fitting perfectly.

Difference Between Nautical and Coastal Interior Design

You may be more familiar with Nautical interior design, as this style has been more popular than Coastal in previous years.

While Coastal interior design incorporates nautical elements, such as ropes, anchors and sailboats and accents such as shells, coral and driftwood, this kind of design focuses more on the beach, rather than marine life .

Nautical design is a slightly more committed design style where you may find bold stripes, navy and white colour schemes and more specific motifs such as anchors, ship wheels or porthole mirrors.

Both styles share a love of aquatic life, however Nautical design has a more hardened, sailor vibe compared with Coastal’s casual, beachy, island feel.

Implementing Coastal Interior Design

So you’ve decided on Coastal interior design but don’t know where to begin? We’ve collated some tips to help you get started on your new, beachy bedrooms.

  1. Choose a bright and uncomplicated colour palette: Shades of grey, green, blue and white fit this style perfectly.
  2. Use natural materials: Wood, wicker and rattan help to bring a touch of the beach into your house.
  3. Add beachy accents: Use shells, coral, seaglass and driftwood to create a cohesive beach theme.
  4. Sparingly incorporate nautical elements: While too much focus on the nautical may confuse this style, you can welcome a small number of nautical decals such as ropes, sailboats or lighthouses. In order not to confuse your style objective, however, these should be used minimally.
  5. Keep it comfortable: The beach is a casual, lighthearted space and so too should your interiors be in this style. Opt for relaxing, comfortable furniture and keep your space clean and clutter free to feel like you’re always on holiday!
  6. Use texture: Woven baskets and grass rugs will add a depth to this look.
  7. Make the most of natural light: Coastal design is all about bringing the outdoors in, so be sure to utilise all the natural light you have available.

Renovating for Coastal Interiors

If you’re starting with a blank canvas, or looking to fully renovate your house into a beachy theme then you can fully commit to the style.

Flooring is an important part of any renovation, and particularly important to get right when it comes to Coastal design. Hard flooring is absolutely the answer, as carpet doesn’t correlate with coastal. We recommend grey laminate flooring for this look, as it mimics grey wood which reminds us of sun-bleached driftwood.

Walls can be plastered and painted in light, breezy shades of blue, white, grey or green. You can take the theme further with delicately patterned wallpaper with a beachy element to it.

Find some fun fittings and fixtures to fully incorporate the theme, like a lighthouse pull chain or some ship-themed coastal door handles.