20 Coastal Kitchen Ideas to Bring the Beach to Your Home

Add coastal style to your kitchen with these simple design ideas.

A key element of coastal style is a relaxed, airy feeling that makes you want to gather with friends or family. And because the kitchen is often a place we go to unwind at the end of the day or to share a meal with others, coastal kitchen ideas have become popular.

The brightness of coastal style naturally lends itself to open-concept kitchens, but it can also make a smaller, enclosed kitchen feel more roomy and spacious. Design elements like white cabinets, natural wood, and blue accent walls are all coastal kitchen ideas. Kitchen-adjacent seating areas, such as barstools pulled up to an island or a cozy breakfast nook, also help the room feel more relaxed and communal.

Coastal kitchen ideas don’t have to be literal, though they can include touches like marine-inspired wall art or decorative palm fronds. Even simple decor items, such as seafoam-color dishes, can bring a hint of coastal style to a modern kitchen. Use these coastal kitchen ideas to inspire your next kitchen refresh.

Related: 10 Kitchen Styles to Consider for Your Remodel

Small Coastal Kitchen Ideas

You can create a coastal kitchen without much space. In this room, pale blue cabinets incorporating coastal colors make the space feel bigger. Marble countertops and backsplash paired with light natural wood ceilings also help create the illusion of an airy coastal kitchen in a small room.

Related: 20 Wood Ceiling Ideas That Add Rustic Charm

Modern Coastal Kitchen

Combine coastal kitchen ideas with elements of farmhouse design in a bright, white kitchen with natural wood floors. Using bead board throughout the space on the ceiling, island, and walls gives the room a cohesive feel while also bringing to mind boardwalks and beaches. Brass light fixtures add a hint of farmhouse style, while a few light blue accents, such as vases and dishes, help add to the feeling of living on the coast.

Coastal Backsplash Ideas

Several hues of blue help create beachy style in this wide-open kitchen. The focal point is the blue backsplash, which features tiles in varying light and dark shades of blue, mimicking the colors of the ocean. Cushioned blue barstool chairs tie in with the backsplash, while white cabinets and counters allow the color to take center stage.

Colorful Cabinets

A simple change, such as painting kitchen cabinets, is a coastal kitchen idea for an instant update. These blue-gray cabinets immediately draw the eye, helping to brighten up the darker wood of the table and flooring. The two-toned cabinets add a beachy and breezy feel without undertaking a major remodel.

Related: The 10 Best Paints for Cabinets of 2024 That Look Factory Finished

Nautical Coastal Kitchen Ideas

Lean into nautical design by painting accents such as kitchen chairs and drawers in navy blue. Natural wood elements throughout the space, such as shelves and barstool seats, also evoke nautical design. Using ship-inspired navy blue and wood textures are modern coastal kitchen ideas that incorporate darker colors instead of classic light blue.

Casual Coastal Kitchen

Incorporate casual seating into the kitchen to bring the feeling of a beach vacation to your home. This design not only has space for rattan barstools but also a built-in restaurant-style booth backing up to the counter. The blue-and-white patterned cushion paired with white cabinets and a light wood table adds to the entire kitchen and dining area's coastal feel.

Neutral Coastal Kitchen

You don’t necessarily have to incorporate beachy colors to bring coastal kitchen ideas to your space. In this space, marble counters pair well with white cabinets and walls to give the kitchen a light, airy feeling. Touches of natural elements, such as wood floors, shelves, and picture frames, help bring the feel of the coast inside without adding any obviously beachy decor.

Beach-Inspired Wet Bar

If you have space for a wet bar in your kitchen, it’s a good opportunity to use some of the bolder colors of coastal design. The wet bar feels like a separate space in this room, thanks to the bright blue paint on the cabinets and paneling. The color sets the bar apart from the rest of the room, and rope fixtures on the cabinets further the coastal feel.

Related: 39 Wet Bar Ideas for Entertaining in Style

High Ceiling Coastal Kitchen

Many coastal vacation homes feature high ceilings, open spaces, and gorgeous natural wood. This design has all those elements, with soaring high ceilings and exposed wood beams as the focal point. White wall cabinets and countertops are offset with darker wood drawers and cupboards, which help draw the eye upwards.

Sand-Inspired Coastal Kitchen Ideas

If you want a coastal kitchen idea inspired by the sand more than the surf, look no further than this upscale space. Instead of white cabinets and blue accents, this coastal kitchen relies on light natural wood and rattan bar stools to create the feeling of the shoreline. A marble backsplash and white pendant lights also help create a calming coastal feel.

Coastal Kitchen Tiled Floor

Bold kitchen tile can instantly level up a simple kitchen. In this design, white and navy blue tiles are coastal kitchen ideas inspired by Mediterranean style. The tile is just slightly darker than the blue cabinets and island, which helps brighten the entire room.

Beachy Coastal Kitchen

A coastal lifestyle is all about relaxation; this beach-inspired design helps achieve that with bold, colorful accents. Gray tile floors and white cabinets and counters serve as a neutral, bright backdrop, which lets other design elements shine. Bright red stools immediately draw the eye, while pastel dishes and natural woven shades add to the beach-side feel.

Related: The 10 Best Bar Stools of 2024 for Every Style and Budget

Casual Coastal Kitchen Ideas

The rustic design of this coastal kitchen and dining area creates a casual space for cooking and eating. The wood from the dining table looks similar to the driftwood you see near the ocean, which pairs well with the distressed seafoam green of the doors on the wet bar. When paired with gray flooring and white walls and cabinets, the result is a simple, bright space.

Retro Coastal Kitchen Ideas

Aqua accents, such as the oven, cabinets, and pendant lights in this kitchen, instantly bring the coast to mind. Lighter elements, like an open island with gold fixtures and a granite countertop, help the space feel larger and more open. A simple blue and white tile mosaic against one section of the wall complements the aqua appliances with different blues.

Rustic Coastal Kitchen

This smaller coastal kitchen feels much bigger than it actually is, thanks to large paned windows, high ceilings, and white walls. Rather than solid blue, a lightly distressed kitchen island shows some brown shades as well, which makes the space feel lived-in yet polished. Small-space solutions such as creating a cubby for the microwave in the island also help free up valuable counter space.

Small Coastal Kitchen Ideas

Even a tight space can evoke a coastal style. Light gray floorings and pale blue cabinets help this space feel a little larger while also using beach-inspired colors. A small wood ceiling fan also brings natural elements to the room without overwhelming the narrow kitchen.

Related: 13 Small Galley Kitchen Ideas That Work for the Tiniest Spaces

Beach-Inspired Kitchen

If you want to add a more literal design element to your space, sleek metallic fish and natural coral are fun coastal kitchen ideas that still feel modern. The rest of the room is light and airy thanks to white cabinets and counters, and the stainless-steel appliances and fixtures tie in with the wall decor. Natural woven bar stools complete the coastal look.

Vintage Coastal Kitchen

Blend two design styles seamlessly by pairing bright blue vintage-style cabinets with a natural butcher block table and rustic cabinetry. The bold colors feel retro and beachy at the same time, while white paneled walls and exposed ceiling beams make the space feel relaxed and casual. A small section of mirrored backsplash also helps this tiny kitchen feel larger.

Ocean Kitchen Decor

An easy way to add coastal design elements to your kitchen is to decorate with beach or ocean-themed items. The fireplace just outside this kitchen and eating area is studded with shells, while a blue surfboard serves as a countertop for dining. These small touches, combined with white cabinets and cool gray flooring, create an airy, beachy space.

Eclectic Coastal Kitchen

Chevron blue and green wallpaper is a coastal kitchen idea that instantly catches the eye. It also helps tie in many other decorative elements, such as the lime green chair cushions, dark blue door, and mahi mahi fish decoration. White cabinets, kitchen island, and paneling are neutral backdrops, so the colors don’t overwhelm the small space.

Related: 8 Eye-Catching Kitchen Island Decor Ideas

Kitchen Decor Ideas for Every Style

Functional, comfortable, and durable are all key elements of good kitchen design, no matter what your style is. If you love a cottage look, pastels and beaded board are classic cozy updates. For a contemporary kitchen, pass on door hardware and go with sleek finishes like stainless steel and lacquer for cabinets. Traditional kitchens are perfect for crown molding, antique fixtures, and glass-front cabinets. Whatever type of decor you like, a workstation sink with a deep, divided bowl, a walk-in pantry if you have room, and plenty of drawers for storage are updates that will make your kitchen work better for you and your family.

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