This SoCal Home Is Full of Beachy Design Inspo—and It's Entirely Shoppable!
With its blue-and-white color scheme, classic wainscoting, and touches of wicker and rattan, you'd be forgiven for mistaking this airy family home for one in a New England beach town. In fact, that's what Meg Young was going for when outfitting her family's Southern California abode with the help of designer Jen Harkavy. "Our home is in California, but I am an east coast girl at heart," says Young. "My husband and I are both from the northeast, and we wanted to bring the New England coastal style we love into our California home."
Luckily, she had some great resources for doing so: Young is the founder of Cailini Coastal, a new shopping site offering beachy home decor from rattan hurricanes to striped outdoor rugs. She founded the company last year to help people add "the perfect finishing touches" to their homes. (At a time when many were struggling to afford housing, Young began the brand with a deeper mission, too: For its first six months, Cailini Coastal donated 100% of its gains to Family Promise, a nonprofit providing support to families struggling with homelessness).
Like its owner, the brand marries California and East Coast style—just the balance Young has found in her own home. "In California, the style is more laid back, minimalistic, bright and airy," says Young. To reflect this, she painted nearly the entire space in Benjamin Moore's Gray Mist and Chantilly Lace, then "incorporated lots of natural elements, like reclaimed wood mantles and rattan furniture and framed photography from some of the California beach cities we’ve lived in." The result is an easy, breezy space that's at once classic and fresh. Read on for the full tour.
Living Room
Though they didn't make any major structural changes, Harkavy worked with Young to determine a flow and layout that made sense for their family: "I prefer a more traditional floor plan where every room has its own defined space, and my husband loves an open floor plan," says Young. "We sought a way to distinguish each room without having walls to separate them."
Young kept a neutral backdrop in the living room, but layered in textural accents to evoke the coastal vibe she loves.
SHOP THIS ROOM: Gooseberry Pillow; Porthole Mirror; Cos Cob Rug; Southampton Bowls; Extra Large Magnolia Pheasant Temple Jar; Chambered Nautilus Shell; Boxwood Ball Topiary; Catalina Vase – Small; White Dough Bowl; Aqua Green Seaglass Beads – Large; Splash Coffee Table Book; Coastal California Coffee Table Book; Island Style Coffee Table Book; The Life & Love of the Sea Coffee Table Book; Nantucket Coffee Table Book; Biltmore Table Lamp; Cane Hurricane; Madaket Merino Throw Blanket
Kitchen
"This is one aspect of the floor plan that I love," Young admits of the kitchen, which opens to the family room. "With two little ones, it’s great to be able to let the kids play or watch a show while I cook or clean. I can have eyes on them, while simultaneously doing the tasks I need to."
"It’s also a great space for entertaining," she says. "We’re looking forward to doing more of that this summer!"
SHOP THIS ROOM: Seabrook Pendant – Polished Nickel; Rectangular Navy Charcuterie Board; Lanikai Rug; Bali Cookbook Holder in White; Oversized Lemon Bowl
Breakfast Nook
Though Young's home (and shop) bridges California and New England style, where they meet is the influence of hues informed by the beach. "The color palette overall is very neutral and reflective of the colors you find by the water," says Young. "We used white, grays, soft greens, and many different shades of blue."
SHOP THIS ROOM: Chatham Large Chandelier; Sconset Bowl; Island Wrapped Hurricanes.
Laundry Room
The home's aesthetic even extends to the laundry room, where Young covered the walls in a blue-and-white wallpaper and hung topiary art prints, both from the shop. "I joke that it’s the brand’s showroom…but it really kind of is," Young says of the home. "I launched this brand at the beginning of the pandemic, and we moved into our home a few months later. Our home became our photo studio, so when selecting everything from lighting and mirrors to rugs and bedding, I opted for my personal favorite pieces from the CC shop."
SHOP THIS ROOM: Beachwood Rug; Riley Scallop Wallpaper; Lemon Tree Topiary Art Print; Orange Tree Topiary Art Print; Island Wrapped Navy Hurricane; Sconset Wastebasket.
Bedroom
It's little surprise that the home is informed by the water: "We live on a peninsula and can see the coast from Santa Monica to Malibu," Young says. And, despite her East Coast roots, she doesn't take that West Coast light for granted. "We bring our daughters out on our upstairs balcony just about every night to watch the sunset."
SHOP THIS ROOM: Calypso Rug; Seabright Table Lamp; Cane Hurricane; Island Wrapped Navy Hurricane; Wave Stripe Pillow; Nauset Pillow; Lanai Big Pillow
Patio
Even though she obviously loves the style, Young warns: "Coastal can turn kitschy quick. The easiest way to prevent this is to have the vast majority of your decor reflective of the coast through colors, patterns, and textures," she advises. "Keep the literal coastal decor to a minimum and focus instead on pieces that are inspired by the coast."
See more of Young's home below.
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