This Is What "Beach Decor" Looks Like In Five Different Coastal Cities
Beach decor is unmistakable, with its ocean-blue hues and seashell flourishes. Coastal style, on the other hand, is far from universal.
The bamboo-lined rooms of a Palm Beach bedroom contrast sharply with the Moorish influences of a San Francisco home, for instance, while the practicality of Northeast coastal towns is as distinguishable as French influences in Charleston.
Across the United States, seaside style is as different as the cities you find it in.
Read on for the distinguishable elements that mark beach decór in five different coastal cities.
Palm Beach: Influenced By British Colonial Style
A true Florida coastal home is a perpetual vacation and sanctuary, weaved with the colors and plants of the lush outdoors.
Nobody knows this better than design firm Kemble Interiors and its Palm Beach principal Mimi Kemble.
"For us here in Florida, living indoors should be as pleasant as living outdoors," says Kemble. "You see a lot of tropical colors like green, ocean blue, creamy sand white, and sunset coral."
Kemble used natural, local elements to characterize the above guest room in a Palm Beach house. In lieu of a baseboard, window casing, and crown molding, she used tiered pieces of tortoise-shelled bamboo to frame the space.
"Bamboo is definitely a Florida style, and it's also used a great deal in England," says Kemble. "In Florida design, you have those British colonial influences. You can also see that in the dark floors and dark furniture, which play nicely against the creamy sand walls and rug."
Martha's Vineyard: Elegant Yet Practical Design
The Northeast coastal aesthetic is both charming and practical, as seen is the clean aesthetic and welcoming appeal of this Martha's Vineyard home.
Designed by New York City-based interior designer Mark Cunningham, this family vacation home features a sitting room and adjoining sun room that are part of the master bedroom suite. The rooms are dipped in cool, refined hues.
"The pale blue cotton and sand-hued sisal rug ground the different elements in the room," says Cunningham. "The blue Lalique vases mirror ocean water and the crisp Louise Nevelson work on paper brings to mind the details and flourishes of New England architecture.
The lacquer coffee table, soft linen prints and white-washed wicker furniture captures the straightforward practicality of the Northeast coast," says Cunningham.
San Francisco: Fresh, Modern Color Palettes
Despite San Francisco's many beautiful sandy beaches, the City By The Bay has a strikingly differently personality than a "typical" beach town. Its Victorian Houses are stately, its cliffs evoke a sense of stature and strength, and its fog glows year-round over the cool Pacific Ocean waters.
"Quaint beach cottages don't really exist, and frankly, wouldn't seem appropriate," says San Francisco-based designer Ken Fulk. "Seaside interiors in San Francisco need to live up to the often larger-than-life views."
That intent was especially true for this particular house, which is perched on steep cliffs that dangle over the ocean below and offer stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Fulk embraced the Moorish revival architecture of the home but interpreted it in a fresh, modern palette that reflected the locale.
"The pale, lavender Venetian plaster walls in the master bedroom echo the glow of the enriching fog," says Fulk. "In the master bath, handmade gold tiles shimmer against the slabs of white marble much like the sun across the water."
Fulk used typical beach decor in thoughtful, intentional doses, such as the striking coral lamps placed next to the bed. "When we did insert coastal decor, we did so with exuberant pieces fitting for the house," says Fulk.
Malibu: Quietly Elegant And Sophisticated
Perhaps the city most often stereotyped as a "quintessential beach town," Malibu's coastal decor incorporates stylistic influences that reach far beyond clichés of longboards and flip-flops.
For this particular home, Los Angeles-based designer Madeline Stuart combined quiet color palettes (to avoid drawing attention from the stunning outdoor views) with classic European influences.
"Taking our cues from the classic rural farmhouses of southern France, we created this residence in the spirit of a Provencal bastide," says Stuart. "The doors, beams and floors are bleached oak and the walls are plastered with integral color.
The palette for the backgrounds and furnishings was developed in deference to Mother Nature," says Stuart. "We saw no reason to compete with the astonishing views of the Pacific Ocean and the undulating coastline."
Charleston: Inspired By Outdoor Living
The pre-Civil-War city of Charleston, South Carolina is marked by cobblestone streets, pastel houses, and a busy French Quarter. Its take on coastal design is a blend of French influences and traditional Southern outdoor living.
In this home, designed by interior designer Suzanne Kasler, the open living room offers guests an elegant, yet breezy, invitation to relax. Kasler reflected the colors of the outdoors, which in Southeast design, is typically blended seamlessly with the indoors.
"[Southern coastal] homes are usually very open to the landscape with French doors and wide, wraparound porches," says Kasler. "I also love to use natural materials like wood, wicker, jute, and linen in different blues, whites and sand colors, and comfortable slip-covered furniture."
