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Roger Davies, styling by Liz Strong

40 Beach House Decor Ideas That Will Make Major Waves in Any Interior

Give your home a coastal vibe with these easy, breezy decorating ideas. No ocean required!

By Jennifer KopfUpdated: Jun 27, 2024

There’s something undeniably appealing about an easy, breezy beach house. It happens the minute you step through the front door and into that light and airy space—with one big exhale, you instantly feel relaxed, comfortable, and oh, so happy. Sure, part of that has to do with the smell of the sea air and the soothing sounds of the waves, but let’s not discount the house itself, from casual layering of worry-free furnishings made of natural materials, pops of fun color, and hodgepodge collections of the latest finds from nature. Not to mention the charming coastal and nautical elements found in both modern and rustic beach houses, such as framed seascape wall art, seashell-adorned mirrors and accessories, ship-worthy lighting, brass finishes, and anything and everything in all shades of blue!

Even if you don’t live in the dreamiest little seaside cottage located in one of the most charming beach towns in the U.S., you can instantly transport yourself to a seaside locale far, far away with the addition of a few tasteful (read: not too kitschy) coastal forward decorating touches. Getting the beach house look—and its laid-back vibe—is as easy as 1) painting your walls the best white paint color, 2) choosing a mix of comfy, casual, and carefree furniture (wicker, wicker, and more wicker, please), and 3) adding plenty of personality with touches of color and coastal-inspired accessories. Check out these 40 dreamy rooms that are packed with beach house decorating inspiration to get you started.

For even more coastal decorating ideas, check out these related stories:

Layer Blue and White Textiles

cozy coastal living room with linen upholstery layered with blue textiles

Matt Albiani

At Matt Albiani and Ron Brand’s Montauk, New York cottage, Sea Roost, no chair or sofa is complete without a pillow or throw made of an antique indigo and white textile.

Tuck in Lobster Buoys

Gridley and Graves

Immediately elevate a plain porch into a coastal getaway just by setting around a few colorful lobster buoys. The exposed joists and headers on this Maine cottage’s porch provided the perfect perch for several of the homeowner’s found treasures.

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Fashion a Clever Coat Rack

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Repurpose rope cleats as the perfect coastal coat rack. To make, simply screw evenly spaced metal cleats into a painted board.

Paint Your Chairs

modern white eat in kitchen with mismatched green chairs

Karyn Millet

To give her small California cottage a large, airy feel, designer Raili Clasen had the drop ceiling removed and brightened up the dark wood with white paint. Rewired with jute-covered cord, the vintage pendant fixture hangs directly from a junction box, but the swag rope makes it look like it’s nonchalantly tossed around the beams. Surrounding the large dining table is a mix of mismatched vintage chairs which Raili gave a uniform look with happy green paint.

Get the Look:
Ceiling Paint Color: Pure White by Sherwin-Williams
Chair Paint Color: Avocado by Sherwin-Williams
Jute-Covered Cord: Jute Rope Electrical Cord Kit from Amazon

TOUR THIS BEACH HOUSE

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Embrace Nautical Motifs

nautical porch designed by anthony baratta with a painted floor in a nautical theme

Erick Espinoza

Designer Anthony Baratta is known for his bold use of color and pattern, and this Nantucket porch featuring a nautical-themed painted floor by Adam Lowenbein is thankfully no exception.

Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: For similar, Faded Flaxflower by Sherwin-Williams

Add Color Underfoot

coastal bathroom with blue plaid tile floor

Frances Isaac, Design by Gaelle Dudley, GLDESIGN

In this Connecticut powder room by designer Gaelle Dudley of GLDESIGN, blue and blue cement tiles laid in a buffalo check pattern floor lends a playful coastal vibe. Wicker sconces add to the casual, beachy vibe.

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Use Washable Slipcovers

a living room with a white fireplace and wood coffee table

Roger Davies, styling by Liz Strong

This airy living room may look well-appointed, but washable slipcovers on the deep sofa and swivel chair minimize any and all wear-and-tear worries. The weathered wood coffee table and thick sisal rug also hold up to traffic of all sorts.

TOUR THIS BEACH COTTAGE

Build an Outdoor Shower

an outdoor shower with a sliding barn door

Frances Isaac Photography, Design by Gaelle Dudley, GLDESIGN

Every beach house needs a spot out back for a rinse off after a trip to the beach. Here, at a coastal home in Connecticut, designer Gaelle Dudley added an outdoor shower pavilion using a customized barn-style door on a rolling barn door track. The soft blue and white color palette references the nearby ocean.

Get the Look:
Barn Door Track: Single Barn Door Track by Rustica
Paint Colors: Coastline and White Caps from the A La Plage Collection by Gaelle Dudley

RELATED: Beautiful Outdoor Shower Ideas for Your Backyard

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Mix Rattan Furniture

a dining room with a table and rattan chairs

Dylan Chandler

No material feels more at home in a beach house than rattan, and, as this pretty breakfast nook in a Bahamian beach house designed by Amanda Lindroth proves, there is no such thing as too much. Cushions in soft blues add just the right amount of color in this inviting neutral space.

See more of this home in Amanda’s upcoming book, Island Dreaming: Amanda Lindroth Design.

Hang an Oar Curtain Rod

room with oar used as curtain rod and seascapes hanging

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Switch out your box-store curtain rod for a patinaed paddle or oar. To install, screw the oar directly into your wall (make sure you drill into a stud), or rest the paddle on curtain rod brackets. Slip the narrow end of the paddle through the curtain’s rod pocket or use curtain rings to hang.

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Accent With Brass

nautical kitchen with navy cabinetry and brass lighting

DANE TASHIMA

In this small Cape Cod kitchen of Steve Ballerini and Colin Bohrer, a sloped red cedar ceiling lends a feeling of being on a boat. Handcrafted unlacquered brass and rope pendants further the nautical vibe, as does the brass hardware on the marine blue cabinetry.

Drench the Floor in Blue

coastal dining nook with white wood floors and colorful chair cushions

Don Freeman

To give this 170-year-old Nantucket cottage a fresh update, designer Kevin Isbell first started by painting all the wood planked walls a crisp white, and then drenched the floors in a deep blue inspired by the nearby ocean. Use outdoor-rated enamel deck or porch paint to stand up to beach house traffic.

Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Champion Cobalt by Benjamin Moore

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Focus on the View

romantic beach house dining room with ocean view

Alec Hemer; Styling: Stacy Kunstel

Thanks to a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors, all eyes are on the prize in this dreamy dining room. To add softness, homeowner Marsha Ahearn had breezy tie-top curtains made from 100-year-old French sheets found at the Brimfield antiques shows. Adding to the room’s casual look, rather than a chandelier, a lightweight, but hunky lantern hangs above the generous dining table. Pillows made from vintage bark cloth fabric add feminine pattern to the mix of natural wicker chairs.

Get the Look:
Lantern: For similar, “Ricardo” by Birch Lane

Think Pink

a retro pink kitchen with scallop details

Victoria Pearson

Three words sum up the oh-so-cute kitchen in designer Krista Ewart’s California beach cottage: scallops, scallops, and more scallops. Oh, a perfectly pink retro-style refrigerator, too!

Get the Look:
Pink Refrigerator: 50’s Style Frig by SMEG

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Mix Old and New

ALEC HEMER

Designer Loi Thai believes in layering rooms with that just-right piece of antique furniture or collection of vintage art, but he equally embraces the practicality and accessibility of mass retailer finds. Here, in the living room of his Maine coastal retreat, he set the scene by topping an economical jute rug with a striking blue-and-white striped dhurrie rug. For the comfortable seating arrangement, he paired a factory dolly-turned-coffee table with slipcovered seating and an indoor/outdoor wicker chair.

Give a Nautical Nod

Christopher Dibble

Believe it or not, this airy coastal bedroom used to be a dark hole thanks to its knotty pine surround. Crisp, bright white paint from floor to ceiling instantly transformed the small space, providing a blank backdrop for homeowner Ted Kennedy Watson’s punchy layers of sea-faring themed furnishings such as nautical flags, anchor pillows, and old lockers.

TOUR THIS COASTAL COTTAGE

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Use Laid-Back Furnishings

beach cottage living room with rose patterned pillows

Alec Hemer; styling: Stacy Kunstel

With the beach practically at the back door, this soft and pretty living room needed to be able to stand up to wet swimsuits and sandy feet. No problem thanks to an arrangement of furnishings in a mix of durable and worry-free materials: a sisal rug effortlessly handles traffic; the well-worn wood coffee table welcomes propped-up feet and coaster-free drinks; and both the vintage bamboo chair with its washable cushion covers and the deep slipcovered sofa provide swimsuit-friendly seating.

TOUR THIS BEACH HOUSE

Repurpose a Basket

sunroom with striped rug and light fixture made of a basket

David A. Land

Transform your porch into a cozy place to relax with summertime staples like wicker furniture and upholstery in bright whites and natural hues. Add a colorful rug to disguise any sand guests may carry in with them. For a lighthearted touch—upturn a wicker basket to use as ceiling mount light shade.

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Fresh Finishes + Vintage Charm

a white beach house kitchen with pops of color

Alec Hemer

What this small kitchen lacks in square footage, it makes up for in charm. To freshen it up, the homeowners gave the 1950s space a bright coat of white paint, replaced the linoleum countertops with warm butcher block, and traded the upper cabinets with open shelving where they could display their collections of everyday dishes, serving pieces, and colorful vintage finds.