Coastal décor ideas: how to bring the beach to your home

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It’s understandable why many people want to introduce this interior décor style into their home. Whether it’s in the UK or on holiday abroad, being by the sea is an opportunity to experience the beauty of the elements and feel carefree and relaxed. It’s also often the place where you make long-lasting, happy memories. So why wouldn’t you want to recreate that vibe all year round? In this guide, we’ll be looking at ways to add sunshine and warmth on even the coldest days.

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Bringing the beach into your home

You may already have beachy souvenirs picked up from your holidays that you want to display. Or perhaps a favourite family photo on everyone enjoying themselves at the seaside. Perhaps it’s time to find a frame, print out the snap and put it in pride of place?

And while many people create a beachy vibe in their bathroom, there’s no need to restrict coastal decor to just one room. This style works well in lounges, dining areas and even kitchens.

Furniture and accessories in a coastal inspired home

If your budget doesn’t stretch to buying new furniture, you can always recreate coastal interior design by being clever with items you do have. If you want that breezy, New England look, then it’s about introducing pale accessories like linen cushions, or a cotton throw in a lighter shade. If your idea of coastal décor leans more towards a traditional nautical theme, then dark wood is the way to go to emulate the look of the interior of an ocean-going cabin.

Add coloured glass, brass lamps, and of course sailing paraphernalia. You can even buy seaside-inspired home fragrances or diffusers that include ingredients like salt, seaweed, eucalyptus, and sage to give your space that briny tang.

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Introducing colour into coastal themed décor

There are several schools of thought about how to introduce coastal interior design colours. We’ll go through each one below.

The Hamptons coastal décor ideas

Imagine living in one of those exclusive seaside mansions dotted all along the New England coast. These homes echo their ocean-side location with bleached wood, and pale light-reflecting accessories and décor. Their interiors are full of warm neutrals like whites and greys, and use natural textures like linen, cotton, or hessian, with accents of natural brown. This style also features blues of all shades, from a soft pastel to crisp navy which contrasts well with white or cream.

Caribbean coastal décor

If ‘coastal inspired décor’ makes you think of warm sand, rum cocktails on the beach and inviting teal-green seas, then this look is for you. It’s the opposite of understated, with plenty of bold, even clashing colours in both furniture and flooring. You may want to fill your room with large-leaved plants to lend a tropical feel, or oversized botanical prints in your wallpaper, or even set up your own Tiki bar area in your garden!

British coastal style

You may want to stay closer to home to get your coastal design fix. Recreating British seaside style in your home could incorporate the high-contrast, primary colours of the funfair or the pier, to the softer blues and yellows that make you think of big skies and empty beaches, to the greys and neutral tones of a bleak but beautiful winter seascape.
For this look, we’d favour a beautiful twist carpet, with a dense, firm feel and which are easy to keep clean in busy homes. If you want to know more about twist carpets, we’ve got an entire guide dedicated to explaining what is a twist carpet?

Create a coastal themed decor with vinyl flooring

If you're thinking about buying smooth flooring instead of a carpet that fits in with your coastal decor, there are plenty of options. For a feeling of shimmering water, and a slip and water-resistant floor that’ll last for years, look no further than a gorgeous vinyl floor. A blue vinyl floor can look like the sea on a sunny day, and it may be the splash of coastal décor you’ve been craving for your bathroom. Or maybe even your kitchen?

As an alternative, a mosaic tile pattern in turquoise and blue will remind you of diving into a swimming pool in an exotic destination, while wood-effect vinyl looks like a wooden path or promenade that’s been elegantly faded by sunshine.

If our ideas for coastal interior design have inspired you to transform your home, why not pop into your local Tapi store to speak to our floorologists about all the carpets and floors you could dream of?

Or if you want to discover even more ways to incorporate coastal themed décor into your home, then our lookbooks are full of colour combination inspiration that should suit every taste and budget. Why not examine them first before booking a free home visit from our consultants who will bring our store to yours, with samples, and offer a free measure and quote before you buy? Alternatively, discover more decor ideas in our style inspiration section, including Moroccan interior design ideas, '70s inspired decor, and much more.

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Published: 02-02-2023