8 Amazing Coastal Decorating Ideas to Try

With summer finally here after an endless winter, our thoughts turn to lazy summer afternoon spent sipping cocktails on the beach. We love reminiscing about the summer holidays spent playing at the beach and traipsing through the rental beach houses with our summer friends. As an adult, the beach is still a great place to be, although you're more likely to find us sipping a glass of wine on the porch overlooking the beach at sunset than running around in the shallows.

While living near the beach and enjoying summer weather all year is a distant dream for many, with a few coastal decorating ideas, you can easily create the idea of the beach in your home. Read on and get inspiration for how you can give your home that relaxed beach vibe in your own home.

8 Stunning Coastal Decorating Ideas That Will Make You Feel like It's Summer All Year Long

The good news is that you don't need to bring a handful of sand home to feel like you're living near the beach.

1. Embrace the Colors of the Beach

Have you ever noticed that beach resorts always have a lot of white decor. White walls, white linens or even milky whites and off-whites give your space a calm vibe. We love the look of a soft palate of decor in different shades of white when we look around the room. It immediately evokes the idea of being on holiday in a lush beachside villa. Add in pops of teal and navy blue to accent the white. You want them the be the colors of the water and you can do this through careful accents like vases and lamps.

2. Bring the Beach to You

The best way to make your home feel like a beach house is by using beach items as decor. There are a lot of home decor writers out there with strong opinions about how in-your-face or subtle you need to be when it comes to adding beach decor to your home but we think you should do whatever you want. We personally love going all out on the beach-themed decor elements. Pool floats add a cute pop of color to your living room (and how cute are those pegasus ones?). Another idea is to get a pair of paddles or even a pair of water skis to lean against the wall.

You can literally bring the beach to you with glittering seashells. Get your family to scope out the beach for the best ones and then feature them prominently in frames on the wall. Another option with shells is to string them together and drape them over a doorway as a garland.Driftwood pieces can also give your home a beach vibe. You can get driftwood tables and television consoles custom made for your home or, if you're feeling crafty, DIY one yourself.

3. Coastal and Beach-Inspired Accessories

Don't worry if you can't get real beach items, beach-inspired accessories work as well. Nautical-themed decor is always trendy so you should be able to find accessories that are suitable at your local housewares store. Second-hand stores are a treasure trove for vintage finds. Look for anything that comes in those faded teals and blues we mentioned above. You can even make your own beach-inspired accessories. Inexpensive lanterns from the craft store can be painted to match your color palate. For a DIY project, customized glass jars wrapped in textured rope have a nautical and coastal vibe. You can make these inexpensive decorations with some jars and a spool of twine. Just use a glue gun to secure the twine in place as you wrap it around the jar starting from the bottom.

4. Coastal Furniture

Driftwood tables and consoles are just one idea for coastal furniture. To create the relaxed beachside feel, arrange large white and off-white sofas and loungers around your living room. Instead of having the television be the focal point like a traditional family living room, set up your seating so it surrounds a coffee table and is conducive to conversations. The key to white furniture is to use slipcovers on your sofa. These are easily removed, washed and ironed so you can keep the relaxed atmosphere that comes with white furniture without worrying about it getting ruined.

5. Coastal Accents

If obvious beach elements such as floats and oars aren't your style, you can go with more subtle coastal accents as part of your home decor. Choose rugs that are made from natural fibers in beachy colors and textures to get your coastal vibe. We find that open weave rugs really give a room that coastal look.

6. Get Some Tropical Plants

Bring the outdoors inside with some indoor plants and for this look to work, the larger the better. Oversized plants in white or other neutral-colored pots will make your home feel like a tropical island resort. Did you know that you can even get palm trees for your house? You can't get much more tropical than sitting next to a palm tree! You don't have to limit yourself to plants with green leaves. Pick up some colorful tropical flowers for a vibrant look that will have a dramatic contrast to your white furnishings.

7. Paneling or Shiplap

Shiplap has become very popular recently in home improvements. This style of horizontal paneling will give your home a beach cottage feel. You can also use vertical board and batten paneling as an accent. Use this style of paneling along one side of your dining room or living room.

If you've watched an episode of HGTV's wildly popular "Fixer Upper" recently, you know it well. It looks like this (more below):

8. Natural Light

The main element of coastal decor? The salty sea breeze and soft natural light that spills into beach houses.

A salty sea breeze is hard to replicate when your hundreds of miles away from the ocean, but you can take advantage of natural light anywhere. Use sheer curtains that let the sunlight in and shimmer in the breeze during the summer when you can open the windows.

Bring the Beach Home

With these coastal decorating ideas, you'll feel like you're living on a tropical island resort. Just don't forget to water those plants! Not sure if coastal decor is for you? Check out some more ideas for eclectic ways to decorate your home.