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11 Coastal Living Room Ideas for Easy, Breezy Lounging
Your home doesn’t need beachfront views to have that coastal cool feeling. We’ve compiled our top tips for bringing vacation vibes home and creating your everyday oasis.
Blue Is Your Hue
Dive deep into the coastal trend with blue palettes. Opt for lighter shades like powder blue, Wedgwood blue, or baby blue for an inviting, casual feel. Ground your space with navy, cobalt, or denim blues for instant calm. As a primary color pulled straight from coastal sea shores themselves, blue is a versatile styling tool that pairs well with neutrals, contrasts with warm colors like orange, or stands alone. Don’t merely limit blue to small decor pieces. Make a splash with painted furniture, patterned textiles, and, of course, blue rugs.
Look on the Bright Side
Bring the joy of sun-drenched summer days home with vibrant accessories. For that coastal cool feeling, go light and bright with ivory upholstery and off-white walls, decorating with splashes of color that inspire creativity and imagination. Opt for bright hues that create a contrast for a balanced feel. Prioritizing mood-boosting patterns and color in your living room ensures guests feel encouraged, supported, and at ease in your home.
Return to Rattan
Nothing transports us to the beach quite as quickly as easy, breezy rattan. This natural, woven texture has made quite the comeback thanks to its versatility, durability, and hand-made charm. Add a natural touch to your space with rattan furniture, vases, coasters, lamps, frames, and window treatments. We’re even styling our summer wardrobes with rattan shoes and accessories, because why stop in the living room?
Let the Light In
Is there anything a little sunshine and fresh air can’t fix? For instant vacation vibes, open your blinds and let the light pour in. Natural light has the power to boost your mood, regulate the senses, and transform a space. Let your windows become art on your walls. No matter the view, there’s always more to be seen and inspired by than you think.
Sand, Sun, and Sea
Close your eyes and imagine the coast. Breathe in the salty air. Feel the serenity of sand shifting beneath your feet. See the reeds waving in the wind. Now open your eyes and compare what you see. Whatever pulls you away from that feeling can be replaced with something that inspires it. So shift back into getaway mode by surrounding yourself with textures, colors, patterns, and designs that incorporate at least one element of the coast. No, you don’t have to line your walls with sea shells (although we won’t stop you!). Simply layering textiles and materials inspired by sand, sun, and sea will do the trick.
California Cool
If your friends describe you as laid back, easy going, and go-with-the-flow, then California Cool may be the coastal style for you. Blending contrasted neutrals like grey, black, beige, white, and cream together with varying textures and vibrant house plants, this decor style is flexible, comforting, and simple. For a welcoming, breezy touch, add a neutral rug, like this rug beneath eclectic furniture. This contrast helps define your space while also complementing your decor with subtle texture.
Sunroom Sanctuary
Noticing a trend? We just can’t stop making real, authentic sunshine a welcomed guest in our homes. The return of the beloved sunroom has us happy-squealing. Think floor-to-ceiling windows or French doors, the sound of crashing waves, and fresh summer florals. There is simply no better spot to curl up with your favorite novel on a breezy day than a sunroom. Call it your safe haven, call it your sanctuary, call it paradise.
Outdoor Living
If bringing the outdoors in doesn’t quite feel like the real deal to you, then let’s take it outside! A properly considered outdoor space can put guests at ease, invite lively conversation, and set the tone for the perfect summer night. Ensure your outdoor furniture can seat you and your guests comfortably without forcing them to yell across an oversized table or fire pit. A suitably sized and well-placed outdoor rug can help establish your seating area with style and charming character.
A Touch of Glam
For livable luxury that exudes sophisticated style, pair metallic finishes and modern silhouettes with coastal patterns and accents. Palms, trellises, and bamboo visually tie a space to coastal culture while complementing contemporary furnishings for a glamorous feel. Don’t hold back on color either, as vibrant pinks, greens, and yellows pull inspiration from tropical blooms for an energizing oasis feel.
Windblown Whimsy
For the ultimate getaway feeling, let your curtains catch the summer air. Sheer, lightweight curtains hung just a few inches below your ceiling help accentuate your ceiling height, allowing comforting sunlight to fill the room and provide soothing, serene movement when blown by a natural breeze. Ensure your curtains are wide enough to cover your window or doorway width and long enough to just graze the floor for the perfect beachy feel.
Blossom and Bloom
Perhaps the quickest and easiest way to infuse beach vacation vibes into your living room is with fresh florals. An arrangement of blooming flowers provides vibrancy, organic life, and a fresh scent in a matter of minutes. Don’t worry about arranging a complicated mix, either. A simple vase of matching florals can boost a room’s ambience just as easily. As long as you remember to trim the bottom of the stems according to the height of your vessel and keep the water fresh, you’ll be good to go!
So what are you waiting for? Simply set the scene for summer with a coastal rug, then sit back, relax, and switch into vacation mode right from the comfort of your home.
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Meredith Cantwell | Creative Director
Meredith Cantwell is a seasoned editorial and creative leader. She currently serves as Creative Director at Ruggable, where she drives visual storytelling and content strategy.
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