Coastal Home Accessories

I just received the latest Wisteria print catalog, and saw this brilliant French Garden Bird. I couldn't help but think he'd fit perfectly in a coastal decor setting:

Another of my favorite coastal home accessories is this White Devil Laundry Bag, available from Layla Grayce:

Nothing says coastal decor like a little driftwood. This hurricane from Anthropologie holds a sizable candle & will instantly update your decor:

This Lafco NY chamomile and lavender candle is beautiful standing on its own, but also lends a beautiful glow to the driftwood hurricane pictured above:
Finally, this Matteo Rope Blanket comes in three fantastic shades, Earth being my favorite. It's price is a bit prohibitive ($600+), but the color and texture are almost worth it!

Desert Coastal

One of my favorite things to do is to browse HGTV's Rate My Space for design inspiration. One of my all-time favorite posters on the site has created a fantastic coastal environment in - of all places - Las Vegas! Pictured below are her living and guest rooms. I can't believe the desert is outside her front door...

Nothing defines coastal like clean-lined furniture slipcovered in white combined with the rough texture of seagrass or jute. This room showcases a great balance of neutrals and textures - the dark wood of the armchairs adds just the right amount of contrast.

A close-up of the seating area reveals a great seashell collection, which adds the perfect accent to the round seagrass ottoman. I love this rug!

This furniture piece is so gorgeous - it really makes the room. Its patina and texture offset the newness of the concrete floors perfectly.

Here, the homeowner has installed a wide pine plank wall in the guest bedroom of her "tract" home to add interest & really drive home the coastal theme. The whitewashed walls and all-white decor contrasted with aqua damask bedding and that petite chandelier is just beautiful.

I love a great painted floor!

To see the HGTV post for yourself, look here and here.

Dining Room Before & After

This home was purchased from a Belgian couple living in the United States as part of a work transfer. Despite their Belgian heritage (and the prevalent history of the Belgian design aesthetic), the couple chose to decorate the home in a hodgepodge of modern and antique styles. My vision was a more traditional version of Belgian/French meets seacoast style, as reflected in my previous post re: the formal and informal living rooms in the home.

Below is a BEFORE photo of the dining room, featuring an eclectic mix of mismatched furniture and lighting, as well as off-scale wall decor. The gothic chandelier was resin, of all things. That was the first thing to go! The long, rectangular table made the room feel small and awkward. I can't imagine the previous owners ever entertained in this room:

I replaced the resin chandelier with this European street lantern, which I fell in love with at a local antiques market. It is originally from Paris - I had it converted and re-electrified for use indoors. I chose a simple brown Belgian linen grommeted drape to offset the grisaille paint and the charcoal Matteo table linens:

More shots of my favorite lantern! I also added a round table (this is much better suited to the room's size, and doesn't interrupt the eye as did the former table) skirted in burlap and topped with a rectangular linen cloth. The accompanying armoire is from Provence, and features chickenwire doors and a whitewash finish. It provides much needed storage in the room, as the footprint doesn't allow for a large buffet:

The Louis XVI chairs are upholstered in flax linen and the frame has a rough, weathered wood finish. The textures are multi-layered, making the dining room feel very casual and elegant at the same time:

More to come!

Urban Coastal Before & After

My formal "Urban Coastal" living room is currently featured among the top rated living rooms on HGTV's "Rate My Space". It was previously in the number one spot for many months, but all good things must come to an end :)

The Design:

The mosaic fireplace was the inspiration for the coastal design. I added the modern damask linen window treatments to give the room a little depth - I was afraid at first that they compete with the mosaic and the color scheme of the room, but they blended nicely after all.

Here is a photo of how the previous owners of the house decorated the same room - the styles are completely different (modern eclectic vs. coastal/traditional eclectic), and it's interesting to see the effect of the transformation on the overall appearance of the space:

Quite a difference, no? And yes - that is a rocketship in the corner!

Next is my family room/casual dining area (also on Rate My Space), a sort of European beach theme:

And here it is decorated by the previous owner:

More to follow!

New England Coastal Architecture

Featured below are some of my favorite seaside houses located on a beach walk taken daily during my visit to the Massachusetts coast. Enjoy!

Great Howl - I adore a house with a name! Classic New England architecture - mansard roof, historical colors used for the red & yellow trimwork and functional shutters, weathered shingled siding & rosehips pressing against the weathered picket fence. The perfect picture of coastal Massachusetts, and an oceanfront view!

Another historically untouched oceanfront home. Simple weathered shingles, white trim, and an overgrown hedge for privacy - perfection!

A great modern seagrass garden with seashells for mulch. The dusty hues and slate border fit well with the seaside theme. The only thing I would change here is the vinyl fencing. Whatever happened to painting good old wood every few years?

What a fantastic example of a gambrel roofline. This house is in need of a little TLC, but it has great historic lines and an oceanfront view. I love the historic trim colors and the weathered fence. One of my favorites!

An old stonefront Gothic chapel with leaded glass and a gorgeous shingled clocktower. I'd love to have a look at its interior.

A closeup of the great trimwork and stone facade - the grays and beiges of the stones are beautifully reflected in the fishscale shingles. The unpretentious colors of the leaded glass are strikingly similar.

A simple roadside colonial across the street from the ocean. I love the stone wall made from local beach rock and the contrast of the yellow door against the weathered garden gate.

A somewhat less traditional brick sided schoolhouse design, but I couldn't resist. So simple and cottagey! I love the vine climbing over the front window.