Many of us daydream about white sand beaches and the sound of waves crashing against the shore. Some of us are lucky enough to revel in this experience in the flesh in the comfort of a beach house or apartment. Even if you don’t have an apartment, it is enticing to design your home’s interior with beach inspired influences. To understand what exactly conjures thoughts and feelings of the sea, we must first consider which elements are essential to actual beach houses in the first place. There are practical matters to consider like how to make a home that can withstand these unique elements of wind, salt, and sand. In addition, the space must be low-maintenance and relaxed to make for maximum enjoyment whilst spending time in the abode. Still, we don’t want to have to sacrifice style on our vacations. With all of these considerations in mind it can begin to make your head spin! Don’t fret; we are here to help. Before you know it you’ll be putting your feet up and enjoying a cool beverage in the afternoon sun at your beach apartment.
In the beach house look a little goes a long way. No one expects you to have an elaborately coordinated array of textiles. It’s okay if the look is more bare than extravagant. The space should feel relaxed and unpretentious rather than stuffy. Aim to keep the textiles simple and spare in number. You can even start by working in those extra area rugs, blankets, and handtowels at your main home or apartment that you haven’t quite found a place for. Make sure what you do choose to use is on the durable end. Dainty items like lace and silk are overly luxurious and bound to get damaged in the footloose and fancy-free lifestyle of the beachgoer. Instead opt for thicker textiles and woven rugs. This beached-out bedroom is a wonderful example of textile usage. The canary yellow duvet cover brings out the same tones in the area rug. It’s coordinated but not overdone.
As mentioned above, it’s important to make a durable space where clean up’s a breeze. No one wants to spend their vacation chasing after messy kids and pets or worrying that something expensive will get irreparably damaged. That’s why beach homes ought to be relaxed. They're a place for you to truly let your hair down! Even if it's just for a few days. Starting in the kitchen, this means choosing easily washable surfaces. Smooth surfaces like vinyl, granite, linoleum or even porcelain are ideal for both the kitchen and the bathroom. Remember to opt for lighter tones for a laid-back, airy vibe. Avoid wood if you can because beach homes are subject to increased amounts of moisture. Large format or glazed tiles are another certain means for keeping stains and spills from penetrating the material. We love this solid surface kitchen counter by Laurence Associates because it is light in colour and its smooth quality makes messes manageable.
We touched on it briefly above, but it’s so important that it deserves its own section in this guide. We strongly recommend that you go with a lighter colour scheme. Choosing colours that reflect the beach scenery makes for a wonderful palette. This means blending beiges, blues, pastel pinks, lavender, browns, and greens. While darker schemes are totally welcome in some settings, the lightness will make the beach abode feel airy and expansive rather than overly grounded and confined. These tranquil tones will facilitate your escape into paradise by keeping the mood light. This bedroom depicts the way that even incorporating multiple hues of crème and taupe works beautifully to make a seaside style because they are reminiscent of the many shades present in grains of sand.
Upon returning from a bout in the hot sun, it is likely that you’ll want to retreat into some cooler air. Without the aid of a fan or air conditioning system, the air in a beach apartment can become heavy and stale. Ceiling fixtures like these ones work well to evenly distribute cooling effects. There are lots of models on the market in various styles, sizes, and with a range of capabilities. The same goes for air conditioning units. Of course, you can always go with an in-built cooling system, but this might limit you in terms of being able to leave windows open. Plus, it is likely that you’ll have lots of traffic in and out as various members of the family head off to the beach. Therefore, we do recommend using fans or at least considering individual air conditioning units if you plan on keeping the windows open to catch some ocean breezes. Otherwise, you might just be paying to cool the outdoors!
This brings us to our next point. Because your home is going to be experiencing a lot of moisture from the ocean air, it’s important for your health and safety that there is good ventilation. No one wants their beach getaway to become run-down with mould or mildew! On a lighter note, the scent of salty ocean air is a major part of the appeal of a beach home, as is the methodical sound of the waves in the distance. Keeping a window or two open can help you get the most out of your trip to the ocean. This home takes that notion to greater heights with this enormous floor-to-ceiling window. The entire first floor of this beachside home becomes an open-air living space. You don’t have to go to this extreme to reap the benefits of good ventilation. Just try to keep the a window or two propped open.
Another potential struggle for maintaining your beach home or apartment is preventing salt staining, and sand scuffing for that matter. With the corrosion of sand and salt particles on your floors, it won’t take long for them to begin looking weathered. Luckily, there are a few simple solutions to this problem. For starters, try keeping some doormats at the entrances to your beach house. This home features a doormat booth indoors and outside. Second, make it a rule to take shoes off or shower before coming inside if guests and family members have been at the beach. This of course probably only works if you have an outdoor shower or rinsing station. Salt is also in the air in places by the sea. Avoid metal appliances in the home when possible. Also be sure to rinse, dry, and store surfboards, bicycles, and patio furniture indoors. If need be, there are also effective salt neutralisers on the market.
If you found this Ideabook useful, check out this serene beachside dwelling in France. Happy decorating!