Avoid These 5 Trends in Coastal Design
Design trends can be tricky to navigate — especially for home interiors. While it’s fun to stay on top of new coastal design ideas at events like High Point Market, and I love finding out the Color of the Year as much as anyone, I’ve been designing long enough to know that trends come and go.
Timeless is best when it comes to coastal style, but it can be hard to know exactly what is right for your home! You want to avoid design trends that will look dated in a few years and stick with features that look great now and will stand the test of time.
So what trends for coastal design should you avoid? I’ve compiled a list here for you so you can keep your home’s look current, enduring, and true to coastal style.
An all white room is at the top of my list of outdated trends to avoid in design — especially if your home has a coastal aesthetic.
While many people think an all white room will have an airy, relaxed feel, in reality the look often comes off flat and clinical. Nailing a color palette is one of the most challenging parts of designing a room, and white is the most difficult color because of the way it interacts with light.
What to do instead: If your style leans toward neutral colors (which is perfect for coastal style, btw), choose an off-white to layer into the palette. You’ll get that airy feel you’re looking for without leaning too cold or clinical. Add plenty of texture throughout your room and you’ll have a look that’s inviting and full of character.
A coastal aesthetic is all about light, airy spaces that soothe the eye and flow from one room to the next.
That’s why I recommend you avoid accent walls in your coastal home. Too often, they’re used as a stark contrast to the rest of the room and can appear startling rather than calming.
What to do instead: For an easy, breezy coastal vibe, use a single color or finish on all of your walls. Avoid anything that might be jarring to the eye.
Maximalism has been trending for some time now. And while you can certainly play with color and mixing patterns in your coastal home for a “more is more” look, I would avoid anything too fussy with this trend.
Fabrics like velvet are part of the maximalist trend that leans too formal for the relaxed coastal lifestyle. Velvet often looks heavy in airy spaces which is the opposite of the beachy, casual feel that most of my clients are looking for.
What to do instead: If you are looking for a thicker fabric as a textural component in your design, try a nubby bouclé. It has a luxurious, warm feel that grounds a room without overwhelming.
There’s a bit of a gray area (pun intended!) with this one. If you want your coastal home design to withstand the test of time, I would add black hardware finishes on the list of trends not to try.
Black hardware has been trending for a while now, and while I have used it in projects with good success, it takes a specific kind of aesthetic to pull it off. And that aesthetic is coastal farmhouse.
In most beach-style homes, however, black hardware provides too much contrast with the airy, relaxed vibe we’re trying to achieve.
What to do instead: If your home is built and designed in coastal farmhouse style, you could consider black hardware such as with your plumbing fixtures. If you want something more flexible and timeless, go with oil-rubbed bronze or even nickel on your finishes. These lend a softer look to your hardware and will still be going strong ten years from now.
Spoiler alert — don’t worry, shiplap is still a big IN for your coastal home! Now that we can all breathe a sigh of relief, let’s talk about why I included it on the list of trends to avoid in coastal design.
For so many of my clients, they’re not just interested in creating a coastal home with good design. They already have an idea of what that is. But I hear over and over again the same concern — “how to make my design better.” To truly create the perfect dream retreat — that’s the goal with my clients.
So what does this have to do with shiplap and whether it’s a trend to avoid or embrace? Shiplap is the perfect medium for going from good to great design. It’s long been a favorite in coastal homes, and I believe it will never go out of style.
But it’s important to use it mindfully. The trend of covering every wall in the material is definitely out. Too much of the stuff can overwhelm and distract from the cohesive design.
What to do instead: These days I use shiplap more sparingly to add texture to an overall room design. In recent projects I’ve used shiplap successfully to wrap a fireplace surround and to line a stairwell. This is a more current way to incorporate this trend yet keep it timeless.
Design trends come and go, and with that it can be confusing to know what you should say yes to and what you should avoid in coastal design. I hope these tips have been helpful as you create your own dream coastal retreat! Still have questions about what’s hot or not? Why not book a complimentary design chat with me? We can go over your goals and work together to find the perfect, timeless design for your coastal home.
Timeless is best when it comes to coastal style, but it can be hard to know exactly what is right for your home! You want to avoid design trends that will look dated in a few years and stick with features that look great now and will stand the test of time.
So what trends for coastal design should you avoid? I’ve compiled a list here for you so you can keep your home’s look current, enduring, and true to coastal style.
1. Steer Clear of All White Rooms in Coastal Design
An all white room is at the top of my list of outdated trends to avoid in design — especially if your home has a coastal aesthetic.
While many people think an all white room will have an airy, relaxed feel, in reality the look often comes off flat and clinical. Nailing a color palette is one of the most challenging parts of designing a room, and white is the most difficult color because of the way it interacts with light.
What to do instead: If your style leans toward neutral colors (which is perfect for coastal style, btw), choose an off-white to layer into the palette. You’ll get that airy feel you’re looking for without leaning too cold or clinical. Add plenty of texture throughout your room and you’ll have a look that’s inviting and full of character.
2. Skip the Accent Wall For Better Flow
A coastal aesthetic is all about light, airy spaces that soothe the eye and flow from one room to the next.
That’s why I recommend you avoid accent walls in your coastal home. Too often, they’re used as a stark contrast to the rest of the room and can appear startling rather than calming.
What to do instead: For an easy, breezy coastal vibe, use a single color or finish on all of your walls. Avoid anything that might be jarring to the eye.
3. Avoid Formal, Fussy Fabrics in Your Coastal Home
Maximalism has been trending for some time now. And while you can certainly play with color and mixing patterns in your coastal home for a “more is more” look, I would avoid anything too fussy with this trend.
Fabrics like velvet are part of the maximalist trend that leans too formal for the relaxed coastal lifestyle. Velvet often looks heavy in airy spaces which is the opposite of the beachy, casual feel that most of my clients are looking for.
What to do instead: If you are looking for a thicker fabric as a textural component in your design, try a nubby bouclé. It has a luxurious, warm feel that grounds a room without overwhelming.
4. Skip the Black Hardware for a More Timeless Coastal Finish
There’s a bit of a gray area (pun intended!) with this one. If you want your coastal home design to withstand the test of time, I would add black hardware finishes on the list of trends not to try.
Black hardware has been trending for a while now, and while I have used it in projects with good success, it takes a specific kind of aesthetic to pull it off. And that aesthetic is coastal farmhouse.
In most beach-style homes, however, black hardware provides too much contrast with the airy, relaxed vibe we’re trying to achieve.
What to do instead: If your home is built and designed in coastal farmhouse style, you could consider black hardware such as with your plumbing fixtures. If you want something more flexible and timeless, go with oil-rubbed bronze or even nickel on your finishes. These lend a softer look to your hardware and will still be going strong ten years from now.
5. Shiplap — In or Out in Coastal Design?
Spoiler alert — don’t worry, shiplap is still a big IN for your coastal home! Now that we can all breathe a sigh of relief, let’s talk about why I included it on the list of trends to avoid in coastal design.
For so many of my clients, they’re not just interested in creating a coastal home with good design. They already have an idea of what that is. But I hear over and over again the same concern — “how to make my design better.” To truly create the perfect dream retreat — that’s the goal with my clients.
So what does this have to do with shiplap and whether it’s a trend to avoid or embrace? Shiplap is the perfect medium for going from good to great design. It’s long been a favorite in coastal homes, and I believe it will never go out of style.
But it’s important to use it mindfully. The trend of covering every wall in the material is definitely out. Too much of the stuff can overwhelm and distract from the cohesive design.
What to do instead: These days I use shiplap more sparingly to add texture to an overall room design. In recent projects I’ve used shiplap successfully to wrap a fireplace surround and to line a stairwell. This is a more current way to incorporate this trend yet keep it timeless.
Design trends come and go, and with that it can be confusing to know what you should say yes to and what you should avoid in coastal design. I hope these tips have been helpful as you create your own dream coastal retreat! Still have questions about what’s hot or not? Why not book a complimentary design chat with me? We can go over your goals and work together to find the perfect, timeless design for your coastal home.