How To Use Natural Elements To Achieve A Coastal Look In Your Home

Using natural elements is essential when creating a coastal look for your home. In this blog post I explain just how to use natural elements to achieve a coastal look in your home.

LET’S DEFINE NATURAL ELEMENTS

Interestingly, I found the following definition as defined in legal terms, and I think it get’s the point across. “Natural element means soil, rock, water and vegetation, and includes a landform,.." You want to use furnishings and accessories made from natural materials as well as colors that you would find in nature. This helps create a connectedness to the coastal environment.

 
Here are some natural materials to look for:
Sisal, Jute, or Wool rugs in sandy tones
For wood furniture, like your tables or dressers, cerused oak, live edge maple, reclaimed wood are great options that bring in warmth and texture.
Walls and millwork could be painted in crisp white (classic Hamptons style), but I prefer softer shades of white with a hint of blue, beige, and grey for walls to make each space feel unique. I also highly recommend incorporating grass cloth wallpaper into a room as the wall treatment or just on an accent wall.
Stone and glass are wonderful natural elements for bathrooms and kitchens to get that coastal look, too.

NATURAL ELEMENTS FOR YOUR BEDROOM THAT ADD THE COASTAL VIBE

Starting from the top, choose a chandelier made with natural materials like sea glass or rope or coco beads. If you need a ceiling fan, find one with wood fan blades in a driftwood finish.
In the primary bedroom at one of our waterfront projects, shown below, you can see we used a gorgeous chandelier made of coco beads.

Then, we added an accent wall behind the bed covered in a wood veneer wallpaper in a sea green hue by Thibaut. You could use a grass cloth wallpaper in a pale blue or even white for a soft texture.
The bed we used in the photo is reclaimed wood, adding a washed a ‘shore driftwood texture to the room, as well. If that’s too rustic for you, no problem. There are so many other ways to incorporate natural elements into your bedroom. Try a few of my recommendations below.

• You could use nightstands in stained wood or covered in grass cloth.
• Or, if you like crisp white furnishings, add a driftwood table lamp or one made of ceramic in the shape of something you find in nature or on the beach. Think sea urchin or shells if you like being very literal with your coastal look.
• Add a seagrass chair or bench and/ or a natural wool/sisal rug

GET THE COASTAL LOOK WITH NATURAL ELEMENTS IN THE LIVING ROOM

It’s easy to incorporate natural elements in your living room, too. If this the room you and your family spend a lot of time in, you want it to hold up. Your upholstery/ seating is the most important part of the room. Here, I recommend washable fabrics like Linara from Romo if you have the budget. Another fabric I like is Heritage by Sunbrella because while it isn’t a natural material, it has recycled content and the papyrus color is a beautiful sandy tone. The key for your seating is neutral/ natural tones for your main fabric. Then, I suggest you bring in blues and greens for pillows. Below is a little inspiration from our Southampton store vignette.

After your seating is sorted out, the same suggestions I made for the bedroom apply to the living room. You just need to apply them to slightly different pieces of furniture.

• Choose a cocktail table covered in grass cloth or in a whitewashed wood
• Ceiling fan/ fixture made of natural materials like wood, glass or natural beads, rope
• A nubby textured rug in natural material
• Add a tree or plant if you have room. (check out my blog post about that here)

Let me know if you try any of these suggestions. I’d love to know if you achieve the coastal look you want using these tips.
Happy Sunday!
Shannon