What You Need to Create a Coastal Modern Retreat

This week's post is a continuation of my series on coastal style interiors. Today I'm showing you the elements you need to create a modern coastal style for your home. I started my series a few weeks ago with traditional coastal style. Then, last week I shared the three elements of the style “in-between” traditional and modern, the transitional look. If you are looking to create a coastal retreat and neither one of those styles is quite right, you maybe the clean lines and minimal furnishings and accessories of the coastal modern style is your look. Read on to find out...

Use of  Natural Materials

One of the things I love the most about modern coastal interior design is the use of natural materials with simple lines that make a space feel warm and not clinical. Natural materials are an important part of all coastal style, but in modern interiors these materials really make the space feel comfortable, not cold. The photo below is of the foyer I designed in the 2018 Traditional Home Hampton Designer Showhouse. I used a live edge maple console table and a hand-crafted mirror inlaid with burlap to add texture and warmth. The hemp tassels on the lamp were an additional natural element. You want to add textures that make you feel welcome even though pieces are sparse and clean-lined.

Minimalist and functional

Modern coastal interiors are minimalist and functional with roots in Scandinavian and German design. “Form follows function” is the key principle of modern design. Choose streamlined furniture with exposed legs to give your space a lighter, airier feel. I used furnishings with a danish modern look in the children's room below. The natural stain on the furnishings also, add the warmth mentioned above.

Monochromatic Color Scheme

Modern interiors and coastal modern interiors this tend to have monochromatic washed sandy hues and pale ocean tones. The kid's room above is on example of a monochromatic color scheme. I also think the dining room from one of my Sag Harbor projects is a good example of this. I used live edge maple again in a grey stain for the top of the dining table that feels modern "floating" on acrylic legs. The rug is pieced together hair-on-hide in the same tones as the white oak floor and the table table top. I made it coastal by adding blue coral as the center piece to work with the client's piece of original art.