13 beach cottage decor ideas for easy-breezy style

We wish we could live every day like we were on vacay. But even when we can’t skip our next meeting (and feel a little salty about it), we can bring those relaxing vacation vibes home with beach cottage decor.

This interior design style embodies that “aaaahhhhhhhh” feeling you had on your last beach vacation. Like many design styles, it incorporates relaxing nature-inspired hues. But the earth tones of coastal decor are not the earth tones of Scandinavian, organic modern, or even modern farmhouse style.

Coastal style home design uses a soothing color palette of crisp white, sandy beige, and every shade of blue. You can also incorporate pops of color with bright yellow or coral — anything that reminds you of the beach houses dotted along Key West or Catalina Island.

Add in a few pieces of furniture that look gently worn by the salt air, and you’ll have your own relaxing coastal cottage.

Even if you live hundreds of miles from the beach, you can add instant relaxation to your home with the right beach cottage decor. Here are 13 design ideas to help you embrace coastal living, no matter where you live.

Sun, sand, style: 13 beach cottage decor ideas

To add a beach cottage look to your home, check out these ideas that will bring the coastal landscape into your living space.

1. A rattan coffee table

Rattan has vintage coastal style. The woven natural fibers are an earthy tan that’s reminiscent of sandy beaches and dried seagrass. The curved silhouette of this Juanita Square Rattan Coffee Table looks like it was carved out by the ocean breeze. Pair it with a matching side table.

2. A natural sheesham coffee table

Sheesham wood is a beautiful hardwood that offers a naturally weathered appearance, lending the look of reclaimed driftwood. We love the way the boxy shape of the Esther 6-Drawer Storage Coffee Table adds coastal farmhouse style to any living room decor.

3. A plush, white sectional

​​If you’re brave enough to embrace a white sectional, this color will create a bright and breezy feel that makes your living room seem sun-drenched even on cloudy days. The Hobson Cushion-Back Sectional in Off-White is the perfect combination of oversized comfort and tailored elegance. With a treated fabric that repels liquid so you have time to wipe away spills before they soak in, it makes owning a white sofa much more relaxing.

4. A tufted, tan couch

If white is too light for your lifestyle, try a sandy tan color. The Sandrine Button-Tufted Tuxedo Arm Sofa comes in a beachy beige velvet that’s pet- and kid-friendly. The tailored silhouette of the button tufting and tuxedo arms will help you create the look of a more traditional, shabby chic beach cottage.

5. A dark teal living room set

For a darker upholstery choice, look for a living room set that comes in deep aqua hues like blue or teal. This Gulfdale 3-Piece Cushion Back Upholstered Living Room Set in Dark Teal adds a rich pop of color to any beach home and allows you to layer in neutral tones with your accessories. Even classic starfish and sand dollar decor will look like it’s gotten a modern update next to the clean, square silhouette of this sofa.

6. A seashell-inspired accent chair

Want to channel your inner mermaid? Add a seashell-shaped accent chair to your beach cottage decor. This Channel-Tufted Swivel Chair in Rose and Gold is perfect for a more glamorous beach theme. Add some gold-plated seashells and a string of pearls in your trinket bowls, and you’ll be dripping with deep sea glamor.

7. A wood and white bookcase

For your hard furniture (think dressers, tables, and bookcases), the two beachiest colors are white and natural wood. A piece that combines the two will allow you to play with both colors throughout your home — a wood coffee table here, a white hutch over there — and it will pull the whole look together. This Danbrook Bookcase brings modern coastal style to your home with its geometric silhouette, wood frame, and white shelves.

8. A seagrass area rug

Pull your living space together with a perfect area rug. This can help define the space, especially in an open-concept living room, and make your design feel cozier and more complete. Woven seagrass will add an ideal beachy touch in a natural tan color that matches the rest of your coastal decor.

9. An accent wall

If you want to create a focal point in your living room, dining room, bedroom, or even your half bath, try adding shiplap or creating a wood wall. (We don’t recommend this project for full baths or kitchens because the extra moisture in these spaces can make the wood warp.) This is an easy weekend DIY project that can instantly upgrade your space. After you’re done, hang wall art on top of the accent wall, or let it shine on its own.

10. A driftwood-inspired dining table

Even if your home doesn’t have an outdoor space, try bringing the outdoors in with furniture that shows the natural beauty of unfinished wood. The Asbury Dining Table Base in Natural Teak is handcrafted from pieces of natural teak. Each table is one-of-a-kind and the look of the intertwined pieces of natural wood is reminiscent of driftwood you’d find on the beach. It adds a natural element to your nautical decor.

11. A live-edge dining table

For a subtler take on a natural wood finish, try a piece with a live edge. A live-edge dining table only leaves the edges of the tabletop in their organic, uncut shape. The Bexley Rectangular Live-Edge Dining Set brings that organic, driftwood inspired look into your dining room. The trestle base on the table and matching bench is a perfect fit for coastal farmhouse homes, and the beige upholstered dining chairs will match your light and airy coastal color palette.

12. A blue upholstered headboard

Incorporate more of those aquatic blue tones with an upholstered headboard. Not only does the dark blue headboard on this Charity Queen Upholstered Bed have deep sea vibes, it also has dreamy nighttime vibes. Pair it with natural wood furniture and nautical decor, like boat oars or a ship wheel hanging on the wall.

13. A light-wood bedroom set

Light wood in the bedroom mimics the look of a sandy beach and can add an airy feel to your beach cottage bedroom. The Arini Queen Bedroom Set comes in a sand-wash finish. The headboard and footboard are upholstered in natural, woven cane fabric to bring more of that beachy rattan look to your home decor. Plus, the matching dresser mirror helps reflect more natural light into your bedroom to fill your beach cottage with sunshine.

Ride the wave of inspiration

From reclaimed wood to crisp white upholstery to touches of aqua and teal, there are many ways to incorporate beach cottage style into your home. Now that you have a better idea of what your version of coastal living looks like, go out and seize the (beach) day!

Head to your local Coaster Furniture retailer to browse beach cottage decor in person. Not only can you support a local business but you can also make sure every piece of coastal home decor you pick looks as good in real life as it does in the pictures — which is something you can’t do when you shop online.

After you finish your beachy home makeover, you’ll be ready to relax into the peaceful coastal lifestyle you’re dreaming of. So start decorating — once you begin, you’ll see that the whole process is an ocean breeze!

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