You don't have to trek all the way to the Caribbean to enjoy a little beach-themed beauty. Bring the shore indoors with these simple tips:
- Start with a color palette that mimics the tones of the beach: whites, blues, and light sandy neutrals.
- For furniture, go for rustic light wood. Use linen fabrics and cotton slipcovers for cozy, overstuffed cushions.
- Use light wood or ceramic tile for your floors, then cover them with sisal, jute, seagrass, or woven cotton rugs.
- Cover your windows with light-colored, breezy linen fabric that allows the sun to shine through.
- Post outdoorsy, beachy photos, and scatter seaside-reminiscent knickknacks (say, shells) around the room. Don’t go too crazy, though -- keep it subtle -- or risk looking over-the-top themey.
- Consider wainscoting -- a type of paneling that covers just the bottom three feet or so of your walls. (The point is to cover the parts of the walls that are most vulnerable to rising water -- a true beachy purpose!)
Nestpert: Minnesota designer Jay Nuhring, author of the blog "Loving What You Have".
-- The Nest Editors
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