Life's a beach: tips for your beach cottage
If life’s a beach, our beach cottage is a safe port we can reach every time our everyday life is stressing us out: let’s take a look at a few décor ideas.
Beach cottages are bizarre places: interior design has changed and evolved, but somehow, holiday houses seem quite unchanged. In fact, it’s precisely this slight rétro vibe that makes us feel rested and sheltered from our everyday tasks whenever we can relax in a cottage away from home. So, if you’re lucky enough to own a lovely beach cottage, or -- like us -- you’ve always wanted to own one, this article is for you: let’s take a look at a few ideas on how to style one.
Cotton and rattan
These are two keywords to keep in mind! Sofas and armchairs covered in light, cotton upholstery and mounted on a rattan structure have been part of the interior design of beach cottages since...well, forever! Informal and neat, they bring to our mind thoughts of sandcastles and blue ocean waves. Moreover, cotton is the best upholstery fabric in this case, as it will stay relatively cool in summer.
Are you going to use this cottage in winter, too? If so, don’t forget to bring some soft cotton throws and blankets! You might still find them useful in summer as well, if the temperature ever drops a few degrees or if you’re sitting outside at night. Also, they will make your laid-back rattan sofa look even more comfy and informal.
Cotton and wood
Who said cotton&rattan is the only possible combination? Another great combo is cotton and wood! Armchairs with a slender wooden frame and thick cushions will fit in perfectly with your beach cottage style! Try to always opt for light-brown wood rather than dark; before we forget, one last detail: do you notice how the backrest of the pictured armchair is leaning back? That’s the sort of casual, informal look we want to get.
Speaking of wood, with the exception of some areas, like the kitchen and the bathroom, for any other room that’s the flooring material we recommend. Make sure you choose wooden planks that look quite rustic already: through the years, thousands of grains of sand will end up on the floor! Give it some time, and it will gain an even more fascinating distressed patina.
Beach-themed decoration
Yes, we are aware it does look a bit cheesy, but in reality, every beach cottage should have a few beach-themed decorations, like seashells and glass jars filled with colorful sand. What about palm trees? The palm leaves motif on this pillow is subtle enough not to be kitsch and / or cheesy.
Inside out
Beach cottages and holiday houses in general are made to break free of conventions and restrictions. For instance, in a beach cottage there is no (or there shouldn’t be any) distinction between indoor and outdoor furniture: that surfboard that stays outside all day can become a great home décor piece when leaning casually against a wall in the living room. That same, identical logic can be applied to any other piece of furniture: your living room is already filled with typically outdoor things, like rattan sofas and so on; why not add an outdoor coffee table?
The same goes for lanterns and lamps! Some indoor lamps are actually designed to resemble informal outdoor lamps. Take a look at this one, for instance: an ash lantern hanging over your comfy rattan sofa to guarantee the coziest atmosphere.
Old-timey kitchen vibe
Do you remember when we said that beach cottages tend to have that rétro, 60s vibe about them? Well, if yours still doesn’t, the kitchen is the best place to show this country vibe off! How? It’s fairly easy: opt for wooden, white (or light-colored) kitchen counters and island; don’t go overboard: realistically, you’re not going to spend that much time in the kitchen while you’re relaxing on holiday, so make it small and contained.
To enhance the country, homey vibe, style the floor with stone tiles. Again, don’t go overboard too much: a dichromate floor with a few additional decorative tiles will do.
Finally, why don’t you bring this country feel into the dining room? Rule #1 is to stick to wooden chairs and table, while Rule #2 is to never, ever get a lacquered set of chairs or a glossy table: stick to a polished but matte wood texture.
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