Create Coastal Living Decor in 5 Easy Steps

You love the ocean, the smell of salt water, the touch of warm sand, and the sound of waves that heighten your every sense. Let me show you how to create coastal living decor in 5 easy steps for your living room or bedroom.I've got 5 easy-breezy tips for you to achieve a coastal living design. I'm not talking about the flat look of "I live by the beach" either. I'm talking about a beautiful chic "Coastal" vibe that's 100% you! So drop the bag of sea shells and let's do this right!

Step 1: Remove Dark Furniture

First things first. If you have A LOT of dark furniture, choose 2 or 3 pieces to donate or give them to a loved one. Too many dark pieces in a room WILL NOT convey an easy-breezy beach house decor. Dark absorbs light, it will make the room feel heavy. Since we're going for light and airy like a nice clear day at the beach, we need to bring in some light colored pieces.

Step 2: Add Light Colored Furniture

Yep, you guessed it! Now it's time to bring in some light and airy pieces. These are white, off white, and natural color woods such as reclaimed wood or a smooth-finished wood with a lighter finish. There are plenty of options currently out there. Some of these pieces can be a sofa, side tables, or coffee table. Do not be afraid to mix and match wood tones. While they all don’t have to match, remember when doing so to bring it back in either in a decorative piece or another piece of furniture. Even though mixing is ok, the colors still need to compliment one another. This can get tricky but I have faith in you! When you see it you will know it!

Step 3: Use Cool Coastal Accent Colors

Create Coastal Living Decor Step 3: Add Cool Coastal Accent Colors

Use cool accent colors that represent coastal living such as Sand, Blue, and Sea Foam. Here's the kicker - bring in an unexpected color that you absolutely love. That becomes your "Coastal" signature. It's yours, you own it! This way, you won't look like every other neighbor down the block with the "I live the by sea look". Your Coastal Signature color can be Green, Magenta, Pink. REALLY - whatever you LOVE! Remember ONLY 1 unexpected color - not 2 or 3. Other than that, stay on course with the "Coastal feel" - don’t lose sight of the crisp white and blue/greens. These colors can be added with pillows, art, and other accessories. Apply these various colors throughout the room to draw the eye to each piece. DO support each color with multiple pieces in the same color. Think like the grocery aisle - they display 3 rows of the same products to draw your eyes there and keep your attention. Otherwise, your eyes will glaze over what you're trying to look for. If you splatter one of each color, you will lose the cohesiveness of the space and it will feel unfocused or worse - tacky.

Step 4: Add Different Textures

Adding different Textures is a MUST! Think of driftwood, sand, and seagrass. The possibilities are endless when introducing texture into a space. It can be fabric, furniture, décor, or even lighting. It is easy to fall in love with SO many amazing textured elements. If it's a small decorative item, pick up to 3 different materials. If it’s a big piece, keep it limited to 2. The goal is to set the stage and highlight a few of the textured pieces. Any more than that is sensory overload!

Step 5: Add a Relaxation Aroma

To top off the list, add a nice scented candle or oil reed diffuser add a relaxation component to your coastal living area. Both options are great as added décor and the bonus is it will smell like a nice relaxing day at the beach.Mr. B's Necessities happens to be one of my favorite local candle makers. All of their candles are made of 100% natural ingredients. Just the way I like it! The folks at Mr. B's has also given my readers a special discount for free shipping too! Go check em out Hereand order away. For free shipping type in 9tendesign at check outLuckily it's Winter and you have time to accomplish your island paradise. So go on and get started now! Get out there and pull together your pieces, colors, and textures. Before you know it, Spring will be here!Many of my clients get to this point and feel completely overwhelmed with all of the choices and get stuck. So if you get stuck, DON'T give up! I'm here to help -just give me a shout out here.