Interior Design Tips For A Beach House
The best interior design blends form and function. Fewer places is this more true than at your beach house. Whether you are trying to remake an old beach shack into a dream vacation spot or if you are building the perfect house from scratch, the following interior design tips can help add function and form to the final design.
Tip #1: Make use of a mud room
Sand and water are a fact of life, but you can minimize how much gets tracked into the rest of the home. Set up a mudroom right off the main entrance. Choose a durable hard flooring option that can withstand both the grit of sand and standing water, such as matte-finish ceramic tile. You can contain the beach gear by installing pretty cubbies for each person, similar to open lockers. Each cubby should have a towel hook at the top and a bin at the bottom to catch beach supplies. Paint the cubbies white for a clean look, or use bright colors for a tropical or playful flair.
Tip #2: Be realistic in the kitchen
Are you really going to spend all of your time at the beach cooking, especially indoors? For many people, beach trips are punctuated by simple meals at home, dinners out, or outdoor cooking. Determine your dining style before designing a gourmet kitchen. A better use of space may be to focus on ensuring you have sufficient indoor prep surfaces for preparing the food for beach barbecues or making a simple meal. A smaller stove can help free up space, as can a smaller refrigerator. If you do eat at home a lot, make sure you install a dishwasher – no one wants to spend their vacation scrubbing dishes by hand!
Tip #3: Go Light on the Color
There are several good reasons to opt for lighter colors as the background to your décor. First, beach houses tend to be small and open, so the light colors lend a feeling of spaciousness. Another good reason to go light is because sand is less likely to stand out against a light background, so the house looks clean longer. Neutral walls and floors, such as in a sand or ivory color, work well. You can then add in furniture, rugs, and accessories in the colors of the beach, such as light blues, greens, and sunny yellows.
Tip #4: Keep your feet on the floor
Flooring can be a difficult choice in a beach house. Wood floors aren't always a good idea, especially if you have kids marching in and out. Many wood floors in beach houses end up painted white – this is because years of sand and water damage discolored the boards. Opt for a water and scratch resistant option like tile, linoleum, or laminate. Floors that you can simply sweep and occasionally mop are best, so skip the carpeting. Beach vacations are about relaxing, not constant cleaning.
Contact an interior design firm for more help in designing the perfect beach house.
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