How to style your coastal home

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There’s nothing quite like an Australian summer and for many of us, that means long laid-back days at the beach, sand between our toes and the soft sounds of the ocean.

It’s a lifestyle we love, so why not bring some of that into your home? At Hamlan, we often draw reference from our Great Ocean Road origins — both in our architectural design as well as our interior design.

A well-designed and styled coastal home is bright, open and harmoniously blends modern comforts with natural textures and quality materials. If done correctly a modern coastal home can feel like a relaxed beach house but look like a luxe contemporary home.

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A coastal home should be bright, open and harmoniously blends modern comforts with natural textures and materials.

To get this style right there’s a number of things you need to pay attention to, and with some thoughtful selections, you too could have a home that evokes summer beach days, all year round.

Flooring

As soon as you take your first step into a coastal home, one of the first things you will notice is the flooring. For a coastal home, light, natural textures are the best way to evoke the feeling of sand and the beach. At Hamlan, we often use lighter timbers such as the Karndean’s Lemon Spotted Gum. This engineered, timber flooring is quite durable, easy-to-clean and can handle the constant sandy feet running through the home.

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In the Erskine 225 display, we’ve used a Karndean’s Lemon Spotted Gum engineered timber flooring to create a soft, beachside look.

For softer flooring, texture is the key. Again you’ll want to opt for natural materials with a beautiful, textured finish. In Hamlan homes when it comes to carpet we love chunky loop pile wool carpet in lighter tones for our coastal homes. Loop pile has a lovely tactile appeal, and in wool, it’s a sustainable option. When it comes to rugs – natural textures again are preferred in wool or jute to create an inviting, relaxed feel to space.

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The chunky loop pile wool carpet in our Erskine 225 display adds a beautiful, textured finish with tactile appeal.

Just remember, by choosing lighter coloured flooring, the home retains its bright and open laid-back feel which is warm and enjoyable to enter.

Lighting

Every home needs lighting. And coastal homes, in particular, should always feel light and bright. And although natural light plays an important part in this, a little help with lighting can also enhance the ambience in a home.

In addition, the careful selection of light fittings is one of the simplest ways to introduce beautiful organic textures into your coastal home. This creates interesting focal points to spaces. Pendant light fixtures in wicker or rattan are a simple way of doing this and can come in a range of sizes and shapes.

And if you have a split-level or double-storey home, wall lights that light the stair treads are a safety feature that also looks architectural — so the choices are really endless.

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Rattan pendant lights in the kitchen and living adds a subtle touch of organic texture to the area.

Soft furnishings

Adding lots of texture really is key to getting a coastal style right. And soft furnishings is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to introduce texture into your home.

When buying your bedspreads, cushions, ottomans and wall hangings — natural fabrics are preferred — think linen, cotton and wool. In addition to being sustainable fabrics, they also have a worn-in look that helps to create a beach feel. In addition to that, layering your textures with textiles that include tassels, pattern and embroidery will create a sense of depth to the look and ultimately create an inviting feel to the space.

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Layering your bed covers is an easy, cost-effective way to add coastal character to the bedroom.

Lighter, neutral tones are generally prefered, however that doesn’t mean avoid colour altogether. Pops of colour are definitely a refreshing welcome — opt for turquoise green, navy, gold and fuschia.

Just remember, keep it light, refreshing and texture, texture, texture!

Furniture

The consistent theme with a modern coastal home is choosing items that create a sense of tranquillity. However, your furniture offers you a chance to go a little bolder and select hero pieces that can make a space pop.

In terms of materials, timber is an obvious choice for furniture in a modern coastal home — lighter timbers such as Tasmanian oak or a white-washed timber is a lovely subtle choice that fits perfectly within a coastal home. Rattan, wicker and Vienna straw are other popular choices. But feel free to play around with shape and style.

Curved furniture is currently on trend — and many of the latest designs in furniture have soft, contoured lines, which adds a touch of warmth and femininity to a space. This works well in a coastal home.

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This curved timber coffee table with shell ornament is a subtle nod to the coast while the turquoise couch adds a refreshing pop of colour.

Your furniture choice is also an opportunity to add more colour to your home. And although soft couches and armchairs in neutral-coloured linen works very well in a coastal home, don’t feel like you have to hold back on bolder colours. Colours such as navy blue, sea-grass green, turquoise, terracotta, mustard work well within a coastal home and can add a refreshing change to a space that’s filled with muted neutral colours.

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Bolder colours such as mustard create a focal point in a space filled with muted neutral colours

Outdoor

If you’ve got a coastal home, then your outdoor areas need the same amount of love and attention as indoors. And if you’ve got a beach view, then you may even be spending more time outside, than in! When it comes to styling your coastal home’s outdoor areas you’ve just got to keep it simple.

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Soft outdoor lounges create an inviting space to entertain friends.

For an alfresco area, soft outdoor lounges with plenty of cushions create the perfect space to relax after a day at the beach or an inviting space to entertain friends. This also means that with the quick addition of some blankets and an outdoor heater your alfresco area can be enjoyed into the night as well as during the cooler months. When choosing your furniture, it’s best to stick with the advice above — neutral tones, natural textures work best as it allows the landscape to be the focal point.

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Keep things simple to create an intimate courtyard.

If you’ve got a courtyard, create a private, intimate haven by adding a small timber or wicker table and chairs. This creates the perfect place to sit back and enjoy a coffee and a book.

In summary

Feel like it’s summer all year round, by adding a coastal style to your home. A modern coastal home can feel like a relaxed beach house but look like a luxe contemporary home.

To get the style right, it’s important to pay careful attention to your finishes, fixtures, furniture and decor. Consider natural materials and textures, such as timber, rattan, wicker, and fabrics such as linen and wool. You can choose items that evoke a sense of tranquillity with soft neutral colours, however don’t be afraid to incorporate pops of colour — deep navy, turquoise or terracotta.

At Hamlan, we often draw reference from our Great Ocean Road origins — both in our architectural design as well as our interior design.

For a great example of one of our coastal homes

Take a look at our Erskine 225 display at Oakdene Estate, Ocean Grove.

Erskine 225 Display
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