What is coastal interior design style?

It’s easy to understand why Australians love a coastal-inspired aesthetic when we enjoy some of the best coastlines in the world. However, drawing inspiration from our coastal surroundings and applying this in your home interior can be easier said than done. Start by creating a mood board that depicts an array of inspirational images and a suggested colour palette to give you a sense of the overall look and feel of your ideal coastal-inspired space. 

Whilst there are many different interpretations of a coastal scheme, we have put together what we would coin quite a traditional coastal look in terms of colour, modernised by pattern and texture in my selections.

Conceiving the colour palette

We’ve often said a good, true navy is like a neutral. It will stand the test of time. Dulux Surf n Dive, would make a striking feature as kitchen or laundry joinery or even a bedroom wall colour. We advocate painting all walls in a space the one colour to avoid stark contrast that can come from feature walls. 

Layering similar shades of one colour and saturating the space creates a feeling of calmness and consistency, which is where materials such as the Laminex French Navy and Laminex Winter Sky come into play. Both would make for impactful cabinet fronts and at a slightly lesser cost than 2pac painting.

Selecting your Hard Finishes and fixtures

The large tile that forms the foundation of this mood board sets the tone for this scheme. We fell instantly in love with the Frammenta tile from National Tiles which is inspired by an Italian stone and is something we’ve used in multiple interiors already. The irregularity of the aggregate and subtle variation of colour provides a really interesting, neutral base from which to build a palette. The sandy colours that appear in this tile offer an opportunity to include other warmer neutrals which are fundamental to any good interior. Whilst whites and greys can play a role in this look, they need those warmer tones that come from things like the beautiful organic face stone. 

The colour of the Aspen Dressed Fieldstone from PGH Bricks, references other blonde shades in materials, such as the oak timber engineered flooring, cabinet handles and the timber grain laminate. Timber grain laminate always makes for successful joinery and my brass selections, as depicted by the tapware, seamlessly add to the tonality of the board.

If your budget can accommodate some wall panelling, a simple 100m vertical joint board is synonymous with coastal design and is so effective at adding depth to an interior. The more interest you can achieve in your building materials, the less work you have to do in the decorating process.

Soft furnishings

It is however the decorating process that is always the cherry on top in interior design. Think of your soft furnishing choices like jewellery. The type of fabrics you choose for things such as your window dressings or bench seat cushion tops will decide whether your coastal home is casual, formal, contemporary, classic or whatever mood and style you want to achieve. Contrasting patterns and scale is a sure way to achieve a home packed with personality, which is a home you’ll always be proud of.

Let’s Get Started

Creating a mood board for the design of your future home will not only assist with communicating your vision to your colour-selection specialist but will also give you confidence in the outcome of your home design. A reference you can always go back to in future, keep your Coastal inspired mood board close during your home selections process.

Don’t forget to share with us your mood board design by tagging @ausmarhomes on Facebook and Instagram.