Modern Beach House Decorating Ideas for Your Home

If you’ve been following along for a while, you know how much I love modern coastal style, and you’ll see that love reflected throughout our home.   After years of changing my decor with every season and design trend, I found that once I began incorporating a coastal-inspired color palette of crisp whites, soft blues, and neutral earth tones throughout our home, everything just started making sense!

Then, a few months ago our family spent a week at an amazing Florida airbnb, The White Palm, beautifully decorated in modern beach house style. 

I was so taken with this relaxed, yet elevated take on coastal style that when we returned home I began adding more woven elements, natural fabrics, and neutral decor to our spaces — and I love the updated look it brought to our home.

Whether you’re already a fan of modern beach house style or are simply interested in learning what this aesthetic is all about, today I’m sharing some ideas and tips for bringing a touch of beach house decor to your home, and I hope you find this post helpful and inspiring.

Home Beautiful

How does beach house decor differ from coastal style?

There are many different versions of coastal decor, from a chic California casual aesthetic, to Hamptons style Nancy Meyers interiors, to charming coastal grandmother style, and more — but today I’m focusing on a version that works beautifully with many different design styles: modern beach house decor.

Jenni Kayne

While both modern coastal and modern beach house decorating styles incorporate an abundance of natural elements such as wood, baskets, natural rugs, woven light fixtures, and fabrics like cotton and linen, there are a few differences between the two. 

Birds and Bobos

Where modern coastal interiors are typically a bit more tailored and refined, beach house home decor is usually more neutral and organic, with a chic, carefree aesthetic that doesn’t take itself too seriously. 

Pure Salt Interiors

Think comfy seating, natural linen and cotton, casually thrown pillows and throw blankets, and weathered woods.

Pure Salt Interiors – similar sectionals here, here and here – similar coffee tables here and here

Modern beach house decor will often feature tasseled pillows in textured fabrics, layered vintage rugs, plenty of woven elements, unfinished woods, and natural textiles — especially cotton and linen. 

Pure Salt Interiors

 

And, although beach house style has evolved a bit from its modern coastal roots, a breezy, relaxed feeling is still central. 

Brandon Architects – Patterson Custom Homes

Some of my favorite places to find furniture, linens, and decor with a modern beach house aesthetic include Jenni Kayne, Serena & Lily and Dear Keaton.  

Modern Beach House Decorating Ideas for 2024

Pure Salt Interiors

1. Begin with a backdrop of white

If you’d like to give your house a light and airy beach home look, adding a touch of white — whether through paint or fabric — is a simple, instant refresh. 

Pure Salt Interiors

Not only does a foundation of white allow the beauty of your home to shine, it’s one of the best beach house decorating ideas if you’re on a budget.

Greige Design Co.

When using an abundance of white in a space, it’s important to increase texture wherever you can.  A natural jute rug and woven baskets bring added interest and texture to the beautiful beach house entryway shown below.

Barrow Building Group

This beautiful beach house kitchen incorporates a mix of white oak and white kitchen cabinets, with woven chairs, wood flooring, and a statement chandelier.

Salt Design Co.

My favorite white paint colors are Benjamin Moore White Dove and Benjamin Moore Simply White, both of which we used throughout our home, including on our kitchen cabinets.

You can learn more about my favorite paint colors in this post:  All the Paint Colors We Used in Our Home. 

2. Focus on beachy neutrals

The essence of beach house interior design comes down to a combination of a neutral beach color palette and texture.

Pure Salt Interiors for Katrina Scott

Texture gives life to a space and provides visual interest against a neutral backdrop.

Pure Salt Interiors

Neutral hues that work beautifully together in beach house style interiors include blue, grey, beige, white, ivory, and tan.  Basically, all the colors of the sea, sand, and sky!

Studio McGee

I love all the beautiful neutral tones and textures in this lovely beach house bedroom design.

Pure Salt Interiors

Rustic woods, warm bamboos, rattans, and earthy elements are key to a beach-inspired look, as shown in this beautiful living room.

Pure Salt Interiors

You can balance these elements with smooth, shimmering finishes like glass, brass, chrome, and copper to keep a beach house style home looking fresh and modern.  

Pure Salt Interior Design – pendants – stools

3. Add in some breezy fabrics + textiles

Fabrics and textiles made from natural fibers that are reminiscent of the beach—like jute, sisal, linen, cotton, and rattan—are perfect in beach house interiors. 

Pure Salt Interiors for Katrina Scott

A mix of linen pillows, throws, and bedding and a woven light fixture can be used to create a modern beach bedroom. Cotton is always a wonderful option, too.

Pure Salt Interiors

Natural-fiber jute and sisal rugs are the perfect way to add relaxed coastal style to the living room.  Here’s where to find the arm chairs.

Pure Salt Interior Design – chairs

You can also incorporate natural fabrics in a space through window coverings, pillows and ottomans. 

Pure Salt Interiors

This beautiful space is a wonderful example of how to use a mix of textiles to decorate a master bedroom or living room with modern beach house style.

Pure Salt Interiors

4. Bring in texture with woven elements

Woven elements, like chairs, or even decorative boxes, are a simple way to bring modern beach house style to the living room. 

Pure Salt Interiors

This beautiful dining room features a statement woven pendant light, striped jute rug, and neutral color palette for a touch of modern beach house style.

Intimate Living Interiors

Here’s a great way to incorporate woven lighting in a modern beach bathroom.

Pure Salt Interiors

An abundance of layered textures bring a touch of elevated beach house style to this beautiful living room design.

House of Four Design

Woven counter stools or barstools are one of my favorite beach house decorating ideas for the kitchen.

Erin Hansen and Studio McGee for Christine Andrew – counter stools

This beautiful California casual home blends refined modern coastal style, through the rug, tailored sectional and ottomans, with boho coastal style, through the unfinished wood coffee table and woven elements.

Pure Salt Interior Design – similar sectionals here, here and here – similar coffee table here

I love this beautiful beach themed kitchen design with a backdrop of white kitchen cabinets, woven counter stools, and a large woven pendant light in the breakfast nook:

Pure Salt Interiors – counter stools

5. Finish with a few thoughtful beach house details

A woven basket atop the coffee table filled with a strand of shell beads and other natural elements is an easy way to bring textural interest to a beach house living room.

Pure Salt Interiors

Small details, like fringe and tassels on throws and pillows, add a touch of boho beach house style as well as interest and cohesiveness to a bedroom and provide a soothing spot for your eye to rest. 

Amber Interior Design – chair

Coastal artwork brings a lighthearted feeling to this beach themed bedroom.

Pure Salt Interiors

Artwork is also a great way to bring a fresh look to the dining room:

Pure Salt Interiors – chandelier

Stylish warm woods and a neutral color palette and decor are just a few of the details that make this beach themed living room truly unique:

Pure Salt Interiors

This small beach bathroom is filled with stylish ideas and details, like the striped rug, baskets, light wood vanity, and pampas grass:

Pure Salt Interior Design

I hope this post gave you some ideas on how to add a touch of beach house decor to your home.  

Pure Salt Interior Design – chairs

I love the beach themed version of coastal style because it’s easy to make it your own by adding your unique personality and touch.

Whether you prefer a modern luxury beach house look, a boho beachy aesthetic, or a laid-back California casual look, I hope you’ll consider giving beach house decor a try in your home.  I’ve found that summer is a great time to experiment with modern beach house decorating. 

Wishing you a beautiful day! xo jane

beach house decor

For more interior design and decorating ideas, here are a few favorite related posts from the blog:

How to Add a Touch of Nancy Meyers Style to Your Kitchen and Home

What is Coastal Grandmother Style? (and why I’m loving this trend)

Modern Coastal Decorating Ideas for Your Home

California Casual Style: How to Bring a Chic West Coast Look to Your Home

Modern Coastal Living Room Ideas

Beautiful Kitchen Design Ideas to Inspire Your Next Renovation

Beautiful and Affordable Turkish Oushak Runners for the Kitchen

Beautiful Modern Bathroom Design Ideas You Will Love

A Simple Guide to Mixing Metals in the Bathroom

Beautiful Coastal Bathroom Ideas and Trends for 2024

Colors of the Year + Top Home Color Trends for 2024

2024 Home Decor Trends and Design Styles You Will Love

Designer Spotlight: Pure Salt Interiors

Modern Bedroom Design Ideas and Trends for 2024

Modern Living Rooms filled with Inspiration

Modern Kitchen Pendant Lighting Ideas You Will Love