Coastal Design, or Hamptons Chic, is very popular right now on the housing and design market. It seems that everyone has gone bananas for beachy – but is this a style that translates if you’re living inland?
Brisbane Coastal Design
There’s a nod to coastal life if you’re living on the foreshore areas (Sandgate and Shorncliffe to the north, Wynnum and Manly to the south). The artist brush here is flecked with blues and whites. Roofs are high, floorboards are exposed and the design is effortless and echoed in the sea breezes.
In the other suburbs, however, this design palate can still apply. Think gorgeously white furnishings, splashes of linen and beach-inspired artworks and designer pieces. Some styles of home, particularly the post-war brick battle-axes that litter the areas, don’t particularly sit well with this motif. Salmon coloured interior tiles that hark back to 1980’s home building will look quite odd if topped with a beachy theme. Consider investing in a series of rugs or, if money is less of an object, an overhaul to fit with this scheme.
Rural and Coastal? Design Knows No Bounds
Rural living truly does give one space to breathe. The ability to stretch your legs, spread your home out and take true advantage of exterior space makes this a surprisingly easy fit for coastal design.
This design scheme is all about space or creating the illusion thereof. It’s a simple task in the country to open up rooms to extend your interior living space by some careful renovation and some casual styling. Think grand yet relaxed. Modern yet classic. Coastal design is all about recreating that effortless beach style living in your own home. Doing so in the beautiful Aussie bush, where the pace is slower and the laughs are longer, can be an achievable task for the savvy hobby designer.
Know When To Stop
As the famous Coco Chanel once said, before you leave the home take one accessory off. The same can be said of interior design. Coastal design should not be suffocating – some key pieces can completely transform a tired, urban home into a beachy dream.
