26 Inviting Coastal Living Rooms

Aim for Seaside Whimsy

Designer Charlotte Lucas took a unique approach to coastal design in our 2022 Idea House in River Dunes, North Carolina, pulling the living room's palette from the area's sunsets and commissioning an artist to incorporate seashells into the millwork.

Include Antiques in the Mix

Given that this Inlet Beach, Florida, home is her primary residence, homeowner Catherine Gibbs wanted it to reflect the surroundings without leaning on beachy kitsch. In her living room, that meant mother-daughter design duo Bo Massey and Susan Bohlert Smith layered antiques and classic chesterfield sofas against the breezy color scheme.

Channel a Favorite Beach Hotel

For the living room in her parsonage-turned-family-home in Palmetto, Florida, lifestyle blogger Sarah Tucker looked to the Gasparilla Inn and Club in nearby Boca Grande for inspiration, filling it with blue, white, and beach finds.

Check Restraint at the Door

When it came to their Pass Christian, Mississippi, weekend house, homeowners Quinn Peeper and Michael Harold held no design punches, outfitting every space, including the coral-washed living room, with vibrant color and vintage finds.

Bank On Comfort

Designer Cortney Bishop emphasized comfort in this Kiawah Island, South Carolina, second-story living room, which looks out onto the ocean. She made the most of its view, snugly positioning in the window-wrapped corner a plush, patterned sofa that conveniently camouflages movie-night popcorn stains.

Play the Blues

At this waterfront cottage in Fairhope, Alabama, designer Mary Lauren McBride chose living room furnishings in a blue-and-white palette that reflects the serenity of the views through the out-of-frame French doors.

Go A Little Rustic

Designer Raili Clasen proves coastal palettes needn't be limited to blues and whites in her Lake Martin, Alabama, cabin, where she leaned into its summer camp vibes, grounding the place in a black-and-white checkerboard pattern and layering in pops of sunny yellow.

Spark Conversation

Cool colors and walls of windows keep the focus on the swaying palmettos outside of this Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, sunroom, which designer Jenny Keenan outfitted with chairs for comfy reading and easy conversation.

Invite in the Light

Steel windows and doors floods this historic Sullivan's Island, South Carolina, living room with light, allowing it to live larger than it is. Airy white furniture and throw pillows in shell pinks and ocean blues nod to the beachy surrounds.

Try a Natural Look

At our 2017 Idea House in Bald Head Island, North Carolina, designer Lindsey Coral Harper leaned on warm colors and botanical prints for a living room that feels appropriate for the area without leaning on expected coastal motifs or hues.

Build Character

Wood-paneled walls throughout infuse this WaterColor, Florida, cottage with a sense of history, a decision that designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas echoed in the timeless living room's natural elements and classic blue-and-white palette.

Indulge a Flight of Fancy

Designer Emily Painter went all-in on island-inspired elements in her Palm Beach rental's living room, transforming the white-box space with delightfully on-the-nose beachy finds, like a rattan bar cart and a pair of canvas palms.

Forego Flip-Flop Casual

Designer Heather Chadduck Hillegas makes a convincing argument for going a bit more formal in the living room of our 2019 Idea House in Crane Island, Florida, where she layered in rich fabrics and dark-wood furniture.

Embrace Neutrals (But Expect a Mess)

When it came to softening up this new build in WaterColor, Florida, designers Allison Smith and Anne Scott Shelley of Maison Studios leaned into breezy neutrals. They anticipated the childrens' wet bathing suits and sandy feet with washable linen slipcovers and performance-treated armchairs.

Take Throwbacks in Stride

The homeowners of this 1900s cottage in Pass Christian, Mississippi, allowed its original features to guide their design decisions, opting to preserve the dark wood paneling in the living room, where they relied on cheery prints and sea-blue furnishings to bring levity.

Welcome a Crowd

Homeowners Haile and Ben McCollum had a sneaking suspicion their revived St. Teresa, Florida, beach house would encourage guests, so they opted to outfit their living room in oversize sofas, which wear beach towels to shrug off sand and play double duty as beds when the cottage is packed to the gills with family and friends.

Simplify to the Max

The trick to making a 600-square-foot beach house work for a young family of five, plus their grandparents? Homeowner and designer Hannah Crowell relied on space-saving pieces, like a wooden settee, kick-back lounge chair, and the neighboring dining banquette, which is piled high with pillows to serve as an additional bit of comfy seating.

Incorporate Nature-Inspired Elements

Materials that connect to the location are key to character building. Sisal hints at the marsh grasses in an elegant way and is also durable, easy to clean, and ideal for layering. The alligator skull speaks to the local wildlife, while palms in antique glass and fern-patterned pillows are additional nods to the room's Lowcountry vibe and provide a carefree polish.

Punch It Up with Color

Crisp whites combined with punches of bright colors immediately transport you to the coast. In this living room, aqua accents in the pillows, throw, and rug mimic the ocean’s dazzling blues, and the pops of bright orange are inspired by the magnificent hues of the setting sun. Whitewashed horizontal shiplap planking evokes the feel of old Gulf-front beach houses.

Keep Things Shipshape

Coastal and nautical touches abound in this family room beginning with the seashell-print pillows. Coastal artwork over the fireplace flanks shelving that is filled to the brim with shell frames and boxes.

Weave in Beachy Accessories

Tortoise and conch shells accessorize the living room, while starfish adorn the mantel. Books on South Carolina’s coastal area lie stacked on the coffee table and topped with shells. Vases of palm fronds simply picked up from outside complete the tropical decor.

Walls covered with horizontal reclaimed cypress boards lend a subtle texture and aroma. Where the walls are neutral, eye-catching cushions, throws, and painted furniture keep things upbeat.

Play Up Paneling

Give a brand-new beach house lived-in personality with walls covered in horizontal shiplap planking. Whitewashed for a casual look and coated with polyurethane to protect the finish, planked walls evoke the ageless character of old Gulf-front beach houses.

Mix in Woven Elements

This beach house's living room mixes different furnishings for a relaxed feel. A wicker armchair and caramel colors have a "please touch, no fuss feel."

Introduce New Hues

Although a gray-blue coastal palette is dominant elsewhere in the house, the homeowners didn’t want to overplay the blue tones in the decor inside the living room. The slate surround of the fireplace, cream-colored sofa, and light blue runner on the table reinforce a neutral color scheme with sparing use of nautical blues.

Channel the Beach, Wherever You Are

In this tailor-made, serene indoor getaway, wicker lounge chairs surrounded by lush plants and coastal shrubbery transport you to the coast without you ever having to set foot outside your home by decorating. Don’t forget the beach towels and refreshing beverages!

Have Fun with Americana

This family wanted to bring the casual beauty of Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts to their Texas home on Galveston Bay. The wicker furniture and red, white, and blue fabrics evoke the easy beach feel perfectly.