Coastal Design, Reconsidered

Sunset Magazine recently asked us to share how we think about coastal design, the version that goes deeper than seashells and navy stripes. It's a subject close to our hearts, since so much of our work sits along the Southern California coast. Here's the fuller conversation behind that feature.

Coastal is a way of living, not a decorating style

Ask us to define coastal and we won't start with a color or a motif. We'll start with a feeling.

Coastal isn't a decorating style, it's a way of living. It should feel easy, filled with light, and deeply connected to the landscape around it.

Rather than filling a home with beach-inspired decor, we focus on creating spaces that encourage people to slow down, open the doors, and let the outdoors become part of everyday life. The coastal feeling comes from natural light, soft architectural details, warm wood tones, and layered textures. These elements create a much more authentic connection to the outdoors than any decorative accessory ever could.

The most common mistake

The biggest misstep we see is decorating for the beach instead of designing for coastal living. People often lean on the obvious references, anchors, shells, rope, or an abundance of navy-and-white. We'd steer the other way.

Coastal design should feel collected and timeless. It should prioritize natural materials, durable finishes, and spaces that transition effortlessly between indoors and outdoors. People also underestimate how much landscaping contributes to the feeling. Native grasses, gravel pathways, and layered planting can do as much for a home's coastal character as the furnishings inside.

Getting the look without the kitsch

Architecture and materials are always our starting point. Large windows, painted wood ceilings, French doors, natural oak, linen drapery, handmade tiles, and unlacquered brass create a quiet foundation that feels inherently coastal.

From there, we introduce subtle nods to the setting, a striped textile, a woven pendant, a vintage-inspired beach chair. Those moments feel far more impactful because they're layered thoughtfully instead of repeated throughout the home.

A palette pulled from the landscape

We love palettes drawn straight from the coast itself: warm whites, soft sand, pale oak, weathered greens, limestone, and terracotta, all of which appear naturally along the California coastline. Texture matters just as much. Cane, natural woven fibers, linen, plaster, and handmade ceramics add richness while keeping the palette calm.

Relaxed, but never unfinished

Restraint is what elevates coastal design. Instead of relying on accessories, we focus on proportion, craftsmanship, and timeless materials. Beautiful millwork, tailored drapery, quality upholstery, and carefully selected lighting create a sense of refinement while still feeling approachable.

The goal is for every room to feel effortless, not unfinished.

Coastal doesn't have to be blue

It's the rule we happily break: coastal doesn't always have to be blue. Some of our favorite coastal homes are built almost entirely around warm neutrals, pale wood, and natural textures, and they feel more connected to the landscape than homes that rely on traditional beach colors.

The one we'd never break: every room should have a visual or physical connection to the outdoors. Whether that's through framed views, natural light, or materials that continue outside, that relationship is what makes a home truly feel coastal.

Where to start: a few timeless pieces

Rather than buying coastal decor, we'd invest in timeless pieces that naturally belong in a coastal home. A few we come back to:

• Business & Pleasure Co. ‘Tommy Chair’

  Nostalgic without feeling overly nautical, equally at home on a beach, around a fire pit, or on a terrace. Shop →

• Jenni Kayne ‘Alpaca Basketweave Throw’

  Natural fibers instantly soften a room and add the kind of relaxed layering coastal homes do so well. Shop →

• Palecek ‘Cassidy Pendant’

  Classic lighting with timeless lines always outlasts trend-driven coastal fixtures. Shop →

The takeaway

The most memorable coastal homes aren't designed around the ocean, they're designed around how people live near it. They invite natural light inside, blur the line between indoors and out, embrace materials that patina beautifully over time, and leave enough breathing room for the landscape to become part of the design.

The coast isn't something we decorate with, it's something we design around.

See more of this thinking in our coastal work, The Boardwalk Beach House and The Blackrock Beach House.

As featured in Sunset Magazine · Read the full story →