Coastal Interior Design: Colours and Room Ideas

What is coastal style?

Coastal style copies what a house by the sea does without trying. Walls are white, because the light is the best thing in the room. Floors are bare or covered in rough woven grass, because sand comes in on your feet. Fabrics are cotton and linen that can be washed, and the colours are the ones outside the window: sand, sky and water.

It has no founder and no start date. It is a look, borrowed from seaside homes in many countries. One part of it does have a date. Regulations of 27 March 1858 made a blue-and-white striped knitted shirt, the marinière, part of the French Navy's uniform. During the First World War Coco Chanel, who had watched sailors on her seaside holidays, sold her own version at her shop in Deauville, and the stripe has stood for the seaside ever since.

The coastal look in five signs

White, and plenty of it. Walls, ceilings, woodwork and often the sofa too.
Blue in more than one depth. Sky, sea and navy together, most often as stripes.
Woven grass underfoot. A jute, sisal or seagrass rug, with a rattan chair or basket near it.
Wood that looks sun-bleached. Limed, whitewashed or driftwood grey, with one honey-toned piece.
Clear windows. Sheer cotton or a plain blind. Nothing heavy stands between the room and the daylight.

Coastal colours

Think of the beach in bands: a wide band of white, a band of sand, then the blues. Keep that order of amounts in the room. Navy is the thinnest band: a stripe, a cushion, the edge of a rug.

#F2F6F8Foam whiteWalls, woodwork, the sofa.
#D8BC88SandJute rugs and honey wood.
#BCB09CDriftwoodWeathered wood, linen.
#A2CAEASky blueCushions, glass, a painted chair.
#2C74B0Sea blueStripes and one large cushion.
#0E2A50NavyThe thinnest lines only.

Painting a room white? The paint calculator works out the litres and the tins.

Coastal materials, furniture and lighting

Woods: Limed or whitewashed oak and pine, painted boards, and weathered grey timber. One varnished honey-toned piece, like a boat's hull, for warmth.
Fabrics: Linen, cotton canvas and ticking stripe. Loose covers that come off for the wash.
Other materials: Jute, sisal, seagrass, rattan and wicker. Clear and sea-green glass. Rope, used sparingly.
Furniture: Relaxed and a little oversized: a deep sofa in a loose cover, a painted wooden table, a wicker armchair. Nothing dark, shiny or formal.
Lighting: Daylight does the work. For the evening, glass lamp bases, white shades and a woven rattan pendant.

Coastal room by room

A coastal living room

A white or pale linen sofa, two blue-striped cushions and one plain one, a jute rug and a pale wooden table. Hang white curtains wide, so they clear the glass when open. A rule shops use: the pole runs 15–20 cm past each side of the window. The curtain size calculator gives the pole length and the widths to buy.

A coastal bedroom

White bed linen with one striped pillow or a blue blanket, a painted bedside table and a wicker chair. Board panelling behind the bed, painted white, suits the style well. Keep the floor bare with a cotton rug beside the bed.

A coastal bathroom

The style is at home here. White tiles or painted boards, striped cotton towels, a wooden bath mat and a single glass jar of shells or sea glass.

Coastal style on a budget, in a rented flat

Take down what is heavy. Store thick curtains and hang white cotton voile on the same pole.
Cover the sofa in white. A large cotton throw or a loose cover, tucked in tight.
Add stripes. Two blue-and-white cushion covers are enough to name the style.
Lay a jute rug. It brings the sand colour and the texture in one piece.
Paint a piece you own. A wooden chair or a small table in white or sky blue. The walls stay as they are.

White walls and clear windows also make a room look larger. Ten more moves are in how to make a room look bigger.

What to avoid

The souvenir shop. Anchors, ships' wheels and signs that say "Beach". One bowl of shells you collected says more.
Too much navy. With a lot of dark blue and brass the room turns nautical, and darker.
Bright turquoise with coral. The colours of the real coast are softer than that.
Heavy furniture and velvet. They belong to winter rooms. Coastal fabrics are light and washable.

Coastal vs Scandinavian, and coastal vs farmhouse

Coastal vs Scandinavian

Both begin with white walls and pale wood. A Scandinavian room is made for winter: it has wool, sheepskin and candles, and almost no colour. A coastal room is made for summer: it has linen, cotton, woven grass and several blues.

Coastal vs farmhouse

Both are relaxed and fond of painted wood. Farmhouse is warmer and heavier, in cream, sage and worn brown timber, and it centres on a big kitchen table. Coastal is cooler, bluer and lighter on its feet.

ScandinavianThe simple style of the Nordic countries.

FarmhouseThe comfortable style of country homes.

All 14 styles, side by side

Coastal questions

What is coastal interior design?

A light, relaxed style drawn from houses by the sea. White walls, sand and blue, pale wood, linen and cotton, and woven textures such as jute, sisal and rattan. Windows are left as clear as they can be.

What colours are coastal?

White first, then sand and driftwood neutrals, then blue in two or three depths, from sky to navy. Use the deepest blue least. Honey-coloured wood or a jute rug adds warmth.

What is the difference between coastal and nautical style?

Nautical is the more literal of the two: navy and white with red, brass, rope and ship motifs. Coastal is lighter and sandier, and takes its cue from the beach and the light, not from boats.

Can I use coastal style if I do not live by the sea?

Yes. Leave out the seaside souvenirs and keep what makes the look work anywhere: white walls, clear windows, pale wood, blue-and-white stripes and natural rugs.

What wood is used in coastal style?

Pale and weathered woods: limed or whitewashed oak, pine, and timber the grey of driftwood. Painted white boards are common. A honey tone, like a boat's varnished hull, suits a table or a chair.

Editorial notes

Written by the Snuug team and checked on 11 November 2026. The dates and names come from the sources below. A number with no source beside it is a designers' rule of thumb, not a study. The picture and its colours are Snuug's own pixel art.