One Look, Two Ways: Coastal-Inspired Style

There’s a reason why coastal style is so popular, even if you don’t live near a lake, beach or ocean. Coastal homes remind us of time spent by the water, and the emotions we felt while there: happiness, relaxation, warmth and comfort. Two of our Empire model homes in Houston embraced this incredibly versatile decorating style in different ways, with our Lago Mar model championing the more nautical side of coastal style, and our Coastal Point home embracing the softer side of this decor. Read on to discover the elements that define coastal style, and the different ways you can introduce it in your own home.

The first step to creating the coastal-inspired home of your dreams is to determine whether nautical or tropical coastal style speaks to you most, as this will influence the direction of your home’s color palette.

Nautical: If anchors, seashells and a cool blue and white palette are what come to mind when you think of a coastal-inspired home, then a nautical look is what appeals to you. To recreate this look in a way that feels seafaring yet sophisticated, use whites and light neutral hues as a base and layer in pops of blue.

Tropical: If coastal style calls to mind the calm of being by the water, then embrace a cooler, more tropical-inspired palette for your home. Choose a pale and pretty hero hue — like the soothing green walls in Empire’s Coastal Point model — and carry it throughout the home.

Homes decorated in a coastal style often feel so inviting and comfortable thanks largely to the natural materials woven throughout them. Jute, sisal, rattan, abaca, seagrass and weathered woods are all favored by this style.

Nautical: Layers of natural materials drive the coastal look home in the Lago Mar model home dining room. A jute rug, woven bench and rattan place settings all come together to create an inviting dining space, while wood chairs and a table lamp with a wood base complete the look. To enhance the nautical vibe into your own dining room, take a cue from this space and opt for blue and white patterned plates.

Tropical: For a coastal look that isn’t so over-the-top with texture, introduce natural materials through small accessories like woven baskets, which can easily do double duty as a plant pot for palm fronds.

The secret to mastering coastal style? Don’t neglect the small accents and accessories that will give your space that effortless, breezy appeal.

Nautical: Pops of deep blue may be the first thing that jump out in this master bedroom, but a shiplap feature wall, woven headboard and box filled with seashells are all smaller accents that help pull the nautical look together. Don’t be afraid to opt for more unique pieces, either – wall art of an octopus may seem like a fish-out-of-water move in another style of home, but the unusual piece has pride of place in a coastal space.

Tropical: This bedroom’s cool coastal style comes together in a subtle way: maritime signal flags and a pair of table lamps with a rope base amplify the room’s statement-making piece, a custom headboard made of oars. To recreate a look like this at home, find a statement piece that speaks to you and supplement it with artwork and accessories.