7 Best Ideas for a Coastal Kitchen Decor Refresh
Create a coastal-style kitchen with 7 easy tips! Even if your current home is not a beach-inspired space, you can give it a makeover with these simple ideas for a coastal kitchen decor refresh!
Even though I actually do live on the coast, I wouldn’t necessarily think of our kitchen as coastal kitchen decor. In fact, when we renovated our home, it was very important to us that our kitchen be a space that had timeless elements that could transcend different decor styles. Basically, we know that I love to decorate and no decor ever stays around for too long! However, when the summer months are approaching, I love to incorporate some simple ideas to give our kitchen a quick coastal kitchen decor refresh!
Today, I’ll share these quick tips with you. You may not live on the coast or have a beach-style kitchen either. However, whether you are getting ready for a full kitchen renovation or just want to swap a few decorative accents, these ideas can help you get a coastal look and beachy vibe.
After all, who doesn’t want to live in a coastal beach house for the summer? This is your chance to give your kitchen a coastal kitchen decor refresh and make you feel like you are summering in a coastal cottage!
Ready for a coastal kitchen decor refresh? Here we go!
What is coastal kitchen style?
To know how to incorporate a coastal decor scheme in your kitchen, it is helpful to know the main ingredients that are essential to coastal kitchen ideas. While there can definitely be different interpretations of coastal style, these coastal kitchen ideas are a great way to bring a coastal theme into the busiest room of the home…your kitchen!
- Light color scheme
- Different shades of blue and sea-inspired colors
- Natural wood accents
- Natural elements such as marble, quartz, and wood accents
- Decorative accents with coastal elements, such as sea shells, palm branches, or wicker baskets
- Rattan or woven light fixtures
- Clean lines and simple, uncluttered styling
Even if your current kitchen is missing some of the main ingredients typically found in the overall design of a coastal home, there are still ways that you can add a coastal feel to your kitchen without a complete renovation!
In this post, we will look at some of these simple ways to add a coastal touch to your current kitchen, no matter what style it is right now!
What is a coastal grandmother kitchen?
The coastal grandmother style began several years ago as a social media sensation. Now, however, it is a highly sought after decor style. Not only does the coastal grandmother design aesthetic look beautiful, but it also evokes a feeling of easy, slow living. I can’t speak for you, but I know that around our home, “slow living” days are coveted and we work hard to make sure we carve out these days on our calendar.
For many, summertime is also a time that is a bit less rushed and families have nostalgic memories of family beach trips and vacations. Combined with the coastal elements and the feeling that a coastal grandmother home decor style incorporates, they are the perfect combination.
Adding to the list above, a coastal grandmother kitchen is going to bring the outdoors inside. The use of flowers, plants, fresh cut branches, and a windowsill with herbs add to the overall design of the coastal kitchen decor. At the same time, bringing in simple patterns like stripes and natural fabrics like linen will help create the coastal grandma look. Add a basket of fresh fruit on the kitchen island and a straw hat on a hook by the back door as the icing on the cake, so to speak!
You can see my 34 favorite ways to bring the coastal grandmother decor style into my home HERE!
7 Best Ideas for a Coastal Kitchen Decor Refresh
Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #1: Permanent Finishes
What is a timeless look for a kitchen?
One of the most important ingredients for a coastal grandmother kitchen is the use of simple, timeless design styles. This isn’t to say that you can’t add in a feature tile somewhere but overall, the design elements should be simple and transcend design trends.
If you are renovating your current kitchen or building a new kitchen, you have the opportunity to incorporate some of these design elements to create a timeless kitchen that can go with the coastal style or easily transition to other styles too. Many of us may just be looking for ways to give a little coastal kitchen decor refresh to our current space and that is awesome! It is fun to try new things and switch things up. All of that to say…if you don’t have white cabinets or marble countertops or large windows in your kitchen, don’t despair. You can still get a gorgeous coastal kitchen decor refresh!
First, though, let’s look at a few of the timeless essentials that you may want to capitalize on or incorporate if you have the opportunity. White cabinetry is a popular choice for a beach-themed kitchen. White cabinets are light, bright, and help create that airy feeling that is so important in a coastal home.
Pro Tip: If you don’t have white kitchen cabinets, try replacing a few cabinet doors with glass doors. Adding white dishes and accents will brighten up the overall look of your darker kitchen cabinets.
Next, we move down to the kitchen backsplash. There are so many gorgeous tile options out there! However, for the coastal kitchen, you may want to consider the more simple options.
For example, think of a beach cottage that has been in the family for decades. What kind of tile are you likely to find? White subway tile, penny tiles, and simple layouts are going to be the most common. There is a reason they are still some of the most popular choices today too!
Pro Tip: For a modern take on the classic white subway tile, consider installing it with horizontal stripes!
Thirdly, kitchen countertops play a very important role in the overall design of a kitchen. For a coastal kitchen style, you will want to consider natural materials like marble and even wood. White quartz countertops are a popular choice because of the easy of maintenance and clean lines. It’s a classic look that will be durable for many years to come!
In my own home, we opted for concrete countertops and then simple wood planks for our kitchen island. I love that the natural materials can go with almost any decor style I want to experiment with in the space!
Paint is always a budget-friendly option for a coastal kitchen decor refresh! Even if you don’t want to paint all of your cabinets, consider painting just the lower or upper cabinets with sea-inspired colors for some coastal kitchen decor. Or, another great choice is to paint white walls to surround the cabinetry and brighten them up that way. Blue cabinets and blue-gray cabinets are a beautiful trend right now! Or, you could have fun making your kitchen island a statement piece in the kitchen. A blue island set against pretty wood or white cabinetry are gorgeous coastal kitchen ideas!
If you are changing your appliances, consider stainless steel appliances. They keep the light, bright coastal feel and are very durable!
Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #2: Light Fixtures
If you are working toward a coastal kitchen decor refresh, switching out your light fixtures could make an instant statement! Recently, we swapped out our glass and black metal pendants over the kitchen island for rattan pendant lights.
They were super budget-friendly and I love how they instantly changed the look of my kitchen, adding more coastal kitchen decor and making it feel more like a coastal design. This was an easy change and for fun, I am hanging on to the glass pendant lights to put back up in the fall when I want less of a coastal feel! Fun, right?!
Natural light is a key ingredient to the coastal decor style, so if possible, consider removing heavy blinds or drapes that may block natural light from coming into your kitchen!
Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #3: Use Sea-Inspired Colors
What are the colors for beachy kitchens?
To create a beach kitchen, you want to consider a light color scheme for coastal kitchen decor. Light colors feel bright and fresh so you may want to steer clear of really bold colors. Ideally, a white coastal kitchen is easy to work with because it has a foundation of neutral colors. Then, you can add in sea-inspired colors for so many beautiful accents.
Coastal colors can be found in so many different shades of blue and soft greens, as well as neutral tones. Consider adding deep blue accents with small accessories like a vase or candle. Then, use shades of pale blue for larger, more prominent accessories such as rugs, dish towels, and dishes.
I love how THIS rug uses the natural jute look with just a touch of navy blue around the scalloped edges. It is a subtle way to bring in the gorgeous deep blue color of the ocean without being too bold or strong.
In general, light colors in shades of blue, combined with white and neutral colors, are going to be a great choice for your beach-inspired kitchen decor refresh!
Here are a few blue accents to add to your seaside kitchen style:
Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #4: Woven Finishes
Equally important to the use of different shades of blue for the coastal interior design is the use of woven finishes. Rattan, jute, cane, wicker, and sisal can all be found in the coastal grandmother inspired kitchen. Even if your current kitchen has a different decor style, you can bring in a coastal feel with the use of light colors, touches of blue, and lots of woven texture from coastal kitchen decor pieces.
Here are a few of my favorite woven textures that I am using in my kitchen and adjoining dining area:
Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #5: Incorporate Natural Materials
We have already chatted about some of these specific design elements that you may want to consider bringing in for that coastal look. However, the use of natural materials is really a key ingredient to creating a coastal kitchen style!
Personally, I think natural wood can often be overlooked as an important kitchen design element. Whether it is a big of a statement piece as wood flooring or a wooden oven hood or as simple as a wooden pedestal to hold treats or a natural wood dining table or buffet in the dining area, make sure to incorporate wood accents! Natural wood brings an inviting warmth into a kitchen space and also contributes to that coastal grandmother feeling of a kitchen that has been well-loved and lived-in as the busiest room of the home for many years!
Here are some other ways to incorporate natural materials into your coastal kitchen decor refresh:
Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #6: Add Natural Elements from the Beach
In order to have a truly beach-style kitchen, a few coastal elements are essential! Remember, in the coastal interior design, a little goes a long way. You don’t have to buy out the sea shell store or an entire aisle of sea shell themed decor at your favorite home decor store. A few simple touches will be just what you need for beautiful coastal kitchen decor.
Here are a few quick and easy coastal kitchen ideas for a refresh:
- Add some sea glass to a few old bottles and put on a dining room shelf or open shelving in the kitchen area.
- Tuck in a pretty piece of coral with a vignette of everyday dishes and glassware.
- Add a conch shell to a tray, surrounded by delicious tropical fruit.
- Use some pretty sea shell inspired candle holders by the sink for a cozy glow.
- Create a centerpiece for the dining table with a wooden bowl full of sea shells and battery-operated pillar candles.
Coastal Kitchen Decor Tip #7: Add a Beachy Vibe with Decorative Accents
Last, but definitely not least, it is time to add a few more decorative accents with coastal kitchen decor. There are so many fun options of nautical accents and beach decor out there but try to choose just a very few favorites for a subtle hint of the coastal feel in your coastal kitchen decor refresh.
Try adding a few of these simple accessories for a coastal kitchen decor refresh:
- A light blue striped pillow on a bench or dining chair
- Kitchen towels in soft blues with a coastal feel
- This oyster shell wreath is the perfect interior statement piece.
- Add a blue and white jar to hold treats or cookies for the summer.
- A pretty lantern for a cozy centerpiece on the kitchen island or dining table
Whether you already have a coastal design in your home or you just want to switch things up a little in your current kitchen, the coastal kitchen style is so fun and welcoming. To me, it is perfect for enjoying year round or even for the warmer months, to create your own “vacation home”, right at home!
You can browse even more coastal inspiration on my storefront, conveniently curated for you HERE!
I hope these ideas help you achieve a coastal kitchen decor refresh in simple ways that bring you a lot of joy! If you’re like me, you end up spending significant portions of your day in your kitchen!
It is a great idea to turn your kitchen into a place where you enjoy working and spending time by surrounding yourself with the soothing coastal colors, uncluttered, clean lines of the coastal theme, and natural elements of coastal kitchen decor that can help you imagine a day at the seashore!
You may also enjoy these coastal home decor blog posts:
- 21 Ways to Decorate a Living Room with Coastal Beach Decor
- How to Make Coastal Farmhouse Decorating Easy
- 25 Best Ideas for Easy Summer Home Decorating
- How to Create Budget-Friendly Summer Home Decor in 6 Simple Ways
- How to Decorate a Summer Mantel with Beautiful Style
- 19 Simple Summer Decorating Ideas: How to Decorate for Summer
- How to Decorate for Summer: 34 Ideas to Thrift for Summer Decor
Blessings,
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