Coastal Lighting Ideas & Decorating Tips

Tags: Coastal

By: Shades of Light

Date: December 08, 2021

Coastal Inspired Entryway

When you want your home to be a relaxation haven, few decor choices are better suited for the job than those that embody coastal design. Defined by an overt beachy aesthetic, coastal interior design and coastal decorating style, use a distinct color palette, natural textures and materials, and unique, personalized accent pieces to create an effortless, airy atmosphere that’ll turn your home into a summery hideaway all year round. And coastal chic beach decor isn’t just for beach-adjacent homes! Whether you’re decorating your beach house a few steps from the coast or totally landlocked, these coastal lighting ideas and decorating tips will help you perfect this light, breezy look!

How to Style Beach Themed Lighting

Incorporating coastal lighting is the first step in layering the quintessential effortless and airy fashion of beachy style into your living space. Here are a few styling tips to guide your coastal light fixture choices.

Use Touches of Rope to Create a Seaside Feel

Natural tones and textures define the beach aesthetic, making rope, jute, and rattan popular choices for use in coastal interior design. Nautical pendant lights and beach themed hanging lights that make use of rope, netting, or loosely woven textures will all add an undeniably seaside spirit. Common lighting placements for coastal hanging lights include chandeliers over dining tables, pendant lights over kitchen islands, and lanterns in foyers and hallways.

Choose Lights that Mimic Seaside Textures

Other common nautical lighting options include shell ceiling lights and chandeliers and blue glass pendant lights which create a casual look while evoking images of soft lapping waves and the feel of gentle ocean breezes. Blue lights, in particular, will conjure marine comparisons while sticking with a classic coastal color scheme—shades of blue and sea-green are a nautical mainstay and a surefire way to create a space that’s both stylish and soothing.

Pick Natural Textured Lamps and Lamp Shades

For more portable options, coastal table lamps and nautical floor lamps will help you layer the lighting in your room to brighten up the space without the trouble of permanent installation. Like common nautical hanging lights, table and floor lamps can incorporate woven textures and natural materials like rope, seagrass, driftwood, and shells to soften a space and add that trendy, boho-found-treasure feel that is so important in drawing the various elements of coastal chic rooms and homes together.

Don’t Forget Bathroom and Outdoor Fixtures!

Remembering to add coastal touches to bathrooms and outdoor areas improves the cohesion of a coastal home aesthetic. Coastal wall lights are a helpful solution for baths and exterior spaces since both areas require task lighting. In the bathroom, nautical vanity lights illuminate mirror tasks like putting on makeup, applying sunscreen, and styling hair. Nautical outdoor lights provide visibility for walking in and out of the house at night and illuminate decks, patios, and porches for enjoying the company of friends and family on warm evenings. For a subtle coastal touch to any size bathroom, choose a nautical vanity light with a cage shape, reminiscent of ship hardware. For outdoor fixtures, seeded glass globes provide a similar look to natural sea glass.

Coastal Furniture Ideas

Distressed Cane Cabinet

For lots of beachy panache, will bring your seaside inspired home to the next level. Like coastal lighting, coastal furniture makes use of materials and textures with a found feel and rugged finishes that impart a worn, distressed, or well-loved atmosphere. Drift wood, shabby and distressed fabrics, and raw or rusted iron are all timeless staples in nautical fashion that will help you cultivate that purposely effortless cozy, casual look all coastal spaces aspire to.

When selecting furniture for your coastal retreat, pieces that incorporate natural or rugged wood, rope and jute, and rattan, wicker, and bamboo will pack the most punch and compliment your chosen color palette while still making a statement. Coastal rooms are the perfect places to mix and match your favorite accent pieces and leave lots of room for creative experimentation. Crisp whites and neutrals or soft blues are popular fabric color choices for this décor theme; a color palette in this family matches well with rugged, natural materials, and will help your favorite furniture accents stand out.

Coastal Bedroom Furniture

If you’re longing for a beach themed bedroom, choosing the right accent furniture will transform a tired look into a tranquil getaway. The most stylish beachy hip rooms all have an element of eclectic bohemian flair, so incorporating a mismatched bedroom set and working in natural materials is the most effective way to create a casual, airy ambiance.

There’s lots of room for experimentation and personalization within this design aesthetic, so don’t be afraid to make bold, adventurous choices! Just steer clear of matching themes too consistently; if every piece of furniture or linen is covered in seashells and anchors, you’ll overwhelm the space, whereas mixing different shades of natural woods or choosing mismatched furniture with subtle but similar rope detailing can lend a chic, effortless aura.

Add lamps and lighting with driftwood or seashell accents. Layer curtains, linens, and rugs in whites, stripes, blues, and coastal pastels. Match a coastal cabinet with a nautical dresser of a contrasting material or color scheme.

Coastal Living Room Furniture

Just like our nautical bedroom, a coastal living room is achieved by mixing an ocean-themed color palette with the perfect array of accent pieces, like coastal accent chairs and nautical end tables. Coastal living room designs encompass a wide array of tastes and styles, so you’ll have lots of room to craft an original look that’s all your own. Embrace open, airy furniture arrangements. Consider using large windows that face striking water views as a focal point. If an oceanic blue palette doesn’t speak to you, sun-faded pastels in pinks, corals, and greens can also embody the soft serenity of your favorite seaside escape. Conversely, a more neutral palette can create a subtlety in your space that can impart a sense of sophistication and refinement while still maintaining coastal inspirations.

Coastal Wall Decor & Mirrors

Once you’ve chosen your furniture and color scheme, it’s time to refine your look with wall decor. Coastal wood wall art is a timeless popular style of beach house wall decor that brings rustic, ocean-worn charm you can personalize for you and your space. Messages of relaxation and simple distressed images can help tie a room together and reinforce a feeling of water-side tranquility. If your sense of style tends toward brighter colors, tropical wall art can match with existing beach decor to liven up a room.

Mirrors, which open up a space and help reflect light for a bright, airy feel, are an important addition to any coastal room. Beach themed mirrors can underscore your current style, or add a new design layer to your look. Beach cottage décor, which pairs a cozy, vintage aesthetic with classic coastal style often uses distressed and rustic wood mirrors to add that timeless cottage charm.

Beach Rugs

With lighting, furniture, and wall décor selected, polish off your new look with a coastal rug! There are no shortages of options when it comes to beach rugs. Seagrass rugs double down on a natural, breezy feel. Blue and white striped rugs are quintessentially nautical. For smaller spaces, or for layering with larger rugs or carpet, coastal area rugs and nautical area rugs can be the perfect finishing touch to your beach themed living room or bedroom. Once you find the perfect rug for your space, you can sit back and relax in style in your serene coastal home!

Coastal Style Inspiration from Shades of light Customers

Some of our favorite style inspiration comes from the distinguished styling choices of our creative customers! Here are a few examples of coastal lighting and decor styling choices that our customers have made in their coastal inspired rooms and seaside getaways: