Classic Coastal Living Room
Classic Coastal Living Room Guidelines
The classic coastal living room is characterized by a blend of rustic and classic elements transporting us to a simple yet carefully put-together cabin by the beach.
It’s a combination of relaxed and classic items, rough and soft textures, all surrounded by a white and blue sky color palette.
So, let’s dive into the elements that make a classic coastal living room.
The Classic Coastal Color Palette for the Living Room:
White and Soft Light Blue
As usual, white is the canvas in a coastal home. White furniture, white walls, and optional white timber floor. White makes the room airy and bright.
Over the white background, add blue shades. For a clean airy breezy feel, choose light sky tones, but you can mix them with slightly darker shades and use it in throw pillows, pictures, and accessories.
Cream, sand and gold
To balance the coldness of a only white and blue palette, add warm tones like gold, sand, beige in small amounts.
The classic coastal sofa
The first thing we put in our living room is the sofa. It’s the main piece, not only because of the space and place it takes, but because it’s the number one function of a living room: to sit comfortably.
It must be comfortable, large enough to sit more people when you have guests, and to sit or lie down watching TV, and it must be resistant, especially in a coastal area, where we are more relaxed and less careful, our clothes may bring sand and salt water.
In a classic coastal living room, the sofa is usually white or slightly off-white, made with resistant fabrics, like linen or cotton. In terms of style, the rolled arms with a skirted slipcover is the most common, but you can choose one with straighter yet soft lines. It’s more sophisticated and contemporary.
Additional sitting
Add extra seating to the living room using armchairs, poufs, individual couches, or stools.
Not only it provides additional seating arrangements, but it also makes the room more comfortable and inviting, and put together.
For a classic coastal look, choose either upholstered or rattan pieces or a combination of both to add interest and texture.
Sprinkle the seating area with soft light or dark ashy blue throw pillows, combining stripes with solids and other simple patterns.
Classic Coastal Living Room Furniture
After choosing a sofa it’s time to furnish the rest of the living room. Consider the following pieces of furniture:
- Side tables
- A console behind the sofa
- Media stand
- Other (a desk, bookcase…)
Furniture color and style
White furniture instantly brightens up a space and creates a light and airy feel. It makes a smaller room appear larger by reflecting more light, which is especially useful in coastal homes where space can be limited. You can mix white furniture with other pieces in soft blue, rattan or natural wood.
Choose furniture with simple lines, and soft edges. Hardware can be black, bronze, or brass, matching the metal from ceiling lights, wall lamps or other metallic pieces, like table legs, cast iron tables.
As already said, classic coastal style mixes rustic with sophisticated you can pair classic soft lines with more rough textures, or simple
Light up the room!
Lighting plays a crucial role in creating an inviting and functional living room. A well-lit space not only enhances the overall ambiance, but it can also affect our mood.
We need to add sources of light to suit different activities, such as reading or entertaining but also to highlight architectural features, artwork, and decorative elements, which adds depth and dimension to the room.
By choosing the right lighting fixtures, layering different sources of light, and adjusting the brightness and color temperature to suit your needs, you can create a comfortable and inviting living room that works for you and your family.
For that, you need:
- Table lamps
- Ceiling lights
- Floor lamps
- Wall lamps
- Under cabinet lights
Ceiling light
Chandeliers or lanterns in wood or metal (brass or more rustic, black iron) will look great!
Table lamps:
Glass, ceramic, wood, or metal with a white simple lampshade. The base can be white, blue, in wood or fiber. If it has metal, choose the same material as the ceiling fixture so it forms a cohesive look.
Wall lights
Add metal-finished wall lights to highlight artwork, mirrors,
Task lights: Floor lamps
If you have a reading corner, add a floor lamp there that matches wall and ceiling lights
Under cabinet lights: LED
Add some depth and interest with LED lights if you have open shelves or a glass door cabinet where you display beautiful coastal accessories.
Anchor it: Area Rugs
Anchor everything with an area rug.
Choose a flat woven rug in natural color, light blue or white that will accommodate at least the legs of the furniture in the conversation area. Ideally a 8×10 or higher, but it depends on your seating layout and size of the living room.
Classic Coastal Accessories
Wow your guests and surround yourself with beautiful coastal touch.
Keep the room light and uncluttered but not bare naked.
Add throw pillows, picture frames, baskets, trays to keep small items together; glass jars with candles, or lanterns, a vase, and some other decorative elements, like one or two seashells.
Mix wood and natural textures with white or gold elements.
Putting it all together
The Classic Coastal style combines elements of classic and country decor to create a charming seaside atmosphere with a rustic twist. By blending soft and rough textures in a soothing white and light blue color palette, and incorporating rustic yet elegant items like golden lamps and frames alongside natural baskets, this style achieves a serene coastal look with a hint of country charm. You can customize the look to be more refined or rustic by varying the textures and pieces used in your decor.