Taking home a little of beach vacation
You don’t have to overdo the beach theme for it to be effective.
mcclatchy newspapers
MILWAUKEE — Gathering shells and sea glass on the beach while sand sifts through your toes. Sipping citrus-y drinks while sitting poolside. Watching the setting sun dip into the water, casting a sparkly ribbon across the waves.
Who wouldn’t want to take these vacation memories home?
At this time of year, many folks living in the northern states spend spring break on sunny beaches of the southern latitudes, getting a preview of the warm weather that is sure to come — eventually. Many people pop a souvenir or two into the suitcase as a way of remembering a special vacation.
But others are so taken with what is known as beach or coastal style that they hope to replicate it in their own home.
That’s easy to do these days, as specialty shops, mass retailers and popular catalogs such as Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware and L.L. Bean tout the look.
“We see it all the time,” says Vicki Sharratt, manager of Pizitz Home Cottage, a longtime home decor shop in the Florida Panhandle town of Seaside. “People who are vacationing here come into the store and fall in love with the pale blues, greens and sandy beiges that make up the color palette that is so popular for beach homes. They will pick up a few accessories, or even bigger pieces to use in their own home.
“They especially like the sisal and seagrass rugs and the linen-y slipcovers,” she says. “It’s a carefree way of decorating that creates a special kind of mood.”
But it’s a mood that, in a northern climate, seems to work better in small doses.
Elizabeth Raines Beeler, homes editor for Coastal Living magazine, says that a touch of the beach can add a special accent to your home — especially at this time of year when it seems that warm weather might never arrive.
“Even little things can change the mood of a room,” she says. “Accent pillows in a tropical color, artwork of a lovely beach scene, even a throw that stands apart. All can help recall wonderful memories.”
There are many ways to bring the beach home, if that is your goal. You can do it through color, themes, collections and more. Here’s how.
A recent issue of Color It Coastal magazine, published by Coastal Living, featured a variety of color palettes reminiscent of beach settings. They include:
USeaglass — Cool shades of pale blues and greens that provide a soothing mood.
UNatural — Soft browns and beiges that are subtly natural and never go out of style. Restoration Hardware traditionally pulls from the Natural and Seaglass palettes.
UPastel — Powdery shades of blue, yellow and pink that work particularly well against a crisp, white background. L.L. Bean often embraces these colors in its Home catalog.
UCitrus — A fruit-inspired color scheme with yellows, oranges and lime greens. Pottery Barn is featuring many of these colors this season.
UBlue and white — This classic combination is about as nautical as you can get.
Some homeowners make a commitment to using one of these color schemes throughout their entire home for the sake of continuity and flow. But adding a beachy touch to your home doesn’t always require a big color commitment.
“A neutral palette works well in homes found in any part of the country,” says Raines Beeler, “and allows a special vacation purchase in a bolder color to pop out and stand apart as a focal point.”
You can bring the beach home through themes and motifs that evoke a sense of warm-weather settings. They include anchors and nautical icons, tropical flowers, surfing accessories, palm trees, tropical fish or even simple awning stripes.
Such themes can be used here and there throughout the house, or in just one room. Some people choose to do a parrot-theme bathroom, for example, or a shell-theme guest room.
“In our climate, a whole house done in palm tree prints looks a bit jarring and out of place,” says Milwaukee-area interior designer Jane Klein. “But accent pieces here and there can work just fine.”
Some of the most wonderful vacation memories can be made as you gather items to add to a collection — whether from local shops or from the beach itself. When attractively displayed, such collections become all the more special.
Shells you have gathered can surround candles in tall glass hurricane shades. Starfish or silver dollars can perch on dark wood shelving. Glass fishing floats in a free form bowl make a centerpiece.
All provide wonderful memories without being overpowering.
Klein helped find a place for small sculptures of recycled oil drums that a client found during Caribbean travels.
“We arranged them in a children’s bathroom and did a mural that went along with the theme,” Klein says.
But when it comes to some types of souvenirs, all too often people get carried away and purchase a kitschy item that looks out of place once they get home. That’s why many designers, including Klein, prefer bringing back items from vacation that can be used in a practical way.
“Scarves can be turned into pillows,” she says, “or dish towels and beach towels actually can be put to good use once you get home.
“My favorite thing to bring back from vacation is a piece of art: a painting, ceramics, glassware. It’s a way of supporting local artists but also enhancing your decor in an attractive and memorable way.”
When you use vacation purchases to provide a special touch here and there, you can change them as the season — or your mood — changes.
“If you use your beachy touches as accents, you can rotate them throughout the year,” says Raines Beeler. “That way, when the snow falls and the temperature seems stuck, you can bring them out when you need them most.”