Homefront: No Buoys Allowed
Forget lighthouse-shaped soap dispensers and other beach kitsch. Adding seaside flair to your home can be easy with the right accent pieces—just take a look at these three ways for inspiration.
The Coral Brief
Coral—the color and the shape—adds
summery pop to a room. “Use it sparingly, because it is strong,” says Kim Kristire, owner of Haverford’s SimplyCottage and the store’s interior designer. Use coral patterns in earth tones, or add pieces of live coral to your mantel for a subtler take on this bright shade: Silk-screened coral pillow by Galbraith & Paul, $130, Area, Lambertville; organdy pillow, $38, Hello World, Philadelphia; Bambu salad bowls in red and orange, $15.50 each, Foster’s Urban Homeware, Philadelphia; mother-of-pearl and lacquer box, $38, and frosted swirl tumbler, $14, both at Mixed Company, Philadelphia.
Seashell courtesy of Black-eyed Susan, Yardley.
White Water
A crisp, white-on-white scheme is as clean and fresh as the ocean air, and works with any style. “Naturally occurring colors are very soothing and serene,” says Andrea Powell, an interior decorator based in Avalon. For a sophisticated feel, mix off-whites and creams: Chenille pompon pillow, $76, PJ Hollyhocks, Wayne; vase by Roost, $32, Foster’s Urban Homeware; Wilma lamp by Slip, $128, Inside & Outside, Wayne; creamware pitcher, $50, Black-eyed Susan, -Yardley; and vintage Fred Press gold-and-white glass tumblers, $50 for six, Mixed Company.Starfish courtesy of Black-eyed Susan, Yardley.
My Blue Heaven
Bring the ocean inside with colors that remind you of the water. “They’re calming,” says Lisa Thompson Eisler, owner of
Collingswood’s all-shore home decor store, Harbor. Try splashes of marine shades mixed with cabana-inspired awning stripes:
Turquoise pillow, $30, and small plate, $40 for four, both at Mixed Company; Tag striped pillow, $16.50, Foster’s Urban Homeware; Tag scented pillar candle, $18.99, Hello World; Summer Carnival metal tray by Dennis East International, $14, Inside & Outside; and small glass aqua ball, $10, Area.
