Coastal interior design ideas for UK homes.
Coastal, done properly, has nothing to do with driftwood signs. It's chalk-white walls, oatmeal linen, jute underfoot and pale wood, arranged to feel light and unhurried. It suits rooms that get good daylight and rooms that don't.
How to get the look
The palette is white, sand and one soft blue or green, with the texture doing the work: a jute or sisal rug, a linen sofa, a rattan pendant, a limewashed oak table. Keep the wood pale and the metal soft, in brushed brass or white. Plants and a single piece of art with sky or water in it are enough; more than that and it becomes a theme.
The Coastal palette
Materials that carry it
- Oatmeal and white linen
- Jute and sisal
- Rattan and cane
- Limewashed oak
- Cotton rope and canvas
If you only do one thing
Common questions
How do I do coastal without it looking like a seaside gift shop?
Leave out anything with a word on it, and anything shaped like a shell or a boat. Keep to colour, texture and light, and it reads as calm rather than themed.
What colours suit a coastal living room?
Chalk white on the walls, sand and oatmeal in the fabrics, and one soft blue or green. Navy works as a single accent.
Does coastal work in a dark room?
Yes, because the pale palette bounces what light there is. Add a floor lamp and a pendant on warm bulbs and it works in a north-facing room.
Your room, in Coastal.
Send us photos and tell us what you want to keep and what you want to spend. We send back a photo-real picture of your own room in this style, the exact colours, and every piece priced and linked to a UK shop. £150, charged only when your plan arrives.
Start your room