Here we are, that time of year when we all get to kick back our feet, pull up a shay lounge chair, sip some lemonade, and take in some sun by the shore. Yes, we are in summer, and the season is about to hit full stride! Whether you’re by the lake or the ocean, most of us associate our vacation time in the summer by the water on the beach. The sights, the sounds, and the smell of the beach are synonymous with the summer months. But how do you incorporate beach colors into your home?
Some of us vacation in summer homes, others own summer homes, and some homeowners have a room in their primary residence meant to remind us of sunnier days by the shore, like a sunroom, enclosed patio, or lounge.
In this article, I’m going to give you some tips and insights to help bring beach colors off the shore and into your home’s interior design!
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What Are Beach Color Palettes?
The beach has countless wonderful aspects. One of the greatest things about the beach is that it means something special and different to everyone. When I close my eyes and imagine the beach, the flurry of imagery that passes through my mind will differ from what you envision.
The beach is a unique place to us; it may remind us of time with family, friends, and childhood. Those memories are going to contain places and sensations that only we know.
Why is this important? As a color specialist, I want to emphasize that beach colors will be different for everyone, just like each beach around the world, so there’s no limited set of beach color palettes to choose from!
For this article, I’m going to highlight some of the more pronounced and popular beach colors and palettes that people like to bring into their homes; but never feel limited about your options!
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Beach Colors for Your Home
Pinks, Greens, and Tangerines
If you associate the beach with areas close to the equator like southern Florida, or the Caribbean, colors like lime greens, soft seashell pinks, and creamy tangerine oranges come to mind. These colors have tremendous energy and must be carefully arranged not to overwhelm the senses, but they are very effective as pastels.
Picture an enclosed patio in Vero beach, with a coral pink sofa with soft lime accent pillows. Sweet colors that are neither weak nor bold, but they certainly feel great to everyone who loves summer! When the colors are just right, they can invoke tropical beach inspiration in your home; sounds irresistible, doesn’t it?
Deep Blues, Creams, and Whites
On the other end of the spectrum, beach colors can be more reserved, heavier, and timeless. I’ve talked about the colors Cape Cod house colors before, and those color palettes tie in closely to traditional beach colors. The Cape’s beaches and beaches in the Northeast, in general, will not have the same lighter hues found in the Southeast or Southwest. The ocean colors are deeper, darker, blues and greens. The flora is rich with oak, pine, thick brush. Seaside home architecture in the region typically embraces stark white colors or naturally occurring ocean-kissed greys.
To bring these beach colors into your home, I suggest layering with textures and patterns. For example, a sunroom could have cushioned lounges striped with deep navy blues and white stripes. The base wall color could be a soft creamy off-white with a hint of yellow or a feathery soft gray for a more understated approach. Feel free to bring in wall decor with more color to liven up your design.
Grays, Oranges, and Purples
There’s a dreamy state of mind that I identify with the beach, especially at sunset. Something is calming, eternal, and magical about walking on the beach as the sun sets on the horizon. All the beautiful colors of the beach and twilight happen simultaneously to create the most stunning color palettes. It’s such a pleasure to be there when the colors are just right!
To replicate some of this magic in your home, try incorporating some light grays, soft oranges, and hues of deep twilight purple onto your outdoor patio! A twilight purple painted on a picnic table with a rough matte finish is uniquely charming. You can add some light orange highlights with painted vases, table lamps, or even small barside tables. Some soft gray seat cushions and outdoor pillows in a variety of colors will bring the whole dreamy vibe together!
Beach Colors: What are Your Colorful Beach Memories?
The beach is such a personal place for each of us, so what are some of your favorite beach memories and color arrangements? As a color expert, I’d love to hear them! Enjoy the summer.
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Great palettes, Amy! I love ALL the ocean colors from the the Caribbean to Maine and everywhere in between! The ocean is my happy place
It sounds like the perfect happy place to me! I love your comment Janet!
Beautiful, I look at the ocean every day and love it. I have the beach colors and the sunset colors at my house. Nice palettes!
Thanks very much, I am so glad you enjoyed these beach inspired color palettes Mary Ann!
What beautiful nature-inspired color palettes! I love the beach and using a palette like this in my home would allow me to enjoy the beach vibe every day.
Yes that is exactly the thought I was after when I created this blog post! Thanks Lisa 🙂
Love that last palette in particular. Gorgeous schemes!
Thanks so much Carla, I am so glad you enjoyed this blog post!
Really nice palettes, Amy. My favourite beach memory is our daily 3 hour walk along the beach in Maui. We typically are 1.5 hours one way, and then 1.5 hours return. What I love is that while our path is the same every day, every day shows us a new view and it never gets boring!
Oh how I would love to enjoy that same walk along the beach, it sounds heavenly! I love that you enjoy a new view every day as well. I love your comment Sheri!