Putting some thought into designing your bedroom can do wonders for your overall mental state and sleep quality. Drawing from the peaceful feelings of a day at the beach, creating a soothing coastal aesthetic in the bedroom is the perfect decor style to create the sleep sanctuary of your dreams. 

First we will paint the picture of what constitutes coastal design style and then cover the top 10 design tips on how to transform your bedroom into a dreamy seaside escape. Hopefully we will get you inspired and off creating your own coastal bedroom makeover in no time!

 

Coastal Design Style Defined

The phrase “coastal design” covers quite a few different decor niches including coastal modern, coastal farmhouse, coastal chic, beach house, and coastal minimal to name a few. The overarching design elements are light and airy linens, the use of natural elements and materials, lots of light, a white and neutral color palette, and a casual, relaxed atmosphere.

Thinking about a whole house coastal makeover? Check out our popular article How to Decorate Modern Coastal for a deeper dive into creating the look throughout your house.

Shop the Look: "Summer Surf" Photography Print

 

10 ways to transform your bedroom into a coastal retreat:

Design Tip #1: Be a minimalist

Think peaceful, calm, and serene. A rule of thumb to help create that peaceful sanctuary in the bedroom is to be as minimal as possible. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if each item either serves a practical purpose or adds to the overall coastal aesthetic. If the answer is no, move it into another room.

Though keeping clutter to a minimum is a must, tasteful coastal bedroom decor is a fun part of the coastal decor style such as a beautiful shell or a piece of coral or driftwood. 

 

Design Tip #2: Neutral color scheme

Color Scheme - The coastal look is characterized by an underlying color scheme of whites and neutrals. The whites can range from bright white to off-white/cream. The neutral colors are anything from natural browns and warm grays to sandy tones and shades of beige. 

 

Design Tip #3: Coastal inspired accent colors

Choose your accent colors - anything in the blue family from pale dusty blue to rich teal and deep sapphire blue.  If you like a secondary accent color, choose a coastal color inspired by the beach - the sand, the sea, white clouds, pink coral.  Another fun place to pull accent colors from is sea glass - sea foam green, jade green, cheerful pale yellow, or light turquoise. These accent colors can be incorporated in pillows, a table lamp, an upholstered bench or headboard or perhaps a reading chair.

Design Tip #4: Be choosy with your wall color

If you pay attention to coastal bedrooms by contemporary interior designers on Pinterest, you will see time and time again the walls are painted a soft, refreshing white. White is the perfect base for coastal inspired bedroom design. 

 

That’s not to say you can’t opt for a coastal accent color if you are a color person! If you do choose a color other than white, be mindful to pare back the color in other elements in the room to keep with the relaxed coastal aesthetic. This sea inspired teal wall color is carefully paired with neutral colors in the bed, bedding and all other decor items. 

As mentioned, texture is paramount in coastal design. A clever way to add texture and interest is through wall treatments such as board and batten or shiplap.

 

Shop the Look: "Pebble Beach" Photography Print

 

Design Tip #5: Start with the bed

Start with the most important part of your bedroom… your bed! For the headboard, some options that suit a coastal style are white wood, sandy brown, light gray or light wood. For bedding, opt for a bright white or light neutral comforter and bedding. You can incorporate your accent colors and texture through decorative pillows.

 

 

Design Tip #6: Go white with curtains and drapes

Again, white is best! We love the airiness of white linen or sheer curtains billowing in the breeze - you can almost hear the seagulls and waves even if you are many miles from the beach. If uv blocking thick drapes are more practical to help you catch enough zz’s, look for white black-out drapes.

 

Design Tip #7: Keep the furniture classic

Coastal or beach house furniture can be characterized by neutral colors, clean lines and classic, simple form without embellishments. Keep those aspects in mind when selecting each piece of furniture - your bed, nightstands, dresser, and accent chairs.

 

 

  

Design Tip #8: Light fixtures can be fun

Since you are keeping the major components of the bedroom design neutral and calming, it’s time to add some style with light fixtures! Go for pendant lights or chandeliers made from natural materials like wicker, rattan or seashells or add a bit of shine with a glass lamp base. 

Photo credit: Home Bunch

 

 

 

Design Tip #9: Go natural with your rug

A rug is a great place to incorporate more of that beachy texture and emphasize the natural elements found near the coast. Go for a rug made from woven natural fibers such as jute, sisal, hemp or even seagrass.

 

Design Tip #10: Bring the beach to your walls

Whether you choose an actual photograph of a beach scene or go with an abstract ocean wave, wall art is the perfect place to reference the coast and tie the whole look together. 

Some wall art ideas include abstract ocean art, beach scenes, lighthouses, ocean waves or sailboats. For some inspiration, check out the San Diego Collection of wall art prints for beach sunsets, surf prints, lifeguard towers and ocean piers.

For a large selection of coastal wall art, also explore the Coastal Modern Collections or our blog Wall Art for the Modern Coastal Home.

Shop the Look: "Wind and Sea" Photography Print

 

Shop the Look: "Ocean Breeze at the Children's Pool" Photography Print

 

Shop the Look: "Close Out" Photography Print

  

Shop the Look: "White Wash" Photography Print

 

 Shop the Look: "Apart" Photography Print

 

Shop the Look: "Coastal Layers" Photography Print

 

Lastly, have fun transforming your bedroom into a coastal retreat! It is one of our favorite decor styles that has a classic yet contemporary design and instantly transports us to our happy place - a carefree sunny day at the beach.

Happy decorating!

 

Looking for a deeper dive into coastal decorating? Download our free Coastal Decor Guide for a breakdown of six different coastal decor styles including color palettes, design tips, lookbooks and wall art ideas for each style.