Beach House Dining Room Decor

Author:
Ilona E
Updated date:
Jun 2, 2016

Bring the fresh look of the coastal regions into your dining room decor.
public domain modified by Ilona

Gulf Coast Sophistication

The formal look of polished wood, celadon green placemats, a gracious living mark this look as truly Southern but with a soft and easy look that came from those sweet Gulf breezes.

The Casual Comfort of Coastal Dining

Half the fun of a beach house is the way you can kick back and enjoy things like eating a great meal together without too much fuss. Games are at the ready for times when you aren't on the beach, or just surfing around the area spying out great little shops or sitting and watching the sunsets.

Beach House colors and textures make a dining area a good place for the family to gather. Simple and made for highlighting the important things like the conversation and the food.

That doesn't mean the dining design goes unnoticed! Just that it isn't in the way of having a relaxed good time.

Maybe this style of dining is for you year round... take a look at the beachside ambience this look could offer in your own kitchen and dining areas.

Explore for decorating ideas of your own...

A sampling of:

Elements that make a coastal look
Examples of dining furnishings
Dinnerware styles and accessories that create looks for New England, Gulf Coast, West Coast, or Hawaiian styles.
Craft ideas
Some delicious recipes
Regional colors

Beach House Colors

Using beach house colors of driftwood, seafoam, ocean blues, nautical navies, and sailcloth white can dress up the dining room environment, set the tablescape, and create a kitchen-dining room ready for family meals of entertaining friends.

While I love the colorful ones, there are subtle seashell embossed, white tableware sets that will quietly showcase any meal. The decorative quality of the designs add a feeling of the seaside, and reminders of scenes that are unique to the coast.

Colors Of The Sand, Sky, and Sea

Beach House Color Styles

Beach House Colors Are A Visual Vacation All Year
My favorite color schemes are the restful, yet cheerful colors and the whimsy of the beach houses I've rented. It makes me feel calm and happy no matter what the weather or season.

Dinnerware with Beach Themes

Set Your Table With Coastal Style

New England Coast

The Yankee sensibility is frugal and battered, well worn furnishings and tableware add to the charm of many a Yankee household. Red, white, and blue abound, with iconic sea creatures, both real and mythical.

While strongly practical, traditional antiques, and heritage looks are common, there is quite a bit of whimsy included.

The Northern clime requires more warmth and a cozy feeling, which is reflected in these rooms.

New England Clam Chowder, Anyone?

These dishes seem waiting for new England clam chowder.

Classic White For Gulf Sun and Sand

Gulf Coast

The Gulf coast has a Southern vibe that is lighter and brighter with touches of formality to it. You will find white surfaces with dark woods as a favored interior look, or Rattan with glass tabletops.

I have yet to see a Beach house in this area that is done in a Retro style or with the down home Yankee look of battered tableware or nautical kitsch, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Coastal Dining Room

Hawaiian Island Coast

Hang loose in the Hawaiian Islands, flowers are big and bright and decorate plenty of items. There is always a casual sense to this style and the colors range from subtle to bright. From formal to kitschy, the only requisite is comfort.

Polynesians have a strong design sense, and the Asian influence is also a part of the look. Bold clean lines, or bold color is often used in tableware and cloth items. Rattan, smooth woods, glass are welcome in the dining rooms done in this style.

Go Retro

West Coast

The California look is well known. Bright and sunny with lots of comfort and good living vibes. More Mediterranean influences than on the Southern or Eastern coasts, this dining room can go Spanish, Asian, or Retro, and everything in between.

But one thing rules: the look is expansive and open, with sunny or light colors predominating.

Color, comfort, and style are important on the West Coast.

Natural Textures: Rattan, Seagrass, Woven Burlap

No matter which color scheme you choose, Beach House dining style is made with lots of natural textures, woven mats, seagrass baskets, nubby textured table linens.

The boat ropes and sea-wind worn wood are echoed in the colors and surfaces of the furnishings and accessories.

Seagrass Textures For Beach House Dining

These are the perfect foil for cool sea side colors

Seagrass is a material that is easy-care and adds great texture. So many items are made from it- even a dining room set of chairs! It lends an instant beach house feeling to any room.

Think of where you might best accentuate your room with an item made of seagrass.

Natural Inspirations

An entire dining room set, table and chairs, all made of seagrass
The rug is a popular dining room decorating item. Made of seagrass or some similar material, like sisal, it brings texture and a casual, easy care feeling.
Rugs, chairs or baskets made of seagrass bring elements of the beach into the house.

Casual Textures

One of the best points of beach house decor, especially in the kitchen and dining area, is its sturdy resistance to daily wear and tear. Kid friendly furnishings with a sense of fun create a welcoming atmosphere for diners of every age. All without any sacrifice of style.

New England Lobster Mats

Beach House Crafts

Creative ways to add the beach look

Crafty Decor Ideas

Seashell Shadow Box

Get a shadow box, antique it white, gather some seashells and arrange them within for a simple, yet effective looking wall decoration.

Or create a miniature vignette...

Natural Objects

Use driftwood or collected shells to create jars of natural objects or decorate mirrors or picture frames.

Romantic Beach Memory Vignette

Explanation of the items below. Create your own beach house vignette for a mantle, the top of a dresser or side table.

Memories + Beach Materials = Romance

A picture of a totally romantic gift for a friend's wedding memory,"the frame has three panes of glass. in the back is sand from where they stood and took their vows.

In the front are shells from the beach of the house they stayed in for the wedding.

The polaroid was taken at sunset just after they took their vows.

In the bottle are three sands:

The bottom layer is the sand from the house in which they stayed,
The second is the ground on which they stood, the top is from Hawaii where they honeymooned.
The broken shells on top are also from their wedding, added for sparkle effect."

Keep The Style Going: A Coastal Kitchen

Coastal Kitchen Comfort and Sophistication
Do enjoy you visits to the coast? Is seafood one of your favorite foods? Bring the coast to your own home kitchen with some of the beautiful beach themed dinnerware and accessories to create some of the resort ambiance that makes a vacation so much..

East-West Sea Coast Buffet

Summertime Dishes for Entertaining

Create your Beach House dining room, and then get ready to entertain! Serve an East Coast Buffet and enjoy time with your guests.

Fish Tacos

West Coast Grilled Veggie Pizza

Cold Soba Salad

Guacamole and Tortilla Chips

Cold Lemonade and Beer, if desired.

Ten grilling recipes from Coastal Living

Maryland Crab Bake? Maine Lobster?

Ingredients

shrimp
scallops
chicken chunks
various colored bell peppers
tomatoes
mushrooms
onions
marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil or cooking oil
2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon snipped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
crushed 1 teaspoon fennel seed
crushed 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

Choose your combination of veggies, seafood, or meat ingredients, have all "chunk-size".
To prepare marinade: mix oil, lime juice, onion, thyme, fennel seed, and pepper in a plastic zip bag. Add scallops, fish, or meat with fennel, sweet pepper, and veggie chunks. Seal bag and place in refrigerator. Marinate for one hour, turning bag occasionally to distribute the marinade.
Soak wood skewers, then thread onto the skewer. Cook on the grill, turning occasionally and brushing with additional marinade.

Beach Decor List + Craft Projects

Centsational Girl - Sisal Rope Bowl
I'm a simple gal with a simple dream: transforming the drab into the fab with an arsenal of paintbrushes, primer and power tools. I completely reject the notion that second hand is second class. I shop thrift stores, flea markets, antique stores, and
My Sea Glass & Shell Bottles
Sea glass & shell bottles made with green mini wine bottles.
Coastal Decorations and Crafts in a Florida Home
The Florida Beach Look

Ashi on March 06, 2017:

@Ilona,

Beautifully penned down Hub. I loved your each and every idea of decorating Beach House dining room. Being a construction Manager I had never thought before that we can decor dining room with so much detail and perfection.

Thank you so much for sharing this information with us.

Bless you.