Homes

Trend Guide 2016: Contemporary Beach House

Sandy shores and ocean palettes inspire a modern new nautical.

By Julia Dilworth /

Sandy shores and ocean palettes inspire a modern new nautical.

It’s not about living on the water—it’s about bringing the beach house home. The modern take on this look sees spaces evoking sandy beaches in a less kitschy way: bedside vignettes of seashells and navy blue anchor-print pillows are replaced with subtle rope accents on baskets and accessories, grey and sandy whitewashed woods in wide planks, and an ocean-inspired palette of dreamy aquas and blues. Calgary designer Kevin Mitchell says the time of dark, formal and heavy-handed interiors is over—things are lightening up (for the better) for 2016.

Inspiring Space: Contemporary Beach House

Photo: Janis Nicolay

Vancouver designer Angela Robinson shows how to channel beach house through your palette with sandy-toned pieces like the pendant light, wall frames and floor alongside turquoise Eames chairs and a white breakfast table.

Key Pieces to Get the Contemporary Beach House Look

Click the image below to launch slideshow.

Click through to see our favourite pieces to bring the contemporary beach house look home.

The wood-veneer Link Suspension lamp (from $850) by LZF brings in that sandy element without literally bringing in sand.grshop.com

The woven Frog Cellulosa armchair ($6,795) is crafted in hempen rope with a steel frame by Living Divani.

A cotton Fisherman's Cableknit pillow ($129) in ivory pompom by Anthropologie warms up a sofa.anthropologie.com

The aptly named mouth-blown crystal Mipreshus glasses ($300 for set of 4) by Nouvel Studio sparkle in blue.espacedonline.com

Poly-cotton coiled Cove rope baskets (from $40) with inset handles bring the beach vibe€”by Crate and Barrel. crateandbarrel.ca

The Compass dining table ($549) in high-gloss white lacquer and a steel base is designed by Ceci Thompson for CB2.cb2.ca

This Chord pendant light ($100) with ivory rope cord by CB2 is darn cute and totally dimmable. cb2.ca

Saddle up to the bar on Bend's powder-coated galvanized-iron Lucy bar stool ($632) in peacock blue.providehome.com

How To Let the Wind Blow painting ($5,760) by Canadian artist Zoë Pawlak evokes beach better than marine motifs.zoepawlak.com

Your Beach House Paint Palette

beachy paint colours

The Life Aquatic Pastel aquas and blues are the perfect accompaniment to modern white interiors. Here: Benjamin Moore’s Morning Sky Blue and White Satin.

What the Pros Have to Say

jenny martin“Inspired by whitecaps, ethereal cloud cover, sandy beaches, rocky shores and driftwood piles—it’s the new West Coast palette.” —Jenny Martin, Jenny Martin Design

Julia Dilworth

Julia Dilworth