People who live by the coast are scientifically proven to lead happier, healthier lives, but if you’re landlocked, that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. By decorating with elegant coastal decor, you can create a calm, seaside state of mind, wherever you are. There are countless ways to design a cool, coastal interior (and for starters, it doesn’t involve kitschy nautical-themed decor). Designers swear by a few common coastal design cues that you can use to make your home feel like it’s perched on the Pacific Ocean, no matter what your address is. Read on for a few beautiful coastal decor ideas for every home.

Photo credit: Design by Will Wick

Bring the Ocean In

If you live by the coast and the room you’re decorating has an ocean view, please, do us all a favor and open those curtains wide. Don’t bother with busy wallpapers or anything that will distract from the view—you already have one magnificent focal point. If you’re not blessed with a sea view, bring the ocean in with coastal photography or a seascape painting. In this bedroom by Decorist Celebrity designer Will Wick, the sea photography has an instant calming effect, and makes us feel like we’re by the ocean, even though it’s a room in the heart of San Francisco.

Photo credit: Thomas J. Story for Sunset, Design by Studio LIFE.STYLE

Sprinkle in Woven Materials

There’s something about woven materials that feels instantly beachy, so they’re one of our favorite coastal decor accents. Woven furniture can be beautiful, but small accents will work, too. In this poolhouse bar by Celeb designers Studio LIFE.STYLE, a pair of simple woven pendants adds an elegant beach-themed touch to the otherwise modern space. Although this home is located in Brentwood, Los Angeles, which isn’t quite a beach town, you can almost hear the ocean thanks to those fresh coastal accents.

Photo credit: Design by Erinn Valencich

Hang Grasscloth Wallpaper

Grasscloth wallpaper had its heyday in the ‘50s and ‘60s, but it’s making a comeback, and it’s cooler than ever. We love to use this woven wallpaper for a seaside-inspired living room as it lends a textural, sandy look that both looks and feels like the beach. Paired with other neutral materials in this sitting room designed by Decorist Celebrity designer Erinn Valencich, it feels decidedly laidback and calm, just as an interior should be.

Photo credit: Design by Ohara Davies-Gaetano

Go for the Green

Bringing the outdoors in is always a good idea, but if you want an elegant coastal aesthetic in your home, pick up some tropical greenery for the real resort look. Some of our favorite indoor plants include Kentia Palms, Snake plants, Bird-of-Paradise, and Fiddle-leaf Fig trees, all tropical plants you’d be likely to find in an ocean town. Put one in a woven planter, take a deep breath, and smell the sea.

Photo credit: Design by Antonio Martins

Channel Your Favorite Place

One of our favorite elegant coastal decor ideas is to channel your favorite seaside destination. Want to recall your honeymoon in Mykonos? Whitewash your walls and floors and decorate with woven pendants, salvaged wood furniture, and simple white textiles. Love to holiday in Palm Beach? Bring in the pink and green. We love how Celebrity designer Antonio Martins was inspired by his heritage in Portugal to design this coastal blue bedroom. With Portuguese azulejos (blue-and-white tiles) in a modern wall collage and glossy, white floors, the room feels like it belongs on one of Portugal’s picturesque southern Algarve beaches, yet it’s right here in San Francisco.

Photo credit: Design by Consort Design

Select Coastal Colors

It may sound cliché, but there’s nothing like a cool blue to bring to mind the ocean. Soft blues and blue-greens are coastal colors that will never go out of style, and when paired with other beach-themed decor elements like ocean photography and woven accents, they create a calm, coastal aesthetic. When selecting furniture, look for light woods, instead of dark woods, for a relaxing, sandy look.

Need help with your coastal look? Pop over to our Design Services page to see how our process works and to start your own design project today!