Beachy Vibes & Coastal Kitchen Designs for 2023

Taking yourself on a beach house vacation can sometimes be a cheat code to amp up your mental health. Interiors with an open, beachy feel and coastal design style decor are just what the doctor ordered. Interior designers who specialize in coastal spaces told us about the most important colors, design features, and styling tips to keep in mind when designing your coastal kitchen. Pro tip: Your house doesn’t need to be on a beach for it to be decorated like one.

Beach and coastal kitchen ideas embrace the refreshing and relaxed atmosphere of seaside living, bringing the essence of the ocean into your home. These designs aim to create a breezy and inviting space that captures the beauty of coastal landscapes. To achieve this, coastal kitchens often incorporate a soft color palette inspired by the sea, with shades of blue, sandy neutrals, and crisp whites dominating the space. Light and airy materials such as wicker, rattan, and natural woods are commonly used to evoke a beachy vibe.

The overall concept of beachy kitchens revolves around creating a bright and open environment that mimics the feeling of being by the shore. Large windows or glass doors are essential to maximize natural light and provide stunning views of the surrounding scenery. Nautical elements such as seashells, rope accents, and maritime artwork are often incorporated into the decor, adding a touch of coastal charm.

In terms of furniture and accessories, beach and coastal kitchens often feature open shelving or glass-front cabinets to showcase beach-themed dinnerware, colorful glassware, and coastal-inspired decor pieces. The use of textured tiles in soft blues and greens for backsplashes or countertops can further enhance the coastal aesthetic. Natural materials like driftwood, jute, and seagrass can be incorporated through bar stools, light fixtures, or even flooring to add a rustic yet coastal touch.

The goal of coastal kitchen designs is to create a serene and casual space where you can enjoy the calming vibes of the beach. By incorporating elements that evoke the sea and utilizing a light color palette, natural materials, and nautical accents, you can transform your kitchen into a coastal oasis that invites relaxation and embodies the coastal lifestyle.

Add some beachy elements here and there like starfish and glass floats, or go with textures on decor that can mimic things like sea anemones. There are so many different ways to create a beach feel in your kitchen, and even different ‘sub-themes’. Join me as we take a look and just a handful of these kitchen vibes.

Coastal Design Types

Achieving a coastal look in your kitchen is all about creating a serene and tranquil atmosphere that evokes the feeling of being by a body of water. Well, what kind of coastal water are we talking about here?

• Cottage Chic – Think Cape Cod or SoCal with a pinch of rustic farmhouse
• Tropical – Think Key West and Barbados
• Nautical Sailor – It’s hard not to think about a good-looking Navy Sailor
• Mediterranean – Think Italy and Greece

These four main types of coastal designs include their own styles of color palettes, cabinet displays, floors, furniture, and decor. To achieve the overall coastal kitchen look, you have to go all out, baby! Keep in mind that within each of these ‘themes’ there are still tons of different interpretations. Change things up with matching kitchen appliances or utensils either by color, or by literal theme if possible. But I’d suggest maybe just keeping to colors on those and use other accents to drive your dream theme home!

Cottage Chic

A style with simple and understated design elements, and a focus on natural materials such as wood and wicker. Inside, cottage chic decor features beadboard walls and ceilings, comfortable furnishings, and vintage and antique accessories.

Design Inspiration

Using natural materials such as white washed woods, woven seagrass, jute, and rattan, with a focus on light and airy spaces. The color palette is often more subtle and serene, with pale blues, grays, and sandy hues spread throughout. Using a beachy blue or seafoam color scheme for your counter appliances and storage is great if you don’t want the color to be overpowering. You could easily swap out this light blue hue for more of a light teal kitchen coloring that will have the same vibe. These Retro Style Canisters are a huge win! The style is often associated with a more relaxed, coastal elegance, with a lot of natural light, breezy fabrics, and memories from your family cottage.

Tropical Beach

I can hear it now… Mambo #5 is playing, and I need a little bit of ‘Rita. Margaritas, Mai Tais or Mojitos will never taste as good as when you are in a tropical kitchen. Vivid colors and exotic elements will bring your kitchen straight to the oceanfront! That is the best part about opting to design your kitchen with a tropical beach theme, the color schemes give you plenty of options.

Design Inspiration

Without a flamingo strolling around and a field of Bird of Paradise flowers, a simple kitchen would never cut it as a tropical-themed design. On the other hand, you shouldn’t go wild with the vivid colors this design brings. A great option is to take one large statement piece of your kitchen, for example, the backsplash, dining furniture, lighting, or appliances, and only use them for your tropical theme. Grab a few teak or bamboo bar chairs for island seating to tie the look together! Keep every other element in your kitchen a soft white or a sandy tan.

Mixing corals, turquoise blues, yellows, and too many bright colors can turn your tropical oasis into a gaudy nightmare. These colors are quite inconsistent across all of the decor brands. Pro tip: Whichever main paint color you go with, keep a paint swatch with you anytime you are shopping for kitchen goodies. 

You could easily swap out the coral colors for more of a dusty rose or light flamingo pink kitchen appliances or accents to get a similar vibe but with a calmer palette.

Nautical Sailor

I still have my mind stuck on a good-looking Navy Sailor about to board ship. Snap out of it! This more popular and stress-free decor style is sleek and minimal while elegant and beachy. Bring on the sailboat and anchor decor, oh, and don’t forget your Captain’s hat!

Design Inspiration

So, why is the nautical sailor coastal-style kitchen stress-free? You will never go wrong with dark navy blue, (try ‘In The Navy’ by Sherwin Williams) white, and some splashes of gold or silver. Luckily many appliances now come in navy color options. Want to get even more into the nautical theme, you can add some anchor accents or pops of red. You can head to our red kitchen blog or the blue kitchen blog for even more inspiration and accessory options.

 Coastal Mediterranean

Whether you are feeling more ‘Spanish Riviera’, ‘Greek Goddess’, or ‘Italiano Contemporary’ the details are intricate and contemporary. A Tuscan feel, without looking like a cheesy restaurant, is the look we are going for here. 

Design Inspiration

Bring out the rustic charm with chandelier lighting, mosaic tiling, and hints of bright orange and yellow earth-tone accents. For a touch of that mysterious elegance, install this Mediterranean Bronze Kitchen Faucet. Wood and wrought iron statement pieces will complete your vintage Mediterranean coastal-style kitchen. Again you’ll get more inspo on the blue kitchen blog linked above. You can also add in a few pops of colors like yellow that will still fit the theme.

Final Thoughts

Incorporating coastal designs in your kitchen can make every day feel like a vacation on the beach. Whether you are sampling wine in the vineyards of Italy or blending margaritas on a tropical coast, your kitchen can be the best getaway… that you might have to clean here or there. 

You don’t have to get super literal to create a beach or coastal kitchen look.  That doesn’t have to mean seashell or anchor designs everywhere, but if you want to get a bit more on the nose, you can totally do that too! I think there is nothing wrong with a perfectly placed coral display!