Australia boasts beautiful coastlines, glorious beaches and delightful weather. The feelings such natural blessings arouse are alluring, so a desire to replicate the colours, textures and moods is very understandable. We want the vitality inspired by sparkling blue water, the comfort of a warm sun’s embrace and the earthy awareness of sand underfoot. Whether we have such luxuries on our doorstep or not, we can evoke their feel with simple home decor strategies.
Let’s consider some options.
Whether you know it as “The Coastal Look” or the “Hamptons Look”, creating that feel in your own home is a complex but delightful mission. It will involve decisions relating to:
- Colours
- Textures
- Space
- Furnishings
- Accessories, and
- Natural Light
The most significant of these aspects are colour and texture, and one of the most important ways to achieve both goals is through the use of window coverings. This is what we will focus on in this article.
Selecting Coastal Colours and Textures
Your colour choices should reflect what you would find at the beach, along the cliffs and on the headlands.
The understated use of white or neutral colours can inspire the feel of rugged coastlines and sandy beaches. Milky whites and lighter shades of blue, work perfectly to create a cool and calming backdrop. Muted shades of green and even classic shades of navy blue can also be right at home in your nautical playground. Cleverly combined, these colours keep the mood light and breezy, laying the foundations for an inspired coastal look.
At this point, it’s worth recognising that there are two fairly distinct colour approaches available.
The traditional coastal look is infused with shades of blue and an array of washed hues, as you naturally find in a maritime vista, complemented with maritime decor. The modern look on the other hand, uses whites and off-white colours in support of natural elements such as shells.
Whether your approach to colour is modern, more traditional or even a blending of the two, the question then becomes one of method: How and where will you apply these colour choices?
Applying Your Coastal Colour Palette
You want your home to strike a balance; it should look like its beautifully stylish ambience came easily, yet its embrace should feel so rich and real that your guests appreciate that this was lovingly and deliberately done. This look and feel starts with choosing the colours for your palette. Next comes applying the strokes with deliberate care.
Your options are many. You can present your Hampton style colours through wall and floor colourings, furnishings, pictures and accessories, as well as the strategic use of window shutters and curtains. The last item (Shutters and Curtains) runs second in importance only to your wall colour. Other than your walls, they are arguably the next most effective contributor to the look you desire.
This becomes even more obvious when we consider the issue of texture.
The Masterful Use of Coastal Textures.
Shutters and curtains will obviously provide privacy, but when you make your selections whilst seeking a coastal, you achieve many added benefits. Coastal ambiance and comfort can be yours all year round, delivering the vitality, warmth and down-to-earth feel that you inspire.
Texture is a profoundly important factor, yet it is easily misunderstood. Texture is about the way something looks, but it’s also the sense of substance and ‘grit’ that the surface evokes. For example, you don’t have to hold a curtain to sense its light and airy feel; you don’t have to handle a shutter in order to feel its rugged yet stylish maritime strength.
An effective choice in window coverings, be they shutters, curtains or both, will bring casual and effective warmth to your living space, and enhance its homely embrace. You can also achieve a desired textured ambience through floor coverings, wall hangings and upholstery. This is encouraged. However, we would be less than honest if we were to make light of the importance of your window covering choices.
Attaining That Hampton Coastal Look
A significant part of achieving the coastal look involves aiding the sense of seamless transition between what is in your home and what is outside. Your window treatments should therefore allow a lot of natural light into your home, without taking away any of your views. If your views are not that inspiring, then the effective choice of window coverings becomes even more important.
Whether you have expansive and inspiring views, or you do not, window coverings are very significant.
Curtains That Evoke the Coastal Feel
Soft and sheer curtains are popular when people are pursuing the coastal feel. Their light texture is obvious as they float gracefully on a gentle breeze, amplifying the sensuousness we feel as that same air flows across the skin.
These elegant window treatments are perfect for allowing a precise intensity of natural sunlight into the home. Temperature is moderated, privacy is assured, and furnishings are protected from UV ray damage. A soft, flowing textured curtain is an integral part of obtaining a modern coastal look.
There are a range of curtain options available. Matching your specific circumstances to the best item in our range is best on a case-by-case basis. Some of the colour and texture comments made above will prove helpful, but if you would like more assistance please give Stella Curtains & Blinds a call, or request contact.
The Hampton Style and Wise Shutter Selection
Shutters offer what is probably the most classic and timeless of coastal looks. They are an investment in the long-term value of the property, as well as the function and comfort levels attained in the immediate. For those who are pursuing the coastal look, they are perhaps the most complimentary investment they could make.
By rotating the louvres, you can allow just the right amount of breeze through, still be open to the elements, block out direct sunlight and improve your privacy; all achieved whilst still enjoying your environment.
Shutters are perhaps the best way to enjoy beautiful surroundings, whilst also bringing that same beauty within. They are a natural bridge between the outside and the inside. They bring what is embracing and beyond your walls, into your home and within the intimacy of your personal space.
Shutters act as a natural bridge between the outside and the inside. They also serve as one of the best ways to enjoy and incorporate the beauty of your surroundings. They allow you to bring nature’s beauty into the intimacy of your personal space.
We offer three overarching shutter styles, but within each, there is room for flexibility to facilitate your personal colour and style choices. As with selecting curtains, making the best choice regarding shutters is something we have a lot of experience with. We’re here to help. For more than the advice given here already, call Stella Curtains & Blinds on 0411 557 622 to get a feel for the options.
When your coastal look is achieved, your home will become more aesthetically pleasing, more comfortable and increasingly functional. The effective use of shutters and curtains is one of the most effective ways to implement coastal colours and textures, and also allow optimal natural light into your home. With nearly 50 years of combined industry experience, our small but talented team are keen to help you achieve your styling dreams. Call us or complete Stella Curtains & Blinds Request Contact form to begin your own trip to the sea.
Rachelle and the team at Stella Curtains & Blinds team are professional interior decorators, passionate about window furnishings that give your home the wow factor. Specialising in custom made curtains, blinds and shutters, they’re here to help you make design decisions that increase the value of your home and make it look great for many years to come. Give them a call 0411 557 622 or visit www.stellacurtainsandblinds.com.au.