Creating a coastal sanctuary takes time, effort and an expert eye for detail. CHRISSY HARRIS talks to some top interior designers about how it’s done…and there’s not a bit of driftwood in sight
CUTTING A RUG
It often starts with a rug. “You can get such beautiful ones that can inspire the rest of the room,’ says interior designer Caroline Palk. “In a snug sitting room, the right pattern can look like the water coming in on a beach, highlighting the contours in the sand…”
Sigh. How lovely to have the seaside at your feet with all the comforts of home. Making sure a room has the right patterns and textures is part of an intricate process for Caroline and her team at Ashton House Design in Devon. They have worked on some incredible coastal houses, from contemporary builds to period properties in need of a transformation.
For every project, the mantra is the same. “How do I pay homage to this stunning location?” says Caroline. “You’re looking at the all the materials, the finishes, the colour palettes. You’ve got this fab view outside but then you want to look back into the interior and match that same feeling, especially when it’s dark outside or lashing with rain.
“Essentially, you’ve got to do something inside that stands up to the view outside.”
Caroline says getting this right is a delicate balancing act between embracing the location, but not the theme.
“It’s not about being pastiche or walking into a twee coastal property,” she says. “We know we’re by the sea but let’s not put any driftwood or pebbles around.”
Instead, little nods, such as lamps reflecting the blues and greens of sea glass, bring a natural warmth rather than nautical glitz. A terrazzo tile with strong blues, taupes and ivories can make a subtle seaside statement on floors or walls. And window dressing is very important.
“We do lots of lovely textural voiles and sheers,” says Caroline, talking about the types of delicate, billowing curtains that she likes to use to soften a big space. “It can be daunting working out how to fill up this big expanse of glass because you’re talking a lot of meterage. But with a textural voile, you can get a wide width and you don’t have a join in the fabric. These panels of curtains essentially edit the view. You get the sun shining in through them and the reflections from the water.”
Caroline
