The living room in our feature photograph just screams seaside getaway. The lovely Pratt and Lambert wall colour called Tide Pools sets the perfect backdrop for a summer retreat.
Even in the dead of winter, a room like this can bring warm feelings and fond memories of carefree summer fun. There's no reason why you can't create a seaside retreat in your city home.
-- The elements: The cool blue wall colour is stunning against the crisp, white trim and furnishings. The colour is visually powerful, but as the large windows take up about half the wall space, the strong colour is not overpowering.
The white trim, ceiling, bookshelves and furnishings further balance the strong wall colour. Keep this in mind when planning your specific space. Vivid colour is great as long as it can be balanced somehow.
The gorgeous, oversize watercolour painting over the sofa appears as though it's another window with a view of the ocean. The scale, colours and frame all come together to create the illusion of an ocean view.
It may be difficult to find a similar painting if you want to create a seaside window view, but you can use a large poster, a wall mural or have a local artist paint you a custom picture using the colours in the room. (Check out Allposters.com and click on murals to get an idea of what's available. You can create the illusion of a view of Paris, mountains or whatever your desire using a large wall mural.)
The gorgeous blue porcelain lamps are substantial in size, but give the room additional symmetry. The colours in the lamp base are very reminiscent of water, so they work well in this seaside decor. Blue toss cushions add to the look. There are two water jugs on the coffee table in complementary colours that keep the colour palette momentum.
Because the windows let in so much natural light, the use of translucent glass accents is a good choice. You don't necessarily have to go out and buy new accessories like these. You could use simple glass bottles (I'm thinking of tall, slim, square-shaped vinegar bottles) and fill them with blue-coloured water to achieve a similar look. Decorative glass containers are easy to pick up at thrift stores and dollar stores for a good price.
-- From the sea: What seaside retreat would be complete without a collection of seashells and driftwood, as found on the coffee-table shelf in our feature living room?
You don't have to be that literal with beach finds in your decor. You could use prints of seashell images or actual photographs, for that matter. This is where your own design tastes come into play. You may even come across a seashell wallpaper remnant or border that you can use to create simple seashell prints. This is a cheap way to create cheap artwork in a themed room.
--Remember the use of black: Last week, I wrote about using black to balance a lively colour palette. This room is no different.
The dark flooring, black side tables and coffee table keep this room from looking too precious. The dark colours ground the room and give it depth. I'd probably throw in a natural-fibre area rug to lighten things up a bit, but the dark floor works either way.
--Let's get practical: The white loveseat and chair are stunning in this photograph, but not very practical.
Even if your home is sans children and pets, white upholstery is just waiting to be ruined by a spilled cup of coffee.
If you have white furniture, use an everyday slipcover in a co-ordinating colour, like sandy beige, to help prolong the life of the upholstery. Other upholstery colours can work in a room like this, so don't be deterred from creating a seaside retreat just because you don't have white furniture.
A room like this just makes you feel so good. It brings a sense of optimism, comfort, fun and freedom, so it's definitely worth consideration to replicate in your city home. Just remember the key points mentioned above regarding balance, light and practicality.
connieoliver@shaw.ca
