Seaside Cottage Decor

Sometimes nautical can be very Very heavy handed. I like a theme as much as the next person- usually helps to make a space feel cohesive and interesting, but all out nautical can just be so in your face cutesy, almost as bad as country cute, which makes my skin crawl. But being that it's almost the weekend, and beautiful weather, I'm thinking longingly of the shore, and all the decor that goes with it. More restrained, a bit of seaside cottage decor can be utterly lovely, and especially when the homeowner decorates creatively and with a sense of humor. Here are some great seaside rooms ~

I love the freshness of the mint green walls, the use of antiques, and the beautiful old wood floors. There are lots of nods to the seaside location of the this cottage - the whale, the anchor pillow, the shell lithograph over the chair, but none of it is too much. Fairly subtle and relaxed. 

The iron stone vase and white and turquoise towel create a wonderful impromptu vignette here. I like the assembled seating too- the white wicker and white windsor compliment each other well.

Vintage and funky meets seaside, and the result is pure whimsy. The maps on the wall are, of course, the real show stealer here, but I really adore the light blue metal chairs too. 

There is so much restraint shown in this space, and it enlivens the entire room with airiness. The one nautical element, the fish, ties the whole space together, and I can't help but think that the floors are just the color of beach sand.
Really wonderful.

Ooooo I just love love love this room. I love the chairs, I love the ship portrait, I love the farm table. It's almost too much for me, it's so perfect.  I encourage you to click on the link to see the whole house in Architectural Digest- it's equally amazing. 

Simple white with lots of natural tones. The oar coatrack is very clever, and it's always surprising what a little white paint can do for almost any vintage chair.