5 Design Tips To Bring A Coastal Vibe To Your Kitchen

Coastal is here to stay. Whether it's coastal cowgirl, coastal grandmother, or a full-blown Nancy Meyers-style beach home, the popular coastal aesthetic is making waves in both fashion and home design everywhere. Many people are taking this aesthetic to their kitchens; if you're looking to channel your inner Diane Keaton in "Something's Gotta Give" to create the cozy, calm, coastal kitchen of your dreams, there are a few key renovations you can make.

Achieving a beautiful coastal style kitchen is easier than people may think. You can make small décor choices (some of which you can find at HomeGoods), such as wooden cutting boards and fruit bowls, white dishware, rattan chairs, and fresh flowers on the table. But you really achieve your dream kitchen when you make some bigger renovations, such as white cabinets, hardwood floors, and a kitchen island.

One of the most common design decisions for making a coastal kitchen is mixing white with wood. One way you can do this is by putting in white cabinets and adding wooden accents, such as a wooden island and wooden bar stools, or wooden décor pieces, such as light fixtures, vases, bowls, and cutting boards (we love Martha Stewart's collection of wooden cutting boards). If you go with white cabinets, we recommend a shaker-style cabinet for the utmost beachy vibe.

This idea coincides with the concept of "white with wooden accents." For that Nancy Meyers kitchen that any coastal grandmother would be proud of, splurge on wooden floors. There are ways you can still achieve a beachy look with other flooring, but wood is timeless, clean, versatile, and goes beautifully with a coastal color palette.

For those who never paid much attention to their kitchen backsplash, this surface is what you often find on the wall behind the sink or oven and underneath the top level of cabinets. It has a functional use in protecting walls from water damage and grease stains, but it's also a star player in interior design by providing a change in color and texture that can match the aesthetic you want. For a crisp, coastal backsplash, try something blue, green, teal, or white.

Why have a coastal kitchen without embracing the beautiful blues of the ocean? You can go big and build a kitchen island with blue wood and appliances, or you can go the easier route and add in some blue accents, such as flower vases, dishware, and cookware. Whether you like a lighter, pale blue or something darker like navy, blue can be the perfect accent color for your beachy kitchen.

Last but not least, focus on your countertops to get that full "Something's Gotta Give" kitchen. We recommend a white or light gray marbling design, which goes beautifully with white, gray, wood, or blue cabinets. If you need to save some money and can't afford marble countertops at the moment, you can always buy a laminate peel-and-stick cover in the meantime.