Whether you live along the coast or not, there’s no doubting that there’s something absolutely beautiful about a coastal kitchen. With light hues, ample lighting, and fun beach or maritime paraphernalia, these bright, airy kitchens bring the serene calm of the coast right into your home. The best part is that these kitchens are simple to create and decorate, no matter where you’re located! The following coastal kitchens offer great ideas that you can incorporate into your very own kitchen.
All-White Cabinetry
Creating a coastal kitchen? Our Ice White Shaker cabinets are the perfect design choice!
To emulate the bright and breezy characteristics of the seashore, start your coastal kitchen with white kitchen cabinets. These cabinets can be any style that you choose, but most often, the simplicity of a white shaker cabinet is preferred. While an all-white kitchen is often used, you can also create a two-tone kitchen with light wood or light painted cabinets as the base or island cabinets. The trick is to make sure to keep the atmosphere bright, so avoid dark colors.
Blue & White Elements
To incorporate the hues of the ocean, you’ll find that most coastal kitchens include various shades of blue. There are countless ways to include blue in your kitchen, so this is a great opportunity to flex your creativity. The all-white kitchen above includes a blue & white checkerboard ceiling, with blue lamp-style light fixtures that are almost reminiscent of a lighthouse.
To tie it all together, incorporate wooden elements. Think driftwood or the deck of a ship. Without any obvious beach-style motifs and very little decoration, this kitchen was able to subtly pull off a classy coastal look.
Ample Lighting
A dark coastal kitchen simply isn’t very appealing. No matter the style, kitchen lighting is very important, but for the overall ambiance of the coastal kitchen, bright lighting is key. Use a combination of task, accent, and ambient lighting to fully brighten the space.
The kitchen above uses a great number of light fixtures, from recessed ceiling lights to multiple hanging pendant lights to under-cabinet task lighting. Though it may not be obvious, this kitchen also relies significantly on natural lighting.
For the right effect, choose bulbs that emit a cool whiter or bluer light rather than a warm yellow light. To further brighten the space and create a more authentic look, natural lighting from large windows or even a skylight can take your coastal kitchen to the next level.
Coastal Kitchen & Dining
Of course, there’s no need to limit your coastal design to your kitchen space. Let your imagination run wild and extend your coastal design straight into your dining room for a massively impressive look. The all-white kitchen above has a number of coastal elements, which also flow over into the dining area.
This space possesses all the elements necessary for a great coastal kitchen. Bright, white kitchen cabinets create the foundation for the space. The blue subway tile backsplash flows naturally into a blue countertop to create an effect reminiscent of seawater.
Wooden accents on the island stools, floor tiles, and dining table offset the ample amounts of blue and white to create a more cohesive space. Cute starfish decorations add a nice touch that makes it impossible to mistake this coastal kitchen for any other style.
Coastal Backsplash Tiles
The backsplash is a great place to be creative in your coastal kitchen space. With a bit of shopping around, you can find tiles designed with waves, starfish, seashells, or other beachy elements. This smart coastal design uses neutral stone tiles that flow into a border of large tiles decorated with waves, emulating the beauty of sand and sea.
For a less obvious design, try iridescent blue tiles instead. The visual effect will create the illusion of movement, almost like seawater. There are plenty of ways to create a gorgeous coastal backsplash, whether through color, material, or shape. Just think “beachy”, and choose the tiles that work best with your particular space and your design preferences.
Coastal Decorative Items
Once you’ve set the foundation for your coastal kitchen with white cabinets, shades of blue or green and the design accents of your choice, you can create a more thoroughly coastal look with the addition of decorations. You can simply purchase decorations that already possess beach-like elements, or you can get a little creative while saving some cash in the process.
This is an easy DIY project to create a gorgeous coastal decoration for your space. Purchase three or four translucent glass jars in whatever shape you like, and fill with seashells, which can be purchased in bulk for just a few dollars online.
Contemporary Coastal Kitchen
When it comes to designing your kitchen, there will always be plenty of rules, but the truth is that rules, especially design rules, are made to be broken. The previous kitchens all share the same characteristics – bright, white cabinets, combined with shades of blue and wooden elements. While this is a simple equation for creating a “proper” coastal look, you can also throw those rules out the window and simply do it your way.
The kitchen above is a great example of a unique kitchen that emulates “coastal” without using any of the requisite elements. Indeed, the only real coastal element is the glass island etched with a gorgeous sea scene. This eye-catching island combines with the neutral tones of the shaker cabinets and granite countertop to create a warm, imaginative spin on a coastal kitchen.