Decorating & Design
Modern Surf Style Is What Your Home Needs This Summer
Updated on June 29, 2020
If you’ve spent any time on Instagram or Pinterest, shots of California cool interiors have likely been infiltrating your feeds. Modern surf style is effortless and perfectly understated, and you don’t have to live on the coast to achieve this breezy aesthetic. White-walled interiors are tastefully sparse with impactful art pieces, and laid-back, retro furniture that nods to the coast. The key to nailing this look is editing: no space is too cramped or crowded, and nothing is too precious. Click through for our tips on how to bring this easygoing aesthetic home.
Incorporate beach motifs. “He’s big into surfing,” says homeowner Hayley Atkins about her son Chase’s bedroom, complete with a surfboard triptych hanging above. The natural palette makes it feel cool, not kitschy.
Choose curvaceous shapes. Like the ebb and flow of the ocean, soft shapes are key to modern surf style — just look to this hallway with a round mirror, circular pendant light and oval bench.
Put the focus on a photograph. A vintage-inspired print of Palm Springs is a no-brainer if you want to bring the California-cool look into your home — no passport required.
Dress your bed with laid-back linens. Life on the beach is all about going with the flow, so a rumpled linen slipcovered bed is fabulous yet fuss-free. A flat-woven kilim adds a hit of pattern.
Keep it casual. “There’s nothing precious about anything in the house,” says designer Alda Perreira of this Palm Springs Hacienda-style home. Low-maintenance concrete tables, linen-cotton fabric and a chunky sisal rug are equally relaxed and refined.
Don’t shy away from a ceiling fan. This breezy principal bedroom’s high ceilings are emphasized by a whirling fan, which is synonymous with seaside homes.
Display a model sailboat. In this P.E.I. seaside home, a vintage model clipper ship takes pride of place on a vintage dresser. A blue and white striped rug carries the beachy theme home.
Layer, layer, layer. An old-fashioned metal bed, plover bird accent pillows, a striped lamp and miniature model canoes prove that the more nautical, the better.
Look to the sea for inspiration. A vintage egg-poaching dish beautifully displays shells and sea glass collected from the beach. Pair it with wooden candlestick holders for your dining table.
Mix and match styles. Designer Sam Sacks’ boho cottage was “inspired by a mashup of surf shack, safari camp and Dutch Colonial styles.” In the dining room, vintage water skis honor the lakeside location.
Opt for woven pendants. Large open-weave light fixtures add warmth and texture to this all-white Ikea kitchen. This space captures the unhurried mood of a beach holiday.
Use shiplap walls as your canvas. Nothing says surf shack more than shiplap walls, which immediately inject any space with a rustic feel. A ’70s-inspired headboard, fabric pendant and upside-down horseshoe add quirk and character.
Embrace rattan furniture. This sun-drenched eating nook gets an easygoing vibe thanks to rattan chairs with subtle green and white striped cushions. An open window showcasing palm trees blowing in the breeze completes the look.
Hang a textured pendant. In this light and bright living room, a layered, beaded pendant commands attention, without taking away from the beauty of the exposed beams and clean-lined furniture.
Try tie-dye bedding. We’re not talking about the psychedelic rainbow tie-dye from the ’70s. This on-trend print pays homage to the sea with an ocean blue palette — plus, bedding is easy to swap out as the seasons change.
Pick a seaside-inspired palette. To give her white and wood cottage a beach house feel, designer Tiffany Leigh Piotrowski incorporated soft blues, from the sofa to the model sailboats.
Play with palm leaf wallpaper. This colorful Vancouver loft’s petite bathroom transports you from the city to the coast thanks to a whimsical pattern covering the walls.