Bring the relaxing feel of the beach into your bathroom with these 8 key elements for designing a beach-style bath. From colors and textures to accessories and materials, incorporating these components will help you create a coastal oasis right in your own home.
Choose Soothing Coastal Colors
The colors used in a beach bath should evoke the hues of sand, surf, and sky. Cool blue and green tones are ideal for creating a breezy, coastal vibe. Consider using these shades when selecting paint colors, tiles, or linens.
Some popular beachy color choices include:
- Soft blues – Go for icy pastels or deeper shades inspired by the ocean. Robin’s egg, powder, or cadet blues make excellent main bath colors.
- Greens – Sage, seafoam, and aqua greens lend a tranquil, watery feel. Pair with white for a crisp look.
- Tan and khaki – Lighter neutrals like sand or straw hues add warmth while keeping things laidback.
- White – Crisp, bright white makes an excellent base color. Accent with shades of blue, green, or tan.
- Aqua – From pale to vivid shades, aqua encompasses the sea and sky. Use it on an accent wall or smaller bathroom details.
- Sea glass colors – The frosted hues of sea glass, like soft greens, blues, and grays, are ultra-relaxing. Use as accents throughout the space.
Incorporate Natural Textures and Materials
Natural textures and elements that are reminiscent of the seaside help reinforce the beach atmosphere. Use materials like wood, rattan, stone, tiles with rippled or crackled finishes, sea grass, linen, and more.
Some specific ways to work beachy textures into the bath include:
- Wood vanities, shelves, or accents
- Stone tile, shower walls, and backsplashes
- Weathered, whitewashed, or salvaged wood finishes
- Bamboo or rattan fixtures and accessories
- Wicker or sea grass baskets for storage
- Rippled glass shower doors or tile that mimics waves
- Linens and window treatments in natural fibers like linen or cotton
- Rough plaster or stucco wall finishes
Combining these tactile elements alongside beach-inspired colors enhances the laidback, oceanfront personality.
Incorporate Driftwood and Organic Accents
One of the quintessential details of beach decor is driftwood. Using reclaimed driftwood pieces as accents adds character and reinforces the natural beach theme.
Some ways to bring driftwood into the bathroom include:
- Mounting small weathered driftwood “shelves” on the walls for holding decorative towels or seashells
- Affixing a piece of driftwood horizontally to the wall as a rustic towel bar
- Placing a trio of varying sized driftwood pieces in a corner as an accent
- Using a weathered wood or driftwood effect laminate on vanity cabinets
- Adding a round natural wood side table with drifted legs next to the bathtub
- Topping vanities or shelving with slices of raw edged driftwood for an organic look
In addition to driftwood, other organic and natural accessories can enrich the beach bathroom motif. Some ideas:
- Sand dollars, starfish, and seashells for decor
- Natural stone surfaces like marble or granite
- Ceramic accents with organic cracked glaze finishes
- Woven sea grass or rattan wastebaskets
- Glass Float or fishing net inspired lighting fixtures
- Macrame hangings or wall art with twine
Go for a Weathered, Distressed Aesthetic
Embrace a lightly weathered, worn look for a relaxed vibe. This can be achieved through finish textures and detailing.
For walls, consider light whitewashing techniques over painted surfaces to make walls appear sun bleached. Try dragged paint finishes in soft blue or green hues to mimic sea glass.
On wood surfaces, go for a soft, worn appearance. Painted wood should have visible brush strokes. Unpainted wood can be lightly sanded and whitewashed for a coastal feel. Avoid highly polished or glossy finishes.
For metal fixtures or accent pieces, allow a patina or rustic rubbed appearance. Aged brass and weathered bronze work nicely. Avoid shiny chrome.
Use these techniques thoughtfully throughout the space to achieve a laidback aesthetic, like you’d find in a seaside cottage.
Install Window Treatments with Natural Textures
Continue the beach vibe through your window treatments by opting for lightweight fabrics, soft textures, and natural materials.
Some good choices include:
- Linen curtains or drapes
- Cotton voile sheers
- Jute, sisal, or sea grass woven shades
- Off-white roman shades
- Natural bamboo blinds
- Macrame drapery with thick linen threads
- Accent pillows or tie-backs made from woven tapes
These window dressing options align with the relaxed beach style while filtering in hazy natural light. Install curtain rods in simple finishes like aged bronze, oil-rubbed bronze, or reclaimed looking wood.
For privacy at beachside locations, good options are plantation shutters or permeable woven wood blinds. This allows views and airflow while managing visibility.
Select Beach Cottage Style Lighting and Fixtures
Fixtures don’t need to be overtly nautical for beach bathrooms. Often a minimalist, weathered patina approach fits best.
Consider these beach cottage style options:
- Aged brass sconces or pendant lights
- Whitewashed wood lantern sconces
- Rope, jute or driftwood chandeliers
- Seeded glass or bubble glass light shades
- Vintage milk glass sconces or pendants
- Simple porcelain fixtures with a cracked glaze
- Woven abaca lampshade material
- Aged bronze, rubbed bronze or oil-rubbed bronze finishes
Look for lighting shapes and silhouettes reminiscent of glass floats or fishing net buoys. Distressed metal finishes work nicely.
For vanities and mirrors, simple aged brass or bronze frames complement the relaxed vibe. Avoid highly polished finishes.
Choose Beach Motif Accessories
Accessories pull the whole beach theme together. Use accessories and accent pieces that feel connected to the seaside.
Some beach-worthy accents include:
- Sea glass or seashells in beach colors
- Coral, starfish, or sand dollar motifs
- Weathered model boats or anchors
- Whitewashed clay vases
- Glass Floats
- Terrariums with dune grasses or succulents
- Netting, shells, or sea glass in glass container accents
- Rope or jute knot wall hangings
- Signage with beach town names
- Silhouettes of seabirds, shells, or reeds Cluster collections of accessories on open shelving, wall niches, or in corners. This creates little vignettes and brings visual interest into the room.
Use Authentic Beach Location Touches
For bathrooms actually located in beach towns, incorporate design details that speak to the specific coastal region. This roots the style and captures the essence of place.
Some examples include:
New England
- Weathered cedar shingles
- Blue and white accents
- Rope and marine motifs
Florida
- Pastel colors
- Conch shells
- Tropical floral prints
California
- Surfboards
- Beach signage
- Warm wood tones
Northwest
- Hardwoods
- Organic textures
- Muted sea glass colors
East Coast
- Vintage nautical maps
- Whitewashed accents
- Driftwood
Allow the local flavor of nearby beaches to come through via colors, materials, accessories, and stylings. This creates an authentic coastal bathroom design.
FAQs about Designing Beach-Style Bathrooms
What paint color should I use in a beach bathroom?
Cool blues, greens, and grays inspired by sea and sky are ideal. Try a pale robin’s egg blue, soothing seafoam green, light gray with a blue undertone, or even soft white.
What flooring works best for a coastal bathroom?
Light natural stone tiles like marble or travertine are great choices. Weathered, whitewashed wood planks also fit the aesthetic well. Concrete tiles in soft hues can work too.
How do I add texture to my beach bathroom?
Use materials like wood, rattan, jute, linen, and lightly textured or handmade tiles. Incorporate reclaimed or salvaged wood pieces along with natural woven accents.
Should I use beach prints or nautical themes?
This look can feel overdone. Instead, aim for subtle hints through texture, color, and judiciously selected coastal accents. The vibe should feel relaxed and casual.
What type of vanity works for a beach bathroom?
Try to avoid highly ornate vanities. Simple shaker style vanities in white, pale blue, or seafoam green work well. Weathered wood or concrete vanities also fit the aesthetic.
How do I add warmth without going too tropical?
Natural wood accents, woven textures, and touches of aged bronze add cozy warmth. To avoid tropical, go for weathered and muted woods over highly polished.
What if I’m not near the beach? Can I still get this look?
Absolutely! You can create the essence of a coastal retreat anywhere by using beach-inspired colors, materials, art, and accessories in your design.
Achieving the Beach Bathroom Look
A beach-inspired bathroom is a relaxing oasis, evoking the sights, textures, and colors of the coast. Use natural materials like weathered woods, linen, rattan, and stone alongside soft coastal hues. Incorporate reclaimed driftwood, shells, glass floats, and subtle nautical accents. Allow local beach details to come through for authenticity. With a tranquil color palette, natural textures, and subtle accessorizing your bathroom can reach new levels of coastal comfort. Let these essential elements guide you in creating your own dream beach bath.
