As a celebration of sunny days and sandy toes, today’s blog post is all about warm and welcoming Coastal Charm. This week, my family and I are in one of our very favorite summer vacation spots: Rosemary Beach, Florida. This darling village inspires me every single year with its breezy interiors and coastal charm.
Let’s explore all the charm and nostalgia of coastal style. Various substyles are part of the coastal style, ranging from breezy California beach bungalows and coastal modern high-rises to the charming coastal cottages of the Northeast, the patina of Mediterranean villas, and the striking Dutch Colonial architecture of Cape Town.
There are many other coastal substyles, but for today’s post, I want to explore the charm and architecture of two of my favorite coastal communities: Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach, Florida.
We’ve been traveling as a family to the quaint seaside village of Rosemary Beach for almost 20 years now. This little community has architectural styles inspired by the Dutch West Indies, New Orleans, and St. Augustine.
The homes feature masterful architectural details like lofty ceilings, deep eaves, shingle siding, stucco walls, shutters, and charming elevated porches to catch the coastal breezes. The interiors are equally jaw-dropping, with their light, bright spaces accentuated with natural wood, gleaming plaster, and unique coastal details.
One of our daily rituals when visiting Rosemary Beach is to get up early every single morning and walk through the charming tree-lined streets, taking in all the beautiful and unique coastal architecture. This style of coastal design is one of my absolute favorites for its versatility and nostalgia.
It nods to the white sandy beaches that are only steps away in a subtle, timeless, and sophisticated way. The sense of laid-back coastal living that takes center stage in Rosemary Beach, along with its charm and distinctive character, brings us back year after year.
Now, let’s move about a mile down the beach and look at the jaw-dropping seaside architecture of Alys Beach. Where you have the tree-lined streets and mix of architectural styles and materials in Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach is a striking statement in pristine white stucco Bermudan architecture and gracious courtyard living.
Each home is unique in its details, some with dark wood and Moorish forms and others with light-hearted Mediterranean accents. But the community as a whole is a stunning statement in striking coastal style, and I’m obsessed with it.
Many of the homes in Alys Beach have been published in design magazines throughout the years, and I love the unique details that the interiors of these beautiful coastal homes have, from plastered walls and jaw-dropping lighting installations to breezy courtyards that epitomize coastal luxury.
I’m always completely inspired by the design style of Alys Beach. I get so much design inspiration from our morning walks through this beautiful coastal community. I love seeing the new homes and businesses that pop up each and every year.
Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach have so much charm and distinctive character. To me, that’s really what coastal style is all about. It’s drawing inspiration from the sand, sea, and sky to create relaxed, comfortable, soul-refreshing spaces.
I love the use of natural materials and light-hearted details to add texture, depth, and unexpected charm to coastal design. Even if your home or personal design style isn’t coastal, I feel like we can all embrace elements of coastal style to bring a bit of laid-back charm and easygoing elegance into our homes, especially for the sunny months ahead.
Who else is excited to embrace elements of coastal design style this year? If you enjoyed this post, let me know in the comments if you have a particular part of coastal design that’s your favorite.
If you love all things design like I do, follow us on Instagram at @ashleychildershome and check us out on Pinterest to get daily design inspiration and join our design-loving community.
As always, thank you so much for reading, and remember, good design is for everyone, so create a home that inspires you. Have fun embracing coastal design style and fall in love with where you live, one room at a time!
XO, Ashley
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