Coastal living + dining room ideas and inspo.

What’s the best way to design and decorate a coastal living + dining room?

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home. But if you ask us, the living + dining room gives it a run for its money since it’s likely the most used room in your house. From entertaining guests to lounging around reading a book to watching way too much TV (no judgment here), your main living space has to be both comfortable and functional. Open-concept living spaces may also include an eating area or a full dining room for easy living.

Whether you're in the process of a living + dining room remodel or looking to makeover your existing one, these are the key elements to include in your design:

• Paint or Wallpaper: Select a color or pattern that sets the desired mood for the living + dining room and complements the coastal style you want to achieve. We are partial to covering walls, ceilings, and trim in a uniform paint color to create a cohesive look. Or consider an accent wall to serve as a focal point.
• Sofa, Couch, or Sectional: A staple of any living + dining room, the sofa or couch provides a comfortable seating option for relaxation and socializing. The sofa should be the functional focal point of the room. When creating the furniture plan for your living + dining room, start with the sofa as the largest piece of furniture and plan the rest of the room around it. If you have a small living + dining room, you may want to select a sofa with a shallower depth or a L-shaped sectional to maximize your seating space. If you have a large living + dining room, you may want to consider multiple couches to take advantage of your space.
• Armchairs: These individual accent chairs offer additional seating and can be placed strategically around the living + dining room to create cozy conversation areas. In addition to leaving space around furniture groupings, make sure to also leave space around each piece of furniture. This allows people to move freely using various routes within the living + dining room. It's important to strike a balance between creating a cozy seating area and providing enough room for easy navigation.
• Coffee Table: A central piece, the coffee table sits in front of the sofa and provides a surface for placing drinks, books, and other items. Pro tip: The recommended distance between a coffee table and the sofa in a living + dining room is roughly 15-18”. This allows for enough space to move around comfortably and ensures that the coffee table is within easy reach from the seating area.
• Side Tables and/or Ottomans: Placed next to sofas or armchairs, side tables offer a convenient surface for placing lamps, drinks, or other small items. Ottomans are even more versatile and can serve as a footrest, extra seating, or even a side table or coffee table when paired with a tray. Choose side tables or ottomans that are proportionate to the furniture they accompany. The height of the side table should be similar to or slightly lower than the armrest or seat height of the sofa or chair.
• Console, Entertainment Center or TV Stand: This furniture piece typically houses the television and often includes additional storage for media devices, gaming consoles, or to display decorative items. Ensure that the size of the media console is proportionate to the size of the screen it will be supporting. Even if you don’t plan to include a TV in your living + dining room (we support your decision for less screen time!), a freestanding console or built-in shelving unit is great for storage and organization. You can hide (or replace) your TV with a large piece of wall art.
• Area Rug: It’s common to include an area rug in a living + dining room for extra warmth and coziness. If possible, all furniture pieces should “live” on the rug in your living room. If your rug doesn’t really allow for that, then at least the front legs should be atop the rug. This ensures the furniture doesn’t look like it’s floating in the room.
• Decorative Lighting: Combine task, ambient, and accent lighting for a layered lighting scheme. Typically in a living + dining room, you’d want a flush surface mount light or chandelier on the ceiling and wall-mounted sconces or table lamps placed around the room for mood lighting.
• Coastal Decor Accessories: Decor in a living + dining room can transform a living area into a vibrant tapestry of textures, colors, and forms, creating a welcoming and personalized environment that reflects your coastal style. The strategic placement of books, vases, and candles on coffee tables or shelves infuses the room with character and warmth. Throw pillows and blankets introduce texture and color helping to make the space feel cozier. Wall art helps to ground the space and showcase your personal taste and interests. Mirrors can amplify light, making the room feel more expansive.
• Curtains or Blinds: Window treatments not only help control the light and provide privacy but also serve to tie the room's design together. They offer an opportunity to inject color, texture, and pattern into the living space, making it more inviting and personalized. Whether flowing and sheer for a light, airy feel or rich and textured for a more luxurious look, curtains play a pivotal role in setting the tone and atmosphere of the living + dining room.

Get creative and have fun with your coastal living + dining room makeover! If you need an extra hand, check out our step-by-step guide on How To Design a Living Room.

Creating a living + dining room that serves as a welcoming hub for meals, gatherings, and memorable conversations begins with thoughtful planning. The arrangement of furniture not only influences the room's aesthetic appeal but also its practicality and comfort. By employing a strategic approach to your living + dining room design, you can achieve a space that harmonizes form and function, making every meal an experience to cherish.

Whether you're in the process of a living + dining room remodel or looking to makeover your existing one, these are the key elements to include in your design:

• Paint or Wallpaper: Select a color or pattern that sets the desired mood for the living + dining room and complements the coastal style you want to achieve. We are partial to covering walls, ceilings, and trim in a uniform paint color to create a cohesive look. Or consider an accent wall to serve as a focal point.
• Dining Table & Chairs: The heart of the dining room, your table should be chosen with care, considering its shape, size, and placement. This piece sets the tone for the room's overall design and functionality, acting as the anchor for all other elements. Pro tip: Divide your table’s outside dimensions by 24 inches to find out how many people you can seat comfortably. Complementing your table, the chairs should offer comfort and style.
• Storage Furniture: Practical yet stylish storage solutions like buffets, sideboards, and credenzas are key to a clutter-free dining area. They provide essential storage and a space for serving dishes. Position these pieces to maintain a clear pathway around the table, ideally 3-4 feet from the table’s edge.
• Area Rug: Love them or hate them, rugs in the dining room are a hot topic. A well-chosen rug can define the dining space and add a layer of warmth and texture. If you opt for a rug, ensure it extends at least 24 inches beyond the table on all sides, allowing chairs to remain on the rug even when pulled out.
• Decorative Lighting: Central lighting, such as a chandelier or pendant, should be positioned directly above the table to illuminate the area evenly and serve as a visual centerpiece. Dimmer switches can adjust the mood.
• Curtains or Blinds: Window treatments not only help control the light and provide privacy but also serve to tie the room's design together. They offer an opportunity to inject color, texture, and pattern into the living space, making it more inviting and personalized. Whether flowing and sheer for a light, airy feel or rich and textured for a more luxurious look, curtains play a pivotal role in setting the tone and atmosphere of the living + dining room. Don’t forget the curtain rod!

Get creative and have fun with your coastal living + dining room makeover! If you need an extra hand, check out our step-by-step guide on How To Design a Room.

What materials and home decor should I use to achieve a coastal living + dining room design?

Coastal interior design captures the essence of breezy beach living through its use of light, airy color palettes, natural textures, and nautical motifs. This design approach leans heavily on cool colors (particularly shades of blue and white), and warm, sandy neutrals to mirror the colors of the sea, sky, and beach. Coastal interior design comes in many forms, from lavish beach house living in the Hamptoms and condos in Florida to rustic cottages in Martha’s Vineyard and modern seaside California-cool villas on the west coast.

Common coastal decor elements include weathered wood furniture, reflecting the driftwood found along shorelines, fabrics such as linen and cotton take notes from cloudy skies and allow for relaxed, easy living, and materials like jute, wicker, and rattan represent the sandy environment. Shiplap is a popular choice for walls in coastal spaces. Light blue and white tile is common to use in bathrooms or kitchens for a coastal vibe.

When decorating a coastal-inspired beach living + dining room, you’ll want to keep things bright, airy, and sophisticated. Unless you are specifically going for a theme park nautical adventure room, steer clear of artwork featuring anchors and navy stripes. Instead, opt for an abstract piece that mimics the waves in the ocean. Beachy accents like seashells, coral, and maritime-inspired pieces, such as lanterns and ropes in a chandelier, reinforce the connection to the coastal environment without being corny. Incorporating large windows and ample natural light further blurs the lines between indoors and out, creating a seamless, tranquil retreat that embodies the serene and laid-back lifestyle of coastal regions.