Notes from the Field: A Seaside Abode

By Karin Lidbeck Brent

An oceanfront home is a great luxury for so many reasons. The seaside breeze that fills the air with hints of salt and seaweed, the sound of waves crashing against a sandy shoreline and a seagull’s caw that gently awakens you on an early summer morning are just a few that come to mind. Of course, with the sea and shore possessing such natural beauty, a home that resides on the coast must mimic its qualities: the colors of the sea and shells, the softness of the sand, and the cleanliness and openness of the fresh air. It is essential to keep these qualities in mind when building and styling a seaside home.

The house below, which I styled for the July/August 2012 issue of New England Home, is a quintessential oceanfront abode. To help highlight the seaside landscape, architect Tom Catalano and interior design Pamela Ryder gave the home an open layout and a beachy color scheme of yellow, blue, white and sand tones.

Photos by Miki Duisterhoff for New England Home

This next home, a renovated sea captain’s house, also does a brilliant job of capturing the feeling of the sea and bringing it to life through architecture and furnishings. The sandy colors of the rugs and furniture mixed with accents like sea glass and colored bottles echo the fabulous world beyond the windows.

Architecture by Polhemus Savery DaSilva; photos by Miki Duisterhoff

I love this farmhouse-style architecture mixed with the weathered Cape Cod shingle look, tucked in the bluffs overlooking Nantucket Sound.

Architecture by J. Graham Goldsmith; photos by Michael Partenio

Fresh blue and white colors of the ocean inspire the traditional look that is found in so many coastal homes.