Monday, August 30, 2021

An Interior Designer’s Guide to Coastal Decorating (Whether You Live on the Beach or Not)

 Though Lavender Fields is located right near the beach right here on Long Island, we have customers all over the country who come to us for chic coastal and beach house decor. A question we’re often asked is if you can decorate in coastal or beach house style even if you don’t live on the beach.


Our answer is a resounding yes! We’re fans of laid back, relaxed, stylish coastal decor even if you’re nowhere near a beach. We love using sisal rugs, driftwood photo frames, coastal bedding, and rattan furniture in our coastal-inspired interior design projects. The trick is to layer the elements the right way so your home doesn’t look too theme-y. 


Here’s our interior designer guide to coastal decorating, whether you live on the beach or not. 

Start with your foundation: the flooring and the walls

If you’re in the market to totally redo your floors or are building a new space, we recommend a light colored, cool-toned wood floor like white oak. You can also have your dark wood floors whitewashed, which works even on dark wood floors. Another option is to have your floors painted white - but make sure you get a good floor company who does it right for durability!


Whitewashed Floors from Habits and Hues


Even if refinishing your floors isn’t in the budget, you can still add a coastal look to your space with coastal or beach house style rugs. We like using sisal style rugs and pretty striped rugs in our coastal style interior design projects. Check out our site for our full selection of Dash and Albert coastal style rugs. 


Shop the Dash and Albert La Mirada coastal rug online at Lavender Fields here

Shop the Dash and Albert Dunes Bleached Oak woven Jute rug online at Lavender Fields here

For the walls, it depends on your budget. White shiplap is good for an accent wall, but is a labor-intensive installation requiring lots of materials. 


If your budget is tight or you want to do something you can easily switch out, paint is a great option. We like bright white trim with Benjamin Moore’s Beach Glass (a toned down aqua), Coventry Gray (a soft gray), or Silver Cloud (a soft, cool blue). 


Silver Cloud in a Beach House by Home Bunch



Another option is to add wallpaper. With coastal wallpaper, we mostly stay away from novelty prints like anchors or seashells and stick with natural grasscloths or prints in a coastal color palette. 


Wallpapered bedroom with blue grasscloth via In My Own Style


Choose a few coastal inspired investment pieces for your furniture

The good thing about coastal style is that you can layer in the soft goods like bedding, rugs, pillows, and decor to achieve a coastal look without tossing all your existing furniture. That being said, we usually encourage our clients to get some beautiful investment pieces to anchor their design. 


For the bedroom, you can go luxe with our Seaglass collection. You could also get a simple white iron bedroom from our Corsican collection, and layer in coastal bedding. 


Somerset bay seaglass bed buy online
Shop the Seaglass bed online at Lavender Fields here

We love rattan pieces for coastal inspired homes. Our Red Egg Furniture collection is handmade in the Philippines, and comes in over 20 finishes. Go with a rattan bar cart, side tables, or occasional chair to add a little natural style to your home. 


Red Egg Indochine Table Coastal Style Furniture
Shop the Red Egg Indochine Nesting Tables online at Lavender Fields here


Our Modern History collection features an entire line of whitewashed oak cocktail tables, sideboards, and console tables for that Montauk look.


Modern History large Architectural Coffee Table
Shop the Modern History large Architectural Coffee Table online at Lavender Fields here


Our website has over nine pages of coastal inspired furniture, enough for any style and every room in the house. Check out the whole selection here. 

Layer in the beach house bedding


Your beach house bedding style depends on your own personal taste, and we have something for everyone. 


Some of our clients are set on an all-white look, and we have so many options for that. We like to add a little detailing to our all-white bedding looks, whether it’s a ruffle on the edge of a sheet, piping on the pillowcases, or matelasse texture on the duvet or coverlet. 


Taylor Linens Matelasse white bedding
Shop Taylor Linens Polka Dot matelasse bedding online at Lavender Fields here



We also have a ton of pretty blue duvets and coverlets. These go well with light walls and a nice sisal rug underfoot.


Pine Cone Hill Flora Blue Duvet
Shop the Pine Cone Hill Flora Blue Duvet online at Lavender Fields here



For kids rooms or guest bedrooms in a true beach or lake house, we sometimes like to use a novelty print on the sheets, like this “Happy Fish” bedding from Pine Cone Hill.


Pine Cone Hill Happy Fish sheet set
Shop the Pine Cone Hill Happy Fish Sheet Set online at Lavender Fields here


We also have a ton of beach house-inspired throws. These are good for chilly nights and to add a little pattern and texture into your room. 



The ideal bed should have the following elements, no matter your style:

  1. Great sheets with a little interest on them (ruffles, piping, prints) or a really beautiful texture like silky cotton or natural linen

  2. A coverlet or quilt for cooler nights - this is a really good way to add texture. Some people just stick with a coverlet, but we often like to layer a duvet on top. Our Pine Cone Hill Draftsman Quilt is a good example of one that works well by itself. 

  3. A duvet that works with your quilt or coverlet. If you’re going all white with everything, find a duvet with some interest like our Pom Pom at Home Charlie duvet cover.

  4. Don’t forget the pillowcases and shams! There are lots of ways to do this. You can have your main pillowcases match your sheets, with Euro shams that match your duvet. You can also have two pillowcases match your sheets and two match your duvet or quilt. If you need help with choices, get in touch  with us for our free design assistance.  

  5. The most fun part - the decorating! Add in a beautiful throw blanket to toss across the bottom of the bed, and layer in your pillows. We have a whole line of coastal style throws and pillows for you to choose from. 


Add in coastal style lighting, like chandeliers and lamps

For beach house lighting, we have a few favorite materials. 


If you want a more colorful look, try a seaglass-inspired lamp like this one from Jamie Clark. You can also go with an all-white ceramic lamp if you want a more neutral look or if the room already has a lot of color in it, or one with texture like this rope Poseidon Lamp from Jamie Clark. 


Jamie Young seaglass clark table lamp
Shop the Jamie Young Clark table lamp online at Lavender Fields here

Jamie Young Poseidon Table Lamp
Shop the Jamie Young Poseidon Table Lamp online at Lavender Fields here

For chandeliers, we like ones with wood or glass beads to bring in an organic, natural feel. 


Jamie Young Blanca wood bead coastal chandelier
Shop the Jamie Young Blanca chandelier online at Lavender Fields here



We also have a range of rattan chandeliers and pendants - these work well in a coastal-inspired kitchen. 


Don’t forget the decor details


This is how you can finish your room, or how you can add budget-friendly coastal decor if a larger scale renovation isn’t in the cards for you right now. 


For bathrooms, we love our Pigeon and Poodle accessories. This Bali set is made of real water hyacinth and comes in two colors.


Pigeon and Poodle Bali water hyacinth bath accessories
Shop the Pigeon and Poodle Bali water hyacinth bath accessories online at Lavender Fields here



For coastal inspired dining rooms, a little rattan on your placemats goes a long way - very Hamptons! 


Blue Pheasant Tisbury rattan placemats
Shop the Blue Pheasant Tisbury rattan placement set online at Lavender Fields here


Our Jamie Young Ariel Shells are a coastal decor must-have, and they come in 5 colors. 


Glass seashells coastal decor Ariel Jamie Young
Shop the Jamie Young Ariel glass seashells online at Lavender Fields here



For your walls, we love a coastal-inspired mirror, driftwood photo frames, and artwork from our Beach House artwork collection.


Somerset Bay Crescent Beach Mirror
Shop the Somerset Bay Crescent Beach Mirror online at Lavender Fields here






Get in touch with us for coastal style interior design


If you’d like to shop our Coastal Decor collection, we have hundreds of items just for you.


For free design assistance, you can get in touch with us here, and if you’d like Lavender Fields to design your coastal space, get in touch with us today


Saturday, July 31, 2021

A Tour of Our Romantic Rose Garden : How We Design Our Garden for Summer

Summer is when everything is in bloom at our home! I do all of the gardening at our house by myself, and it’s a labor of love. When we moved into the house, the entire garden was full of vines. I took them out little by little to create garden beds. 

Front Porch and Front Garden Design: 

In front of our house and on the trellis, we have heirloom David Austin climbing roses. David Austin roses are specially bred in England, and have been cultivated by the same company for sixty years. They have an intricate breeding process in England, after which the plants are shipped to be grown in the USA. 


I like roses because they’re pretty hardy. Unlike peonies, which only bloom for a week or so and are very fragile, roses bloom for the season and can withstand windy days and summer heat. You just need to make sure they get enough sun, plant food, and water. 









These pretty pink roses welcome you to our garden, along with our catmint. We love catmint for its purple color, easy maintenance, and also for its name! (If you don’t know us very well, we love cats and take care of lots of rescues in our neighborhood). We added a variety of roses this year to add more color.


Our baby Ray enjoying the garden


Catmint is technically an herb. It’s aromatic, naturally bug-repellant, and heat/drought-resistant - super easy to maintain! Since it’s an herb, you actually can use it in food and make teas with it like any other herb. 


And yes, it is related to catnip, but it’s not the same thing. You’ve probably bought dried catnip at the pet store for your cats - they sniff it, roll around in it, and generally go a little nuts. You can also buy fresh catnip to put in your garden. It’s less ornamental as catmint, and fresh catnip in your garden will bring outdoor cats sniffing around to smell and nibble at it. 


Catmint, which is what we have, doesn’t have the same effect and isn’t as attractive to cats, and is a prettier, more ornamental plant. 


Garden Pathway Design


This is a very special part of our garden. The path is all hostas, which were transplanted from Brooklyn by my favorite Aunt Rose, who’s since passed away (and is the namesake of my daughter, Ava Rose). She loved gardening and planted roses she would clip for us each season. 







We added this special garden for our beloved Harry. Harry passed away last October. Harry loved our garden. I will never forget the day we rescued him he sat in the garden so happy to have a place to relax after being in an overcrowded shelter for 10 days.


Hostas are a great addition to your garden because they’re a mix of greenery and flowers. There are many types of hostas, so it’s fun to shop for different colors and textures. They’re cold-hardy and you can easily split them and replant into a new part of your garden, too. 


The only downside is that critters love hostas. Sprinkle sand around the base of your hostas to deter snails, who’ll leave unsightly holes in the leaves. Rabbits and especially deer will chow down on hostas like they’re a tasty starter salad, so if you have an unfenced yard, beware!


Favorite Garden Plants and Flowers



My tried and true favorites for my garden are hydrangeas (I mix up the varieties), roses (lots of roses), catmint, lavender, salvia, peonies, hostas for the shady area, hydrangea trees and  boxwoods, I also tried juniper this year and love the color of the trees with pink annuals.







I have about 5 garden beds going right now - front yard, side of the house, back of the house, lavender garden and our late kitty Harry's memorial garden, which I did in all yellow because it was his favorite color! 





The last hurricane we had here in New York sadly destroyed most of our garden, so this year I’m starting fresh. A trip to the local garden center to add some color (or I should say many trips to the local garden center!)


It’s fun to have roses, hydrangeas and peonies to use as cut flowers for vases. I recommend having lots of plants you can use for this, and you’ll never have to buy flowers all summer! You can cut flowers to put all over your home and outdoor space, and even bring them in a vase for gifts all summer long. 


Our Etu Home White Colorblock Flower Vase is a great white flower vase that complements the colors of all the summer flowers. It also comes in Navy, Sage, Merlot, and Denim. These are some of my favorite vases - they all look fantastic with hydrangeas. The Sage is especially pretty with white hydrangeas, and the navy and denim look perfect with any color. The Merlot is a great color for mixed flower arrangements. 


blue flower vase for hydrangeas
Shop the Etu Home Denim Colorblock Flower Vase online at Lavender Fields here

White Flower Vase
Shop the Etu Home White Colorblock Flower Vase online at Lavender Fields here

White Flower Vase
Shop the Etu Home Sage Colorblock Flower Vase online at Lavender Fields here


Our Etu Home Navy Artisanal Vase and  Etu Home Denim Artisanal Vase are handmade in Europe from recycled glass, and they each come in three different sizes. I like clustering them on an outdoor dining table, or scattering them throughout your outdoor living space or your home (one in the powder room, one in the living room, one in the kitchen). 


Set of three blue vases Etu Home Artisanal Vase
Shop the Etu Home Denim Artisanal Vases online at Lavender Fields here



For the minimalists, our Etu Home French Mason Jar and Etu Home Artisanal Vase showcase the blooms with their clear color. They also come in multiple sizes each. 


Etu Home French Mason Vase
Shop the Etu Home French Mason Jar Vase online at Lavender Fields here

Etu Home Artisanal Vase
Shop the Etu Home Artisanal Vases online at Lavender Fields here


Best Garden Planters and Canvas Planter for Garden


Sitting in the garden shouldn’t just be a visual experience, but an entire sensory one. That’s why I like the roses, lavender and catmint - they make the whole space smell like summer. 


To bring some of that over to your seating area, you can plant some aromatics or herbs in a planter. Our Plant Kindness, Gather Love canvas planter is a favorite and makes a great gift. You can also get our Keep Blooming, Beautiful One canvas planter






Our Lorena Canals Basket Zoco Black-Natural doubles as a basket or a planter for a covered outdoor space. 


lorena canals basket for planter



And for something a little more French Country, our Aged Metal Soaking Tub Relic, inspired by a vintage soaking tub, is perfect. 


french country metal garden planter


Garden Bed Design and Chemical-Free Garden Maintenance


For my garden and grass I don’t use any chemicals for fertilizer or for pesticides. I am super picky about the mulch too, since that gets moldy and kills perennials. 

Favorite Outdoor Decor and Dash and Albert Indoor Outdoor Rugs


Our rustic Potters Cart is a dream for any gardener - you can even keep your tools in cute baskets underneath and use the top as a serving area or bar cart.  Our Potters reclaimed wood shelf can display all of your beautiful plants and other garden decor.



rustic reclaimed wood potter's cart for garden
Shop our rustic Potter's Cart online at Lavender Fields here

rustic reclaimed wood potter's shelf for garden
Shop our reclaimed wood Potter's Shelf online at Lavender Fields here


Our Dash and Albert Outdoor Rugs are best sellers and can help complement all your pretty plants. For my garden, I’d probably start with pink outdoor rugs like the Dash and Albert Journey Indoor/Outdoor rug to complement my roses. Yellow outdoor rugs might also be another fun, sunny option - I like the Dash and Albert Happy Yellow Stripe Indoor/Outdoor rug


Shop our  Dash and Albert Happy Yellow Stripe Indoor/Outdoor rug online at Lavender Fields here

Shop our Dash and Albert Pink Journey Indoor/Outdoor Rug online at Lavender Fields here



Our customers also really love coastal outdoor rugs, striped outdoor rugs, and light blue outdoor rugs


To bring a little bit of the garden inside, everyone loves our Sugarboo Your Mind is a Garden Art Print. 


Shop our Sugarboo Your Mind is a Garden Print online at Lavender Fields here


Shop Garden and Outdoor Decor


Next up, we’re getting new outdoor furniture - I’ll share more on that next month! In the meantime, check out our latest new arrivals at our online shop at Lavender Fields