Two exciting things are currently going on in my life right now.

1. A copy of the Nightingale just showed up at the beach house (thanks to all of your recommendations) and I’m about to open the first page.

2. I’m sitting here looking at the ocean as I type this.

Truth?

Many is the summer I have stared at this ocean.

There was the year I decided to collect sea glass (#muchharderthanitlooks).

There was the year I wanted to go the blondest of the blonde that there ever was (#unfortunatechoice).

And there was the year we saw a shark (#stayoutoftheocean).

Whatever the year.

Whatever the experience.  I always leave a little wiser and more joyful and ready to take on the next year.

But what if you could have a little beach with you all year long?

Here are 10 beach-inspired decorating ideas to bring the beach home.

1.  Paint your floor

You can paint them turquoise.

Or red.

Or pale blue.

Maybe just one room.  Maybe a runner in the hallway.  Maybe pull up all the carpets and paint your plywood sub floor.

Beach it up and paint.

2.  Add ticking

Preferably on a bolster pillow.

On a vintage bed.

With a red and white quilt.

And a really good book (like Orphan Train).

3.  Mix a little vintage with a little vintage

Add a vintage sink.

With a vintage medicine cabinet.

With a vintage shelf.

And what do you get?

Perfection.

4.  Adirondack chairs

I have four of these in my side yard.

Just between us….they are white and came from Wal-Mart.

And I look at a cow pasture.

But a girl can close her eyes and dream of the beach.

5.  Add stars and tiny nooks

I love an over-sized star.

And a ladder leading to a secret passageway.

We are remodeling a room in our attic right now and adding a hideaway.

6.  Screened-in porch

We added a screened-in porch to our house after we bought it.

This is my cousin’s porch.

I wish it were mine.

Should I offer to trade?

7.  Planked walls

Here’s how we added a planked wall with shelving.

Simple plywood boards painted white.

Yes, please.

8.  Don’t forget about the wood

Every beach house needs a little original wood.

A vintage trunk.

An antique hutch.

Set off your white planked walls with the character that wood brings.

9.  Vintage letters

Create your own out of pallet wood.

Or simply find them at thrift shops and junk stores.

Then spell out a beach word for your wall.

10.  Don’t forget about the view

Not to wax philosophically on a Monday morning before you’ve had your coffee…

….but remember the view.

Whether your house is in a city or the mountains or the ranch or looks out over a cow pasture, bringing the beach home is all a state of mind.

So take a moment today to pamper your home.

Add a basket of shells.

Paint a word on a sand dollar.

Add a little sand and some flowers to a mason jar.

Create a sign or a mirror or a picture frame from driftwood.

And never, ever, ever….

….forget to let the sunshine in. 🙂

PS I know everyone in the world may have mentioned it to you.

But today is Prime Day on Amazon.

I’ll be sharing all of my favorites over on Instagram stories today.

If you aren’t an Amazon Prime Member yet, you can try it free for 30 days (and get access to all the deals) here.

Let me know if you find anything you think I need. 🙂

disclosure: affiliate links are used in this post.

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