The Long History of Coastal Decor
January 18, 2025
Do you love decorating in coastal cool colors, bringing home driftwood, painting things in whites and off-whites? If so, you may enjoy knowing that there’s a long history of doing so. According to the internet,
“The origins of coastal decor can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries when simple, functional beach cottages were designed to withstand coastal weather. [bolding in the original]”
If coastal décor is your style, you’re joining many others, going back to the at least 1886! This author’s son found a public domain “Shoppell's Modern Houses” by the Co-operative Building Plan Association from 1886 that featured an article, “Sea-Side Cottage Decoration” by Adelia B. Beard. On the website, scroll to page 366 (page 58 in the actual “Shoppell’s” edition).
Coastal décor started when people started building homes by the waterfront (lakeside, or beachfront) and they started using the colors surrounding them – blues from the water; off-whites or whites from the ocean foam, shells, or sun-bleached driftwood; browns from seashells, or palm trees – and all the way back in the 1886 we see the suggestion to use fish net for draperies and an oar for a curtain rod. The suggested colors are gray and light wood tones, and an old rowboat cut in half (side to side) as a bookshelf after reinforcing it, adding a bottom and shelves. A screen with real crabs, seaweed, shells and other things from the ocean is described as well as a suggestion for a hat rack made with a mirror and oars.
Coastal decorating may have changed slightly over the years (I haven’t seen anyone using actual seaweed in their décor lately) but it’s still the same idea overall: making your home feel as relaxed as being by the water relaxes you. While you may use the same core ideas (except for the seaweed) your ancestors may have done the same kind of decorating, using similar colors.
How far back does this décor go? I have no idea. My son found this Shoppell’s, told me and sent me the link. Perhaps it goes farther back than 1886, I do not know. Did people in England, Europe, China, Australia, the Philippines, etc., use it as they lived by the water prior to 1886? Perhaps. However, we now know that, although they are very good at creating beautiful rooms with coastal décor, neither Sarah Richardson nor Candice Olson created coastal décor (nor do they claim to have done so).
Now that you know how historic coastal décor is, does it make you more desirous to decorate your home with it? Does your coastal desire seem more upscale now that you know its history?
If you decide to use this historic décor, remember that Costello Coastal Knobs is here to help you create your historic look. Contact us today with your coastal knob and pulls needs.
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