Coastal Christmas

I lived on the white sandy beached of Destin Florida for about 3 years. It is one of the most beautiful and amazing beaches you will ever visit. My husband and I got engaged on one of those beaches in fact. Destin will always have a special place in my heart.


While in Destin, I had my first job as an interior designer. Working in that environment had a huge impact on my style and inspired me so much in my design career. Even when we lived in Minnesota, I tried to inject a little bit of Destin into my designs. Whether it was a paint color that looked like the ocean, or a fabric that had a texture that reminded me of sand, I tried to incorporate some element of the beach into the rooms I designed.

I remember when I first started to learn about coastal design and how shocked I was. It wasn't about fake shells and bright crazy printed fabric. It wasn't about dolphin paintings and beach chairs in the living room. Coastal design is about casual living, relaxed textures, soothing colors, shell accents and bringing the outdoors in. The coastal lifestyle is so laid back and relaxed and I believe that is what coastal design is intended to be as well. Soft greens and blues and browns, comfy furniture, laid back living.

You can imagine my delight when I came across these pictures from Coastal Living magazine. It shows how coastal design can be incorporated into your holiday decor!! And you don't have to live at the beach to make this work!! Why can't we feel like we are on the beach ALL the time??!! Sounds perfect to me!!!