Small Coastal Kitchen Ideas

Are you renovating your kitchen and would like to add a coastal look and feel? Or even upgrading your beach house and want the kitchen to fit in with the surroundings?

Design and décor of small coastal kitchens to look spacious and clean is the new trend and gives you a sense of the ocean. Some ideas include lighter colors such as whites and blues, glassy finishes, and natural tones to provide you with the relaxed feeling this type of design brings about.

One might think throwing shells in a vase or hanging an anchor above your stove will show off the coastal theme, but there is more to it than that. The kitchen layout and the color scheme have to come together to form a relaxed, ambient coastal vibe.

How To Make A Small Kitchen Feel Coastal

You might feel trapped between the size of your kitchen and bringing about the theme of coastal and how to marry the two.

Approaching A Small Kitchen

When it comes to a small kitchen, the idea is to give the illusion that it is more significant than it seems. To do this, you will have to look at the following details:

Kitchen layout – Different layouts can be considered when approaching a small kitchen: galley design, U-shaped design, or L-shaped design. When you have an open-plan kitchen, the galley design also works where the island forms the opposite side.
Cupboard color –white or lighter- is the choice to go for in a small kitchen. It bounces light across the room, making the kitchen look more prominent.
Windows – an open and clean view will be best for smaller kitchens. Add window tint for privacy and even look at blinds or shutters that don’t need extra space.
Lighting – this one is important not just for the safety in the kitchen while working but to make sure nothing is in the shadows. You can look at ambient lighting in the ceiling, task lighting for working space, and accent lights to highlight specific parts of the kitchen.
Flooring – Any flooring will do, but flooring to make the kitchen seem more significant will include large uninterrupted tiles or flooring, such as vinyl or concrete.
Storage – planning good storage space in cupboards will keep the surfaces neat and clean and give an oversight of openness.

What Makes A Kitchen Coastal?

The coastal design reflects the feeling of water, sand, and sky. Incorporate these colors and anything that gives a relaxed, enjoyable feel.

When you want to bring about a beachy vibe, colors are the first thing to look at for a relaxed look. Neutrals are always a win, and you can add in navy or different hues of blue or green like seagrass. Keeping everything natural and adding a pattern in the color scheme can give your kitchen a nice pop.

Experts advise that you install oak-looking floors or furniture to give the sandy vibe of the beach. If you install new cupboards, you can also opt for this oak look.

Lighting is crucial in a coastal setting. Wooden beads on lights, glass chandeliers, or wall sconces can bring your space to life and accentuate the coastal vibe you want to achieve.

You can add driftwood finishes to your kitchen, woven textures, or even limestone to give you the relaxed feel of the beach.

Coastal design differs from nautical design. Nautical include your anchors, seashells, etc. Coastal is more modern and gives the feel of the beach without bringing the beach inside the house. When you want to hang art, keep this in mind.

Add Accents To Your Kitchen For A Coastal Feel

You may have a house by the beach and want to add accents to your current kitchen to give that coastal look. You might even want a coastal vibe kitchen in your regular house. Here are accents you can add to provide you with the desired look.

Pay Attention To Detail When Planning A Coastal Kitchen

Having a modern, clean kitchen look will help you add a small detail to convert your kitchen into a coastal one. A rustic bucket for utensils, or a striped floor mat with a matching kitchen towel, shows that this element can incorporate the coastal vibe into any kitchen.

Add-In Straw Accents To Your Coastal Kitchen

Adding straw seats to chairs, and repeating it in a straw mat, can bring island vibes to your kitchen and a relaxed feel.

Focus On Aqua Accents And Kitchenware

Adding glassware with a blue stain or blue pots and pans can establish a coastal look to your kitchen without going overboard. Cupboards with glass doors or open shelves showcasing the blue or aqua glassware can be a natural decoration tool without adding anything extra to the kitchen.

Bamboo Utensils For A Coastal Look

Add bamboo utensils like coffee and tea jars with wooden lids, or a bucket with all bamboo utensils for cooking, to bring about the natural elements of the coast. Placing a bamboo chopping board elegantly against the wall or on the work surface can bring the look together.

Indoor Vine Plants For A Hint Of Coastal

Naturally, an indoor plant will give you a feel for nature. Adding a flowy vine plant will provide the idea of seaweed moving through the water and give that color pop in an all-neutral kitchen.

Coral Pink Or Even Red Can Also Represent Coastal

Following the guideline for a small kitchen, including light features in cabinets and surfaces, adding a bright red in décor or coral pink will set the tone for a coastal environment in the kitchen.

Backsplash Is The Way To Go

When working on a coastal-themed kitchen, you might see the trend of a clean finish, meaning all cupboards, surfaces, and flooring is minimalistic. The area where you can bring about some texture and color is in the backsplash. A mirror backsplash can give an illusion of a more oversized kitchen.

Design Ideas For Your Coastal Kitchen

It is excellent to know which accents to add to your kitchen to get the coastal look, but sometimes we need a bit more, which colors work with which cupboards, etc.

Theme	Decor
Nantucket-Blue kitchen	Blue-grey cabinets; dark wooden floors; wooden bar stools; creamy white countertops, and wavy backsplash
California coastal kitchen	White and cream shaded walls; light blue lower cabinets; weathered flooring in grey; rattan stools, and big treated windows.
Sandy kitchen	Brown and gold mixes; washed plywood; white and gold marble counter; wood stools; a hint of metal on lightening; light-reflecting backsplash.
Masculine coastal kitchen	Navy and grey finished cupboards; rope bar stools; pale grey floor; Cape Cod tile backsplash; finished with brass handlebars and hanging lights.
Sailor stripe kitchen	Lifeguard-type tall chairs covered with white and navy fabric pull-overs—all-white cupboards and surfaces; and warm metal handles.

Conclusion

A coastal kitchen is an exciting venture, whether you have a house at the beach or want to decorate your kitchen as one. Be sure to consider the tips for small kitchens to get the result of a breathtakingly relaxed-vibe kitchen.

References

Chrissie Smuts

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