A Fireplace In Your Beach House

From coast to coast it has been a cold February for any one living by the Sea. What I love about this beach house decor is the simplicity of the rustic, country french mixed with a basic shabby chic style white love seat. Accessorized by Antique treasures: a long surf board and sailboat oil painting. For many of us anything rich in history makes Antique shopping a pleasurable hobby.

Numerous clients have disagreed upon my suggestion of "the white cotton sofa" telling me "white gets dirty!" As a Designer you learn not to make waves. A year or so later the same client would rave about loving their white sofa. Why the sudden love? Because a white cotton or white denim slip covered sofa is easy to keep white and clean. If purchased correctly, the slip covers can be washed in the washing machine. Adding a whitener in the water and your white sofa is clean, bright, and pristine again. Another great soil fix is to use a spray bottle filled with water and drop a few tablespoons of Clorox in. Then spray ever so lightly on the soiled white cotton sofa or chair, it works like a charm to remove soil. I have done it personally for years. Another reason I suggest adding a white sofa; is beach house decor fades with the sun quickly. As much as I love color, white is also great on the beach.

If your building or renovating a beach house or home by the sea a fireplace is a added pleasure and value. One of my favorite memories of living in LaJolla, CA on the ocean in my beach house was our fireplaces. At night while the waves of the sea crashed against the rocks, we would relax by the fire with our hot toddy drinks. When it's cold and dreary, people living at the sea want beach house decor that warms them on the inside when there's no sun to warm them on the outside. It's much more soothing to the soul.

Photo Credit: Velvet Linen-Eric Piasecki