The dreary winter months can make anyone long for the carefree days of summer. When frigid temps have you cooped up inside, why not bring the spirit of the seaside right into your bedroom? With a few simple tweaks, you can transform any boring sleeping space into a sunny beach retreat. The best part? You can pull off a DIY beach bedroom makeover in just a weekend. No extensive remodeling or expensive decor required! All it takes is a bit of inspiration, the right coastal color palette, and a few clever styling tricks to evoke tropical tranquility. Let’s look at how to create your own vacation oasis, even in the middle of winter.
Gather Inspiration for Your Coastal Retreat
The first step in any room makeover project is gathering inspiration. Spend some time looking at photos of beautiful beach cottages and seaside interior designs. Note colors, textures, patterns and details that give you that soothing beach vibe. Look for things like weathered, whitewashed wood, cozy linen textures, soft aqua hues, and lots of natural elements. Create a vision board or Pinterest board to help hone in on your perfect relaxed beach style.
Take Inventory of What You Already Have
Before running out to buy anything new, take stock of furniture and accessories you already own that can be repurposed. You likely have more beachy items than you think! Anything made from rattan, driftwood, rope or in soft blues and tans can probably work. Don’t overlook wall art, pillows, lamps and bedding too. See what you can use as-is or update with a quick DIY makeover.
Choose Your Soothing Coastal Color Palette
Color has an immense impact on the overall mood of a room. For a calming, beachy bedroom, stick to a simple palette of light, neutral tones. The base can be soft blues, greens or aquas reminiscent of sea and sky. Warm neutrals like sand, tan, beige and ivory bring to mind sun-bleached beach cabanas. Crisp white makes a fresh accent. For contrast, add in touches of navy blue for nautical flair or sea glass green and warm distressed wood tones to ground the space.
Add Pops of Happy Hues
Don’t be afraid to liven things up with punches of cheery accent colors! Coral, yellow and sky blue add playful pops. Use bright hues in small doses on pillows, lamps, rugs or artwork. Just be sure accent colors coordinate rather than clash for a pulled-together look. The overall color scheme should evoke the breezy, carefree essence of the shoreline.
Source and Repurpose Key Furniture Pieces
No need to splurge on brand new furnishings to get the coastal look. In fact, many antique and vintage finds lend a collected, well-loved vibe perfect for a laidback beach retreat. Look for charming distressed wood dressers, side tables, headboards and hutches at flea markets, thrift stores and yard sales. Even unfinished furniture can be sanded, stained or painted to suit the theme. For seating, wicker, rattan and driftwood pieces add tons of texture. Repurposing what you already own also saves money. Give tired furnishings new life with an updated coastal color scheme.
DIY Beachy Furniture Makeovers
With a little DIY creativity, you can transform flea market finds or existing furnishings into coastal showstoppers. Some easy makeover ideas:
- Paint dressers, nightstands, mirrors and headboards in soft beach hues like sky blue, seafoam or tan.
- Stencil on designs like seashells, starfish or anchors using painter’s tape and spray paint.
- Decoupage drawer fronts with pages from beachy coffee table books.
- Apply a whitewashed finish to weathered wood pieces.
- Wrap drawer pulls and table legs with rope for a nautical vibe.
Incorporate Beachy Textures and Materials
When it comes to textures and materials, think natural and organic. Use bedding and linens that look sun-bleached and lived-in, like lightweight cottons and linens in soft neutral stripes and textures. Incorporate abaca baskets and bowls woven from seagrass or rattan. Display actual shells, starfish and driftwood you’ve collected to add authentic coastal elements. Add touches of rope, burlap and netting. Wood furnishings look beachier with a weathered whitewashed patina. Painted finishes should appear pleasantly distressed, reminiscent of furnishings left to fade in the sun and salty air.
Create a DIY Beach Driftwood Headboard
An easy way to incorporate authentic driftwood into your space is by using it to make a stunning headboard. Look for weathered pieces of wood in harmonic shapes and sizes. Affix the driftwood pieces to a backing using wood glue and nails for a stunning bed focal point evoking the sea.
Display Tons of Coastal-Inspired Wall Decor
When it comes to walls, go big or go home! Frame breathtaking oversized beach photography found online or in magazines for serious wow-factor. Groupings of smaller prints and paintings make a stylish gallery wall. Opt for framed art and photos depicting seashells, starfish, sailboats, anchors and other nautical motifs. For real nostalgia, display childhood beach vacation photos. Wall decals, available affordably online, let you decorate with shells, sea creatures or ocean phrases. Add handmade touches like framed collections of shells or shadowboxes filled with sea glass and starfish. Painted wood signs stenciled with beachy sayings make great DIY projects.
Showcase Sentimental Beach Keepsakes
Turn cherished beach mementos and vacation souvenirs into wall art. For example, fill a glass apothecary jar with sand and seashells from your favorite beach. Or preserve sea glass and shells in a shadowbox frame. Display the stickers, postcards and trinkets from past seaside trips under glass in an old picture frame for a personalized accent.
Add Pops of Color With Fun, Beachy Accents
Time to have fun with playful punches of color! Incorporate coral prints, sea creatures and shell designs onto accent pillows, rugs and lamp shades. Paint vintage furniture pieces in cheery tones like sky blue, mint green or sunshine yellow. Contrast with bright white bedding and crisp linen curtains. Include eye-catching accessories like starfish door pulls, shell-shaped drawer knobs, colorful striped beach totes and nautical signal flag pillows. Go DIY by decoupaging furnishings with pages from beachy coffee table books or gluing on faux shells and starfish from any craft store.
DIY Ideas for Beachy Accents
Some quick and easy ways to add memorable beachy flair:
- Paint inexpensive clay pots and vases in bright coastal hues.
- Use rope to make nautical inspired curtains or bedskirts.
- Make buoys from painted wood rounds and twine.
- Decorate lampshades with strips of burlap, netting or nautical flags.
- Create anchor wall hooks from hardware and rope.
Create a Restful Oasis for Relaxation
In a beach retreat, the goal is to create a space that feels like a true escape from stress. Arrange furnishings and bedding to delineate calming zones for sleeping, reading and lounging. Place lighting strategically to provide both bright task lighting and dim mood illumination. Incorporate tactile bedding and piles of pillows. Display large seashells and glass floats as zen decor. The soothing sounds of waves can come from a sound machine or stereo. Open windows to let in fresh breezes. Light candles infused with beachy scents like coconut, citrus or ocean air. The end result should be a tranquil sanctuary designed for complete rest and renewal.
DIY Beachy Window Treatments
An easy way to make over a boring window is by adding beachy DIY window treatments. Some quick ideas:
- Hang inexpensive burlap drapes for a casual, coastal vibe.
- Use painter’s tape to stencil scallop, stripe or wave designs onto plain linen curtains.
- Cut cotton canvas into panels and embellish with seashell or starfish appliques.
- Paint wooden dowels and string up nautical rope tiebacks.
Pulling It All Together for a Cohesive Look
The final step is making sure all the elements tie together into a holistic beach theme. Stick to one cohesive color palette throughout for harmony. Use textures, patterns and materials like rope, shells, driftwood and netting to create flow between disparate pieces. Work in odd numbers of decorative items for asymmetrical visual interest. Avoid going overboard with too many colors or themes so the room doesn’t feel overly busy or random. Edit out accessories that are too bold, bright or large scale for the serene vibe you want. The result should feel collected over time, not decorated all at once.
Display Collections for Unity
Collections of similar items create a sense of unity and harmony. Some beachy displays might include:
- A trio of matching glass floats on a dresser.
- A gallery wall of framed sea shells.
- A pair of starfish on the bedside table.
- Mismatched blue and white china on open shelves.
Making over a mundane bedroom into a dreamy DIY beach oasis is easier than you think. In just one weekend, you can infuse any space with the relaxed, nostalgic vibe of a seaside cottage. Start by defining your coastal color palette and sourcing charming vintage furnishings. Incorporate natural textures like weathered wood, cotton linens and woven accents. Display beach-inspired artwork and your own vacation mementos. Add pops of accent colors and fun DIY projects to finish. Assembled thoughtfully, your new coastal retreat will feel like a beach vacation every single day – no ocean required!
