Cottage by the Sea style is my personal take on coastal decorating—an inviting blend of charm, authenticity, and timeless comfort. This style gives a gentle nod to classic coastal design while weaving in the warmth of cottage living, the character-rich charm often found in New England homes, and a relaxed Pacific Northwest sensibility.
Today I will share 5 ways to embrace the cottage by the sea style–no matter where you live!
Whether you’re near the coast or just dreaming of it, this style can invite you to slow down, savor your surroundings, and create a sanctuary that reflects the peaceful pace of seaside living.
What sets Cottage by the Sea style apart is its authenticity. It’s not about following a particular decorating style but about the desire to embrace what really inspires you — whether it is on trend or not.
When you are walking by the sea, you feel a sense of peace wash over you that doesn’t require you do to anything but breathe in the healing power of the salt air. I love that visual for my home and my life, too.
– Melissa Michaels, The Inspired Room
For many of us, the sea embodies what it means to live a lovely life. It invites us to slow down and be present. It’s not about rushing but relaxing.
Rather than being in a hurry to buy decor that you may regret when the trends change, slowly surround yourself with what genuinely speaks to your heart and soul.
Cottage by the Sea style is not only about decorating in a traditional coastal sense—it’s about creating a mood that supports the lifestyle you want. The goal is to create a true sanctuary in every sense of the word.
– Melissa Michaels, The Inspired Room
ONE: Consider design elements of a cottage by the sea style:
• Soft, sun-washed fabrics and moody seaside tones in neutrals, warm whites, and ocean-inspired blues and greens
• Natural textures such as classic wood tones and weathered pieces, linen, rattan, and seagrass
• Light and airy moods with plenty of natural light and uncluttered spaces
• Casual, lived-in charm—think cozy, slipcovered or durable upholstery, signs of life, quality pieces you’ve collected over time showing the patina of age, nothing too precious, unpretentious shelving to display things you love.
• Subtle coastal touches— like driftwood, seashells, marine-inspired artwork, lanterns, and casual stripes. Embrace your collections and personality, without feeling the need to make everything theme-y or overdone
• Fresh combinations–draw inspiration from traditional cottage architecture and furnishings, but mix in elements that will keep your cottage by the sea style unique, fresh and carefree! Worry less about “the right way” to decorate and instead embrace what you love, these personal touches will always be in style. Incorporate fun statement pieces to set the mood, such as a classic striped sofa or a bamboo chair at the desk, or a rattan shelf to display quilts.
These elements evoke the feeling of being near the water—imagine a salty breeze coming through open windows, the sun dancing on the waves, or the peaceful rhythm of tides. By blending comfort, simplicity, authenticity, and natural beauty you can create a home that feels like a gentle exhale. A place that feels like a retreat from the stress of life and a daily reminder of all that is beautiful in it.
Carefree, peaceful, cozy, and lived-in.
TWO: Create a Cottage by the Sea Mood
Create a mood with a color palette is inspired by the coast itself. In my home I draw palette inspiration from the coastal Pacific NW — these colors would be beautiful in other similar climates! Think soft, sun-washed colors and slightly moody tones, weathered woods, breezy linens, and natural textures that bring to mind salt-kissed air and walks along the shore. Soothing shades of ocean blues, sea glass greens, and warm whites that feel both fresh and welcoming.
Materials are natural and relaxed—I prefer a mix traditional and weathered woods, wicker and rattans, soft linens, striped and botanical patterns that bring in the charm of a cottage by the sea. If you like a bit more color, incorporate an accent of a beautiful red or butter yellow to bring additional color and personality to your space.
THREE: Embrace the Serendipity of a Style Collected Over Time
Cottage by the Sea style is a gently layered look, refined with meaning and memory. Embrace the serendipity of a style collected over time, it will be full of surprises that will bring a unique and layered charm to your home.
Even though there is a bit of the unexpected, it’s ultimately about being in intentional in your decisions. This is what truly makes this style your own.
The pieces you collect can certainly be related to the sea, there is no shame in being true to what you love. Of course, one doesn’t have to make a bold nautical statement to capture a feeling, you can quietly weave in coastal accents and other gentle nods to what sparks joy.
There is also freedom to embrace one’s own personality — adding some quirk or unique character in your furnishings and accessories will enhance the connection you feel to your home.
My philosophy is to always start with what you have and gather what you love over time. It’s slower but more meaningful decorating process.
The key to this cottage by the sea style is to incorporate who you are and the life you live and aspire to, not to be in a hurry or collect meaningless tchotchkes just to finish a room.
Embrace what brings joy and beauty to your life and home.
This style will include treasured finds gathered through the real adventures of life and elements that inspire you to live the life you love.
In my own cottage by the sea you will find shells from walks on the beach, paintings from seaside towns, a pretty pinecone picked up on a walk through the forest. We have botanical prints and bird decor as a nod to the organic beauty of where we live in the Pacific Northwest, we collect rattan and bamboo items, as well as display other special collections and mementos from our family and life here.
I also love to find furnishings with unique details (we have a vintage cabinet in our bedroom that returned with my grandparents from overseas with gold ship engravings) and I even love to find furnishings with shapes that have curves. For example, our Facebook Marketplace Bed reminds me of the waves of the sea.
It takes time to find these special pieces and add them to our home.
In a Cottage by the Sea, each decorative element should be chosen with intention—not to keep up with any trend, but to create a peaceful mood and bring delight to the people who live in the home.
-Melissa Michaels, The Inspired Room
FOUR: Look for a Relaxed and Refined Mix
There’s an ease in how everything is arranged—nothing too perfect or forced. Just a quiet mix of what feels practical natural, inspiring and welcoming.
It’s not about formality or fuss, it’s an enduring style that supports the life you want to live.
A Cottage by the Sea embodies a comfortable balance of relaxed and refined style. It’s the kind of style that invites you to kick off your shoes and breathe deeply, while still surrounding you with beauty designed with intention.
-Melissa Michaels, The Inspired Room
This style brings together the laid-back charm of coastal life with thoughtful, timeless elements that add character and a quality that elevates everyday living.
Incorporate relaxed but classic elements that will not only stand the test of time, but will add patina and character of a life well-lived.
Add classic architectural details such as tongue and groove paneling, wallpaper and organic elements such as marble, soapstone and wood.
Think timeless quality over quantity, simplicity over fuss, and decorating in a way that feels natural to you over following rigid styling rules.
Five: Create a seaside sanctuary, not an overly styled showplace.
Woven into every decorating detail in a cottage by the sea is the reminder that your home should be a sanctuary.
– Melissa Michaels, The Inspired Room
In order to create a sanctuary, what you incorporate into your home should enhance your daily rhythms, not overly complicate them. In a cottage by the sea style, seek out pretty over perfect. Find joy in being a homekeeper and taking care of the things you have and love, rather than seeing your home simply as an obligation to keep up.
Think of creating a cottage by the sea as a lifestyle that should nourish you, too.
To embrace the lifestyle, select easy care fabrics and incorporate elements that are lovely — not only visually but bring beauty to the act of caring for them.
Consider your mood words and how you want to feel as you decorate. Display enough mementos to tell the story you want to tell and create the feeling you want to feel, but not show so much that you become overwhelmed or distracted in life by trying to keep up the appearance of perfection.
Cottage by the Sea style about living well in the everyday. It’s about using what you have, choosing what matters, and creating beauty in the simple moments. It’s less about “decorating” and more about nurturing a way of life that feels peaceful, personal, and full of heart. —it’s about evoking the feeling of life by the sea.
Learn more and get instant access to my brand new digital magazine Cottage by the Sea Spring Dreambook
Join me for Room Recipe: a fun step by step course that will guide you through the process of decorating over time. Learn how to express your unique style, choose your style setters, incorporate essential room ingredients, formulas and tips to arrange and style your home and so much more. This course is included within the HomeBody Gathering Place membership — you’ll also find courses on Home Rhythms and Seasonal Rhythms that will inspire you to love your home more.
