A Jacksonville home decorated with a beach theme is a natural choice. Florida’s weather makes lighter-colored décor almost a necessity, because pale hues make rooms feel cooler and airier. With warmer temperatures in Jacksonville at least 10 months out of the year, this is an important element of design. Give your home the cool feeling of a relaxing day by the ocean with beach-themed decorating throughout your house. From color schemes to tiny accents, this decorating style will help you to relax while your home fits right in with the local environment.

Paint

The walls and ceiling in your home set the stage for all the rest of your décor. When you’ve chosen a beach theme for your house, the background should be in shades of blues or beiges, evoking the sand, sea, and sky. Choose colors that you would see on the beach in Jacksonville, from the clear blue tones of the summer sky to the mottled and multihued stretches of sand. Nature isn’t one solid color, so don’t be afraid to learn a few tone-on-tone painting techniques to give your walls texture and dimension.

Furniture

Keep your furniture light and airy to continue that shoreside feeling. Go with smooth fabrics, such as cotton duck or light denim, and stick to lighter colors in cool blues, greens, and beiges. Rattan furniture is a Florida classic. Search for high quality examples made for indoor use, and skip the patio furniture that looks like it belongs on the front porch. Well-made rattan furniture will last just as long as wooden tables and chairs, provided you care for it. When it comes to wood, look for lighter finishes; pine is a good choice. You should avoid mahogany or cherry stains because these darker colors make a room look heavy and warm, the exact opposite of a breezy seaside look.

Accents

Decorative accents are where beach-themed decorating truly comes into its own. The first thing you should do is decide what type of beach theme you want. Going nautical gives you the opportunity to decorate with ship’s wheels, anchor print pillows, and ropes as curtain ties. Sunny beach design is aimed more toward shells and starfish and light plants, such as beach grass. Regardless of the theme you choose, keep the brighter colors of your décor in the accents. Use bright floral colors for pillows, use darker greens and blues for curtains, and use dark vases filled with dried beach grass instead of live flowers.

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