Sophisticated Surfer Style

Create a laid-back, functional beach house with tips from this surfer’s pad. (from Coastal Living)

In this outdoor space, Decorator Christine Fink opted for a polished concrete floor topped with an outdoor rug, and outfitted the space with African teak lounge furniture and blue-gray cushions in outdoor fabric.

Instead of creating a formal dining room, Christine designed a banquette framed by windows. The result is a space great for snacking, getting work done, or visiting with friends. “The cushions are made out of outdoor fabric that can withstand all the light entering this space but is still comfortable,” Christine says. A local artisan custom-made a freestanding replica of a ship’s table, highly lacquering the top and bolting the piece to the floor.

All-white interiors have a clean, contemporary look, but a dash of a vibrant color can still look fresh and modern. “The turquoise subway-tile backsplash enhances the feeling of being close to the ocean,” Christine says.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Whitewashed Basket from ABeachCottage

I receive a daily feed from Sarah at her blog: ABeachCottage. This time she shows us how she found a natural colored wicker basket, and painted it white (of course). Now, I've used spray paint to paint wicker chairs, but she says she uses 2 tablespoons of water based white paint cut with water to produce a white washed effect. Great idea. I'll try that next. And look at her results... all her putty striped pillows, white slipcovers. Ahhhhh.

Here's the before shot