25 Beach Cottage Ideas for a Dreamy Retreat

Beach cottages evoke cherished memories of sun-drenched days and a carefree spirit, whether in a grand vacation home or a simple summer escape.

The excitement of a beach getaway, focused on relaxation, often permeates the cottage’s very essence. Whether you’re visiting or considering owning one, these oceanside retreats offer endless inspiration.

Explore our favorite easygoing styles, from inviting porches to beach-inspired bedrooms and kitchens.

Discover transformed historic homes and newly built ones designed with timeless island charm.

Whether browsing real estate or redecorating your own beach haven, these beloved, sun-kissed cottages are sure to inspire.

Use Weathered Finishes

This Cape Cod fisherman’s cabin from Alfredo Paredes Studio has rustic finishes, blue-and-white accents, and weathered elements like a pair of well worn leather French club chairs that harmonize perfectly with the dreamy oceanfront view.

Make It Modern

This coastal kitchen from Emily Henderson Design has a palette of crisp white and navy blue that complements rustic hardwood floors and painted ceiling beams, with gold-toned accents and modern accessories that make it feel fresh rather than kitschy.

Honor the View

The decor of this Canadian beachfront cottage from Michelle Berwick Interiors complements the ocean view without overwhelming.

Even if you can’t see the water from your bedroom, this subtle approach to coastal decor, using simple furniture, tones of blue and white, and natural elements can work in any home to add a relaxed, livable feel.

Add a Striped Rug

The dining room of this Southampton, New York surfing village retreat from Becca Interiors is anchored with a large scale sailor striped rug.

Painted shiplap walls, furniture in pale wood tones, and natural accents like wicker pendant lights add timeless coastal charm that could work in any setting.

Keep It Minimal

This Maine kitchen from Tyler Karu Design +Interiors is a clean, minimalist take on coastal decor, with vertical painted white shiplap walls, bare windows, deep blue lower cabinetry, and cool silver-toned accents.

Mix It Up

This Sag Harbor, New York living room from Allison Babcock Design has an organic coastal feel with its rustic ceiling beams, white walls, and mix of eclectic furnishings and decor.

Add Themed Wallpaper

The walls of this cheerful laundry closet from Emily Henderson Design are washed in blue wave motif wallpaper, with white appliances and painted doors strung with hooks for holding everything you need to sweep up those sandy floors.

Play with Gray Tones

This Maine coast beach cottage powder room from Tyler Karu Design +Interiors has a weathered wood sink vanity with a blue-gray finish that is complemented with soft gray wallpaper with a subtle nautical rope motif.

A beveled mirror and marble countertops complement the cool palette.

Keep It Simple

Nothing says coastal like blue-and-white stripes.

In this light and bright living room from Emily Henderson Design, a cozy off-white sectional is strewn with a casual assortment of pillows.

Simple artwork and painted shiplap ceilings complete the easy, beachy vibe.

Hang Vintage Coastal-Themed Art

The breakfast nook in this Southampton, New York beach cottage from Becca Interiors is decorated with framed vintage coastal-themed art that adds some quiet kitsch to a corner decorated with antique wood furnishings and a comfortable banquette upholstered in neutral tones.

Add Bohemian Design-Inspired Touches

This compact laundry room from Casa Watkins Living has a coastal blue-and-white palette with bohemian design-inspired touches like bold patterned wallpaper and a woven pendant light that keep it interesting.

Add a Spa Vibe

This bathroom from Emily Henderson Design has easygoing beach cottage spa vibes, with its soothing blue walls, built-in bench seating, crisp white open shelving stacked with crisp folded towels, and warm-toned wood pegboard hook on the wall for towels and robes.

Hang a Gallery Wall

This homey beach cottage bedroom from Michelle Berwick Interiors has a cozy quilt, a pair of woven pendant lights, and a small gallery wall mounted on the shiplap wall above the bed in lieu of a headboard.

Mix Finishes

Shades of blue on the kitchen backsplash and island, clean white built-in cabinetry, and pale wood accents and flooring bring the coastal beach cottage vibes to this home in downtown Portland, Maine from Tyler Karu Design + Interiors.

Paint the Ceiling Beams

In this beach front living room in Nantucket, Massachusetts from Allison Babcock Design, shiplap walls and painted ceiling beams add texture to the all-white interior.

A mix of furnishings and decor in natural materials like wood and rattan, vivid blue accents, and built-ins styled with books and objects give the cozy space a clean, coastal vibe that could translate to any interior.

Use Natural Hues

Maison Studio WaterColor, FL Mint Green Beach House Front Exterior with Bike

When Nikki Colquitt purchased a new cottage on the tree-lined streets of a community in Watercolor, Florida, she wanted it to feel homier than a beach rental.

She hired interior designers Allison Smith and Anne Scott Shelley of Maison Studios, who layered the house with celadon hues and soft neutrals.

“My favorite colors are blue-green tones and the shades of old wicker and worn rugs—mostly hues you’d see outdoors here,” she says.

Clad Walls In Shiplap

Maison Studio WaterColor, FL Neutral Kitchen with Shiplap Wall Backsplash

The designers extended the shiplap wall paneling from floor to ceiling to call attention to the high ceilings.

The natural fibers in the furniture and the gray-green cabinet color make the kitchen elegant but relaxed.

The room feels cool and airy even on Florida’s 100-degree days.

Bring The Outdoors In

Maison Studio WaterColor, FL Back Porch Outdoor Living Space

The rear porch is basically another living room and dining area, with ceiling fans to provide a cool breeze on sweltering days.

Inside-out living feels seamless, especially when all the French doors are wide open.

Take A Dip

Maison Studio WaterColor, FL Nautical Bathroom with Fish Wallpaper

In the bathroom, the kids can wash up or bathe while surrounded by schools of fish.

The fun aquatic wallpaper from Cole & Son doesn’t overwhelm the room since it’s printed in soft neutrals.

Double Up Beds

In a long, narrow room, bunk beds are often the first piece of furniture to come to mind, but the Colquitts were looking for another solution for their two daughters.

The designers got creative with a 13-foot-long upholstered headboard for the two twin beds (each with a trundle underneath).

Keep Within Driving Distance

St. Teres, FL Beach House Front Exterior

Haile McCollum and her husband, Ben, a Thomasville native, were seeking a spot where the family could have on-the-water experiences, and this beach cottage in St. Teresa, Florida, fit the bill.

“Close proximity was the dealmaker. We wanted to be able to leave our house on Friday afternoons in time to catch the sunset,” says Haile.

Go Nautical

St. Teresas, FL Beach House Entryway and Stairwell

They painted the treads in the entryway a deep nautical blue, then decided to take the theme even further.

“We removed the stairwell spindles and replaced them with hearty Manila rope,” says Haile.

“I was leery of going overly nautical, but to my surprise, it added a playful texture to the house.”

Add An Outdoor Sink

St. Teresa, FL Beach House Screened in Porch Sink

On the screened back porch, Haile hung a sign painted with the name of the house, “Why Knot,” over a cast-iron sink that she salvaged from her own 1850s home in Thomasville.

“It’s great for everything from cleaning fish to deveining shrimp to filling dog bowls,” says Haile.

Make Room For More

St. Teresa, FL Beach House Kids' Bunk Room Bedroom

Haile encourages her sons to bring friends along, but they needed space to accommodate their sleepovers.

“We had the bunk beds custom built—it gives the boys and their friends a place to pile in—to stay up late and sleep in.

Our house is meant to be welcoming, so we have loads of extra blankets in the closet for a reason,” says Haile.

Move Dining Outdoors

St. Teresa, Florida Beach House Outdoor Dining Area

To maximize sleeping and living space, the family elected not to have an indoor dining room.

They gather to eat around the trestle table and benches on the porch.

In bad weather, the family eats in the entryway around a round table with chairs pulled from the den.

Look To The Past

Exterior of Kiawah Island Home Designed by Mark Maresca

Megan and Matt Lineberger worked with architect Mark Maresca to build a vacation home on South Carolina’s idyllic Kiawah Island that took inspiration from pre-Revolutionary Charleston homes.

“We immediately connected with Mark’s vision of a ‘new-old’ house that felt at one with its surroundings,” says Megan.

The home has historic Lowcountry features like a lime-washed brick foundation, functional shutters, and beaded lap siding.

Prepare To Entertain

The kitchen has plenty of space for guests (and your morning coffee) at the marble-topped oak island and banquette.

“The kitchen was created to read as an old cookhouse that was adjoined to the main home over time,” says Maresca.

“The lines and millwork are simpler, but the playful palette enlivens those ‘old’ bones.”

Find Durable But Artful Pieces

The living room is stocked with sturdy vintage furniture and old antiques that can handle some wear and tear.

“We knew the living room would have to be a bit toned down because of the number of children who would be running through the space,” explains interior designer Cortney Bishop.

At the same time, “it really became an art collection of furniture.”

Set Up A Cozy Hangout

Cozy den with patterned sofa and ocean view

In the upstairs sitting room, Bishop prioritized coziness at every turn.

The extra-plush sofa is made for sinking into, while the patterns in this room are forgiving of scuffs and spills.

“This is our children’s go-to room for everything from breakfast to movie night,” explains Megan.

Create An Indoor-Outdoor Bar

We built our 2017 Idea House on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, a car-free, accessible-only-by-boat barrier island.

The Cape Fear River borders it to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Homes are surrounded by porches so you can catch the ocean breezes.

Here we took indoor-outdoor living to another level: The kitchen’s bifold windows fold open like a drive-through window, providing easy access to the outdoor serving area and the grilling station tucked in the corner.

The window’s striped cabana-like valance is double-sided, so you can admire it from inside and out.

Go For Beach Chic

“This room is very adult and beach chic.

The yellow has a bit of brown in it, which works well with the natural bamboo and rattan elements in here,” says designer Lindsey Coral Harper of LCH Interiors.

“I had the wainscot built 54 inches tall so the wallpaper wouldn’t overwhelm the space.” Sandy-hued furniture and fabrics give the room a relaxed vibe.

Reuse Historic Elements

The chocolate brown floor in the living and dining area comes from century-old joists salvaged from the Wilson Tobacco Company in Wilson, North Carolina.

The flooring is fitting in a new beach house that looks to historic homes for inspiration.

The dining chairs come from Palecek, a company that uses natural materials in its one-of-a-kind furnishings.

Make Porches A Second Home

The house has over 1,300 square feet of outdoor living space among the ample porches surrounding the home.

Architect Eric Moser says he always treats porches like outdoor rooms.

To provide enough room for furnishings, make them at least 8 by 8 feet.