Living with a waterfront view is a luxury that you should always be taking advantage of and changing a few elements of your waterfront home can help you enhance it. There are so many benefits of living close to the water and it’s easy to make design choices that can bring a taste of nature into your home. Take a look at some of these great design ideas that are perfect to use for your waterfront home.
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Draw From Nature to Inspire You
Waterfront properties can come in many forms from the tropical beaches of Florida to the rustic cabins of the Pacific Northwest so use the nature around you to choose colours, textures, and fabrics. Bringing in the same colours that you see from your window will give the home a great sense of flow and synergy.
There are so many ways to do this idea subtly without going overboard. Paint some accent furniture in a lush dark green to match the beautiful trees outside for waterfront homes in milder climates. For beachfront homes, add an accent wall of light blue to match the waves, or add some woven taupe rugs to mimic the sand between your toes.
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Use What you’ve got
One of the most amazing things about waterfront properties is the fantastic view that you get from almost any room in the house. Use the view you paid for as much as you can by choosing minimal window treatments to let the view become the focal point. For rooms that are located right on the water, choose paint colours that won’t distract from the gorgeous scenery outside.
If you have a room with a water-facing window that needs to be shown off in the best way possible then avoid doing any window treatments at all. A fun and classy way to show it off is by framing the window as if the view were your piece of ever-changing art. This adds so much beauty and light to the room and it makes a fun conversation piece.
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Keep it classy
While it can be fun to go overboard and kitsch when you start designing your waterfront property, especially if it’s a vacation home, you might find that the decor turns from clever to cheesy very fast. The key is to stick with a theme and don’t go too overboard in every room. If you have guests who like to shower you with themed decor then try keeping it all in one room to keep the decor for the rest of the home under control.
If you want to keep your design scheme modern then you can still add some clever touches to set the home apart from your day-to-day home. Add some subtle shells or sand-themed decor for beach-themed homes or try a faux fur bear skin rug for your cosy cabin. Keeping the theme subtle and small gives it an air of whimsy without being too much.
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Look locally
Some of the best design ideas can come from small businesses and local artisans so take a tour around the small shops and art galleries in your area. Local arts often draw inspiration and even materials from the scenery around them so it will likely be very easy to find a piece that suits your home.
If you can’t find something that’s already made then looks into commissioning a local artist to make you something that goes with your existing decor. Whether it’s a sculpture of a nearby statue, a painting of the beautiful sunsets on the water, or even a knitted blanket made with local sheep’s wool, choosing a locally sourced product will look and feel amazing.
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Think about what you need
You might find that some of the areas in your home need to be modified to suit the needs of your waterfront property. If you’re right on the water then you likely have swimmers, boaters, or fishers that are coming in and out of the home all the time. Do everyone a favour and set up an area outside where they can prepare themselves to come inside with little to no mess.
For swimmers, set up a station outside where they can towel off and remove their shoes before they wander into your home dripping on everything. Use a shelf to place some towels and put a hamper beside it to encourage everyone to dry themselves off. For the friendly fishers in your life, set up an area with a cooler, table, and fillet knife to keep all the fish prep outside. These little spots will give the home a bit of organization and add a bit of extra luxury.
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Keep texture in mind
It’s a good idea to keep the local climate in mind when choosing fabrics for your waterfront property. Leather, velvet, or other plush fabrics may not be suitable for warmer climates like beaches. To keep the home feeling and looking cool, opt for lighter fabrics like linen. For colder areas such as lakefront cabins, plush and warm fabrics are perfect.
Texture also applies to your floor treatments so keep that in mind when you start to design. Light-coloured hardwood floors are great for beachfront homes because they are easy to clean and feel very natural. Carpet or fluffy rugs are best suited to lakefront homes to add a sense of warmth and a cosy feeling to the rooms.
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Choose the right colours to bring in the light
When you start deciding on colour schemes, it’s a good idea to go with lighter colours for rooms that get more sun and heavier colours for more secluded areas. This is a great way to use the light that comes off the water to your advantage to enhance the size of the space.
Another way to use the light is by adding mirrors to rooms that get more light in the daytime and using them to direct the natural light into darker spaces. Natural light is great for your body, eyes, and electricity bills so take advantage of those rays coming off the water by using some well-placed mirrors.
There are so many great design ideas that you can use for your waterfront home that will give the entire space a whole new vibe. All it takes is a few small changes and you can turn a boring space into a beautiful one.
