Elegant Decorating in a Seashore Theme


by Victoria Larsen - Date: 2007-05-31 - Word Count: 808 Share This!

I've had many requests for ideas on classy decorating in a seaside theme. Make note of some of these great things you can do easily and inexpensively to bring the sea shore in to your home with elegance and style.
Sometimes it's difficult to come up with decorating in a theme that is classy and elegant. Many times, our options seem to be rather cartoonish and childish. But these ideas will give you inspiration to create a room of decadence with just a few simple tricks!
The sea, despite it rushing waves, occasional storms and powerful presence can also create the most calming feeling within all of us and has been a popular decorating theme for decades.
Its beautiful color variations, interesting underwater sea life and ever changing texture set it apart from any other element offered by nature.
Painting your walls in soft sea pastels instantly changes the way the room feels and beautifully accepts the accessories you will later add.
Keeping walls light in color and more neutral in tone will create a calm mood rather than walls of brilliant blue or deep greens. Neutral blue/green (or what I call "Victorian Blue"), in a very light shade will give the room a spacious feel and relaxing tone.
Painting the woodwork and ceiling in soft cream will frame the wall color and seem to add more detail to the room by making the woodwork a focal point.
Sofa or floor pillows that incorporate or coordinate with the wall color will draw the eye to the inner portion of the room. Vary tones and texture to create a bit of drama.
Add elegant accessories by framing seascape photos or starfish in gold frames and glue real seashells to wide cream colored satin ribbon. Attach a bow to the top then hang from a decorative hook on the wall or on either side of your windows or doorways.
A great way to reproduce starfish is to make a sand mold of them. Here's how:
Fill a container with sand. Sink your starfish face down in the sand then remove. Fill the starfish impression with mixed plaster of paris and allow to harden. Once hard, remove from the sand, dust off the excess then paint the face only with a mixture of ½ water and ½ white glue. Insert face down in to the sand so that plenty of sand sticks to the glue. Dust off excess with a paint brush.
Allow the glue to dry then paint soft peach, cream or brown. Create a border of these on the wall or use as a plaster arrangement over doors and windows by applying an even layer of joint compound about ¼" thick to the back of the plaster starfish then press to the wall and hold for 60 seconds. Fill any gap between the wall and the piece with joint compound on your finger. Wipe away any excess with a damp cloth.
Find or cut your own stencil of an anchor then stencil randomly in gold (as a wallpaper effect) on one wall in the room. Use the same stencil to create area rugs by stenciling the design on to large carpet samples (available for super cheap in 3 foot by 4 foot sizes at your local carpet store).
Drapery tie backs can be created by tying with a length of high quality braided chord with a beautiful seashell glued to the front. (The same can be done to adorn towels in the kitchen or bath).
Fill a decorative bowl with various sea shells arranged with class balls. Your local craft store or on-line sources are often the best places to find shells. Choose varying colors and textures for your display for interest.
Purchase a large ornate shell then display at one edge of a table or mantle. Gorgeous super large seashells can be found on line.
Purchase a glass lamp base from the thrift store then cover with miniature shells and outfit with a new shade.
Make your own sea candles by sinking a glass down in to a box of sand. Stop just before you reach the bottom of the container.
Remove the glass which will leave a perfect impression in the sand.
Insert a candle wick in to the center of the impression then fill the impression with melted wax and allow to harden.
Once the candle has been formed, remove it from the sand and dust off excess.
Apply a mixture of 1/2 white glue and 1/2 water to the bottom 1/2 of the candle and again insert in to the sand to give you a sand coating.
Lastly, glue small seashells in to a central design in the middle of the candle and display on a gold candle base.
You can create various sized and shaped candles depending on the shape of the item you sink in to the sand. Try short highball glasses, tall 16 oz glasses and even fruit bowls to create various candle styles.

© Victoria Larsen 2007

Related Tags: home decor, interior decorating, decorating ideas, wall decorating, seashore decorating, beach theme decorating

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