How to Create a Beachside Escape Right in Your Apartment
In a 2012 ABC News and Washington Post poll, 72 percent of respondents said they enjoyed going to the beach for summer vacation. But why wait for summer vacation to enjoy the luxuries of a beach getaway? Check out these ideas to create a beach side escape in your own apartment.
Display Beach Mementos
Image via Flickr by IrisDragon
Start by displaying your favorite beach memories or simply bringing items into your home that remind you of the beach. Display shells on the wall, or add sand and shells to a glass hurricane to create a beach-like centerpiece. Take yourself back to the beach by framing pictures of the times you’ve visited, or display other trinkets, souvenirs, or other mementos that represent life along the ocean.
Bring The Scenery Inside
Since you probably don’t have the sand and the water to look at from your window, bring it all inside by hanging photos of beach scenery. You can also keep the scenery interesting by adding potted plants, painting a mural, or changing the background on your computer to a picture of the beach. For example, this piece of beach art might have you believing that the waves are crashing right outside your window.
Accent Coastal Colors
Transforming your apartment into a beach paradise can’t be done with only photos and mementos, but you have to play with your color scheme, too. Change your bed spread, add an area rug, or paint your walls to mimic the colors of the sea. Coastal colors are generally focused toward soft blues and greens with white furniture or walls to finish off the appeal. Places like apartments in Huntington Beach already have the benefits of a real beachside escape, but incorporating a color scheme like this can help you take your home one step farther.
Enjoy the Water
Image via Flickr by Fellowship of the Rich
While you won’t hear the sound of waves crashing outside your window, you can bring in an element of the sea and listen to the running water by adding a fish tank or two into your design scheme. While any aquarium will add more scenery and beach feel to the room, perhaps try sticking with saltwater fish to really put the ocean into your home. You can even use this opportunity to display your own beach souvenirs by placing your own shells at the bottom of the tank for an extra personal touch.
Let The Light In
There’s one thing that always goes along with sparkling sand and dazzling water: the sun. Even if it isn’t sunny often where you live, you can still mimic this feel by adding more artificial lights throughout your apartment or opting for thinner curtains to let in as much light as possible while still maintaining your privacy. Plus, if you choose to brighten your home with extra lamps, this gives you the opportunity to discover additional design options, such as purchasing beach-themed or coastal colored lamps.
Relax on Summertime Equipment
Image via Flickr by andrewfedor
Nothing says summertime and the beach like relaxing on a hammock or taking a cat nap on a lawn chair. Think about incorporating these elements into your beach getaway to really feel like you’ve escaped. Attach a hammock in a corner or in your backyard. Not only will the hammock offer a comfortable place to relax, but it will add to the overall beach ambiance.
Let the Wind Blow
If it’s warm enough where you live, open the windows and let the wind circulate throughout your apartment to simulate the light breeze from a beautiful ocean day. If it’s too cold to leave the windows open, turn on a fan and let the breeze relax you. Consider aiming the fan at the curtains to make it feel as if the air is coming through the window. Plus, this offers just another opportunity for adding more beach-themed items to your home, such as with this shell fan-light pull or these natural bamboo fan blades.
When you can’t make it to the beach, bring the beach to you, and use these design tips to bring it into your own home.
