What is in store for luxury coastal lifestyles in 2018?
We can expect ocean homes to be picturesque, efficient spaces utilised that draw guests to their outdoor settings, with plush landscaping and clear spaces for active recreation and leisurely relaxation in the sun.
This year more so than before, exceptional beachfront homes will be designed for enjoyable days with family and friends, and nights appreciated in classic interiors decorated with beach style homewares in soft neutral shades or outside around a fire pit.
Prominent architects, interior designers, landscape specialists and interior decorating experts predict that this year will be the year of a more relaxed and ageless entertaining style and a much more embedded relationship with nature.
Smarter home design, particularly in regard to increasing sea levels and strong storms, is another important trend, along with advances in sustainability and green technology. Here we will chart new design choices to usher in a stylish, secure and home-centric year.
BRINGING HOME THE BEACH
Coastal homeowners are more interested than ever in immersing themselves fully in the active beach lifestyle.
This means coastal homes that embrace water sports and activities in a way that is carefully designed and seamless.
Imagine specific storage garages for surfboards, wetsuits and beach gear; outdoor showers; compact plunge pools; and comfortably furnished porches and verandas, which mediate between the indoors and the sand dunes.
ELEVATED LIVING
This is the year for resiliency in coastal home interiors and their design and construction.
Homeowners are strongly encouraged to raise their homes well above the minimum required standards. With seas rising and hurricanes undoubtedly packing larger and more dangerous storm surges, precautionary action needs to be taken.
SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS
A once clear delineation between interior and exterior spaces is being consistently eroded, and that is a very good thing.
This is a blessing for new energy-saving home technology as well as eco-friendly design styles.
With a move towards lighter, brighter interior spaces that incorporate green technology in the house as well as in the finishes, the new interiors speak to a blend of simplified shapes, unfussy colours and lighter materials with more durability.
That means that coastal homeowners will be able to transition seamlessly from a stiffer interior home setting through to a thoroughly relaxed and inviting outdoor living experience.
GARDENS AS DESTINATIONS
The spaces are not just for operational purposes such as entertaining, dining or lounging around, but also to make destinations out of your gardens, which in turn brings the feeling of depth of distance, especially in more compact sites.
Sustainable and low-maintenance gardens are also moving up into the spotlight. In recent time designers have been integrating everything from intelligent system irrigation clocks to synthetic turf, drought-tolerant plants, containerized gardens and pervious paving materials.
Utilizing some of these design components can be more expensive than traditional elements, but for the long term, you will save yourself money and time when it comes to caring for your backyard, today and in the long term.
AT ONE WITH NATURE
In tropical coastal areas, appreciation for nature is on the upswing, especially when combined with classic interior design style.
There has been a heightened interest in seamlessly integrating buildings and landscape as a single theme rather than disparate ideas.
Awareness is growing in the experiential direct advantages of living your life as intimate to nature as you can.
For homeowners, this also implies features like well-shaded outside Pavilions cooled by breezes but protected from strong winds, and indoor/outdoor dining rooms next to pools surrounded by fragrant gardens.
Essentially, architecture is now deferring to nature as opposed to imposing itself on an interior. It is a sensual strategy, a way to help us feel connected and provide us with a sense of equilibrium.
COLORS OF THE COAST
Combining glamour and comfort is not an idea that is out of reach. Clean, unfettered design styling, with just an occasional nod to nautical, can be glamorous yet comfy.
This year, we will see a shift from bold colours and patterns to soft natural beach hues and textures.
Using organic beach style colours such as washy blue, lavender, soft sand, green and crisp white will always work, especially when working in tandem with contrasting darker wood finishes.
Thankfully we have found that enjoyment and togetherness is back in style for interior decoration. Seating areas which are conducive to conversation as opposed to a sense of isolation are back in demand. People lead such busy lives these days; they need a serene respite at the end of the working day to unwind with family members, friends and loved ones.
