Accent Shells

As a beach lover living in a beach town, I get a bit melancholy as the freezing temperatures start to keep me indoors and off the sand. With the ocean only a block away, I never felt it necessary to overdo a "beach theme" in my own home. I simply have two beautiful shells - one in my bathroom and one in my kitchen - that serve as daily visual reminders of the beauty of the beach. Oh, and I have a basket of driftwood tucked into a corner that I've been meaning to make something out of for months. Perhaps the cold winter ahead will finally inspire that project!

Today's post features creative ways that others have brought just a little touch of beachiness indoors, either for their pure love of the ocean or perhaps just to stay out of the cold winter winds like I'm doing today!


From a list of tips on updating a bath on a budget, I love this simple but high-impact wall of sea life (from The Nest).


From Elle Decor.com, the DC living room of actress-writer Alexandra Wentworth and news anchor George Stephanopoulos strikes a balance between refined sophistication and nautical accents.


A tortoise shell on an antique chair has a sculptural appeal in this Venice, CA home (from Country Living).


A couple of shells from summers past can be invited to dinner every night as serving pieces, as in this example posted on Real Simple.


A casual white-on-white dining room by Kate Jackson Design found on Houzz exudes beachy perfection with no more than a simple trio of framed fan coral on the wall.