Coastal Decorating Ideas to Turn Your Workplace into a Serene Sanctuary

An office should be more than just a place you go to get work done. It is also somewhere to escape, focus, and enjoy. Whether you have a private office in a commercial building or an at-home workspace, decorating it in a way that improves your mental well-being and productivity is a must. 

Coastal interior design lends itself well to offices. It is minimalistic, clean, and calming, without distracting features or polarizing colors. Here are some of the best coastal decorating ideas to use in your workspace and a few other tips to complete your sanctuary. 

What Is Coastal Modern Décor?

Coastal décor is all about creating the calming, cool vibe of beachside living. It aims to replicate the feeling of sea air, sunshine, and burying your toes in the sand- even if there is no coast within 500 miles of the place. It is the vibe, not the location, that matters when it comes to coastal interior design. 

It is usually quite minimalistic in style, using white or beige tones as the base and building using blues, natural-tone neutrals, and cool grays. You often find rattan furnishings and wooden elements mixed in as well, along with a few choice coastal-inspired decorative items and accessories. 

The origins of coastal design date back centuries, proving that this fashionable décor choice is never going out of style.

Why Choose a Coastal Decorating Style for Your Office?

The impact of interior design on mental health and well-being is undeniable. How you choose to decorate your office has a knock-on effect on how you feel in the space, how well you stay focused, and potentially even your physical health. 

Of all the office décor ideas for work areas (shared or private), coastal is one of the most calming and conducive to clear thinking. A de-stressed and de-messed mind is definitely something that makes working life (and life in general) easier- so it is worth considering when making your design choices.  

Coastal interior design is also an incredibly versatile décor family, with plenty of variations on the central theme. You can go as literal or as abstract as you want- going all out with a Hamptons-esque beach house vibe, or keeping it subtle with a couple of coast-inspired artworks or material choices.

Here is a summary of the top benefits of choosing coastal decorating ideas for your office. 

• Coastal color schemes are generally calming and relaxing.
• It works well for minimalist and maximalist style preferences.
• There are plenty of themes to choose from.
• You can achieve the look without spending a lot of time or money.
• The clean, chic look of coastal modern décor is perfect in a professional space.
• It is an inoffensive style choice, so it works in shared offices or public offices that sometimes host clients.
• You can make it personal or keep it generic.
• Coastal interior design is a timeless trend that is always fashionable. 

Overall, coastal chic is an excellent design choice for an office because it works in so many ways.

Coastal Design Ideas: Themes and Color Schemes

Take a while to think about your options and how to tastefully bring in the coastal vibe before you begin. As we already mentioned, there are so many different approaches to this style, so it is important to start with the basics and build a plan. 

The two things you need to think about first are the color scheme and overall theme. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. 

Picking Your Colors

Color choice can make or break any room, and making smart choices with the tones you pick and where you place them is the key to success in your coastal office design. It usually helps to pick a clean, fresh color as the base and go from there. 

Bring in blue tones

Blue is a defining feature of the coastal style. Most classic and modern designs using this theme have at least a touch of blue somewhere, even if it is subtle. How you use blue (and what blue you use) is up to you- but avoid going overboard with bright tones all over the room, as it could be too distracting in a workspace.

Pick natural materials and colors

The trick to coastal designs in nature. Avoid bright colors that feel artificial or loud, and instead stick to tones and materials that wouldn’t look out of place in a beach shack in paradise. Think rattan, driftwood, woven rugs, and generally neutral colors. 

You can of course add a few highlights here and there using metals or a more vibrant color to bring in some added personality, but be sparing and choose them wisely, as they could detract from the overall vibe you are trying to achieve. 

Use sand as your inspiration

Before you start throwing buckets of shells and sand around your office, let's reiterate the word inspiration. The two first things most people think about when they hear the word coast are sand and sea, and it is okay to let them inspire you when choosing your colors. 

We have already touched on blue, but sandy-toned neutral colors are also very welcome. Accent walls, carpets, soft furnishings, and paneling are all parts of a room where this could work well.

Opt for minimalistic white with a twist

White is also found in most coastal designs and is always a winner in an office. If you want to opt for high-end coastal, choose a bright white for your walls and most of your furniture. Alternatively, for a softer, more laid-back room, pick an off-white or creamy white. 

To avoid your office feeling more minimalistic than coastal, switch it up by layering different whites with your furnishings and decorative items. This softens the overall feel, making it more beachside retreat than a clinic environment.

Make a darker, bolder statement

Again, the overall aesthetic of a coastal office should be relaxed and calming. However, that doesn’t mean bold statements are completely off the table. If you are a fan of a dark wall, pick a deep navy blue or warm gray and carry it through the room with your accessories and soft furnishings. 

If you choose a dark wall color, keep it light and breezy with other main features in the room (your desk, office chair, and flooring, for example).

Coastal Interior Design Themes to Consider

The colors you choose will be influenced by the general theme you decide on for the office. Think of the vibe you want and how you want the room to make you feel, then create your plan from that.

Here are five of our favorite coastal decorating ideas for offices- with something for everyone and every taste.

Turn your office into a tiny beach house

Create your own mini beachside haven that also happens to be your workspace. You can take it in whatever direction you want - be it Hampton’s Elegance or Beach Shack Chic.

Keep it neutral and chic

Moving in the opposite direction, you can take the coastal-style vibe without taking the theme too literally. Instead, be inspired by light and airy room layouts, clean lines, subtle soft furnishings, and a few natural features that are classy, elegant, and relaxing. 

Stick to a completely neutral color scheme for walls, floors, ceilings, and desks- and use your artwork and office chair to add points of interest.

Go literal with a beach-themed office

Taking it one step further than a beach house-inspired office, why not create a beach-themed office? If sun, sea, and sand are the recipe for your happy place, then, by all means, introduce them into your workspace too!

The important elements you need to achieve this look are natural textures, clever decorative choices, and warmer color accents. Textured wallpapers can help add to the beachy feeling, and deep ocean blues used in a feature wall or around the room help bring the theme to life. 

A rattan office chair or rustic wooden desk are good central features to consider, and perhaps bring in some beachside artwork or photography to connect the other elements. Other possible décor ideas include a beach picnic-style rug, shell wall decorations, faux tropical plants, and a sunlamp.

Bring in elements of the ocean

If you long for the ocean, use its colors and textures to inspire your office design. Having a blue feature wall (perhaps using some texture in your paint finish or wallpaper) adds a visual representation- or you can take it down a notch, hanging ocean artwork and using nautical accessories.

Use soft furnishings to take your office to the coast

An office is, at the end of the day, a place to work, so you might prefer to keep the actual design simple and plain (in keeping with the color schemes used for the coastal style). By adding a textured rug, some soft blue cushions, and curtains fit for the Hamptons, you can create the look without doing much to the space. 

Completing Your Coastal Modern Décor: Furniture and Accessories

As you can probably tell by now, your accessories and decorations are make or break for achieving your coastal theme, whatever it may be. From your furniture to the art on the walls, the choices you make have a major impact on the final aesthetic of the space. 

Follow these tips to find the perfect finishing touches for your coastal modern décor office. 

Pick a Comfortable and Practical Chair

Some things are more important than style, and having a comfortable and supportive office chair is one of them. A good ergonomic office chair protects your posture, helps avoid aches and pains, and lets you work better for longer without worrying about your back.  

The ErgoChair range by Autonomous is a great choice for every office. You can choose from three stylish and sophisticated desk chairs designed for durable, comfortable use- available in multiple colors to work with your chosen theme.

Stay Active and Improve Your Productivity with a Standing Desk

Part of coastal living is about relaxation, but it is also about physical and mental well-being in other ways. You may not have considered before that your office desk can actually contribute to these things, but it can. 

The desk you choose for your coastal design office should look great with your theme- but it should also support flexible working from sitting or standing positions. A white or wood-top standing desk is perfect for this style. 

Choose Your Desk Accessories Wisely

It can be tempting to overdo it with desk accessories, but it is not advisable for a productive office space. A minimalist desk setup is best for focused and efficient working- and it works well with a coastal design. 

Think about what you really need and look for accessories that fill your needs and fit your theme. Afterward, you can look at the leftover space and decide if there is space to add a plant, sculpture, or other coast-related decorative item.

Use Artwork to Complete the Theme

Office wall décor is very important for coastal modern design. You want to keep clutter to a minimum but still add personality and interest to the room, so handing things on the wall is a perfect solution. It also works for cubicle décor ideas, since a few small walls are the only space you have to execute your design.  

Photography is very popular in coastal interior design, as are beach or ocean paintings. Your art doesn’t need to be related to the coast- it could just use the same colors. 

Hanging rattan or fishnet-style baskets with plants inside is another clever use of wall space.

Add Natural Elements for that Coastal Vibe

Finally, bring the outside indoors with nature-inspired décor. A driftwood table, a tall standing plant in the corner, plenty of natural lighting (when possible), and natural fiber soft furnishings are perfect for helping to achieve the coastal look. 

Summary

Coastal decorating ideas for offices can quickly change how you feel about going to work. Upgrade your at-home workspace and turn it into your favorite room in the house, or switch up the vibe in your shared office space to encourage productivity, clear thinking, and mental well-being.