How To Create Beautiful Beach Style Kitchens (Designs)
Welcome to our gallery of beach style kitchens. These pictures feature beautiful coastal kitchen designs with beach and nautical inspired accents. With a coastal design you can bring the feeling of being at the beach home to enjoy year round. Get inspired by these beach style kitchens to find ways to incorporate these ideas in to your own interior designs.
How to Get A Beach Kitchen Design
Colors: A beach-style kitchen begins with a sun-washed palette that feels breezy rather than themed. Lean on soft whites, sandy beiges, and pale driftwood grays as your envelope, then layer in accents pulled straight from the shoreline—think sea-glass aqua on an island base, a muted navy for window trim, or a hint of sunrise coral on bar stools. Keep undertones consistent (all cool or all warm) so the scheme feels cohesive instead of patchy. To avoid a cliché “coastal cottage” look, introduce one deeper hue—charcoal or indigo—sparingly on hardware or light fixtures; that grounding note keeps the space sophisticated while still evoking the ocean’s depth.
Cabinets: Go for cabinetry that reflects a fresh and inviting vibe. White is a favorite since it offers a clean backdrop that naturally brightens the room. Pale wood cabinets in tones like white oak, ash, or birch, with a light stain or slightly weathered look, fit in well here. These choices will show the natural grain or wood cabinetry and offer a coastal lived-in feel. For those who want more visual interest and personality, a two-tone cabinet setup with white uppers and a pastel lower, like a soft blue or seafoam green, can look charming and inviting. Another popular option is to leave the cabinets around the perimeter in a neutral tone, and go for an island in navy, aqua, or sage to add a subtle pop of color.
Hardware: Stick with simple pulls, cap handles, or bars, and avoid going to glam or extravagant with the hardware choices. Brushed nickel and satin chrome are classic choices for beach style kitchens as they have a soft, weathered sheen that works with the design. Avoid using hardware with too much polish or high gloss finishes, such as chrome or mirror-like gold as they can look too intense. With a coastal style being subtle and breezy is key. Whatever you decide to use, you can further tie it in by using it in a few other design elements like the light fixtures, faucet, or other furniture.
Countertops: Countertops in a beach kitchen should convey a relaxed, low-maintenance vibe. For everyday durability, choose a honed or leathered quartz that mimics white Carrara with subtle gray veining, or opt for a creamy quartzite whose swirls resemble sand patterns left by the tide. If you crave organic texture, a light butcher-block top in teak or white oak on a prep station can warm the room and reference boat decking.
Backsplash: Backsplashes are the perfect place to introduce a coastal sparkle: handmade zellige tiles in watery shades bounce light like sun on waves, while elongated subway tiles laid vertically evoke boardwalk planks and emphasize ceiling height. Pair a glossy finish with matte countertops to create depth without busy pattern clashes.
Decor: Décor should whisper “seaside,” not shout it. Swap literal seashell motifs for more abstract nods: ribbed glass pendant shades reminiscent of sea urchins, woven rattan counter stools that recall beach umbrellas, and brushed-nickel faucets that mirror sun-bleached sail hardware. Open shelving in bleached wood lets you display stacks of white stoneware, blue-striped linens, or a single statement piece of coral sculpture—kept sparse to preserve the airy feel. Anchor the room with one natural fiber showpiece, such as a seagrass runner under the island or a braided jute pendant, to reinforce the indoor-outdoor connection.
Floors: Flooring sets the barefoot-friendly tone. Engineered white oak with a wire-brushed finish hides sand and scuffs while emulating time-worn boardwalks, and its dimensional stability performs well in humid coastal environments. For a more casual cottage mood, consider wide-plank luxury vinyl in a weathered gray wash—impervious to tracked-in saltwater and easy to mop.
Finishes: If your kitchen flows directly to an outdoor deck or pool area, extend a porcelain plank tile rated for exterior use across the threshold; a light grout line keeps the look continuous and conceals minor grout discoloration from beach traffic. Finish with flush-mounted floor vents in matching material so nothing interrupts the long, breezy sightlines typical of great coastal design.
Beach House Kitchen Ideas
Whether you live near the ocean or not you can still enjoy the warm and inviting vibe of a Beach house kitchen. With subtle coastal accents, pastels and white cabinetry, tons of natural light and maybe even a little nautical-themed decor, you can bring a bit of the beach to your home.
In the image above an ocean inspired kitchens uses white Shaker style cabinetry which extends to the dining island and upholstery of the bar stools. Sandy beige wood stain of the ceiling, floor, bar stool legs and dining table reminds you of the beach. The upholstered furniture softens the overall feel of the stainless steel appliances. Glass pendant lights in hurricane holders and an ocean blue color pendant light adds a major style element to this lovely coastal style kitchen.
A marine blue island with granite countertop, blue crystal chandelier and nautical patterned throw pillows accents this chic cottage kitchen inspired design. Medium tone hardwood floor complements the solid wood breakfast table surrounded by an amazing window seat bench. Classic white Shaker style cabinetry with granite countertop and glass front hanging cabinets blends with the stainless steel appliances and gives the kitchen a light and clean feel. The breakfast nook window seating has drawer cabinets for a much needed extra storage.
Welcome to a tropical island inspired kitchen featuring white Shaker cabinetry, arctic white quartz countertop with farmhouse sink, aqua glass backsplash, dark tone hardwood flooring and wood plank ceiling with recessed ambient lights and stainless steel appliances. Tropical flowers, area rug and rattan bar stools suggests a tropical accent and gives a warm and inviting ambiance for family, friends and guests. This small kitchen design would be right at home in a beach cottage.
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We’ve been looking to improve the feel of my brother’s vacation house to give it that beach vibe as much as possible. We had wondered if there’s any more we could do for the kitchen, and so I was very interested in your examples especially the coastal design that featured sea green colors and travertine flooring. This particular design really makes the entire scenery feel seaside. Coupled with your examples, I feel that if we can find a contractor who can provide us wood-looking floor tiles to complete the look, we’ll be set for a comfortable vacation.