Copyright © 2012 by Tim Clarke

Photographs copyright © 2012 by Noah Webb

All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an
imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House,
Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com
CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon is a
registered trademark of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Clarke, Tim (Tim Dowd)
  Coastal modern : sophisticated homes inspired by the ocean /
Tim Clarke. — 1st ed.
   p.  cm.
1. Clarke, Tim (Tim Dowd)—Themes, motives.  2. Interior decoration—
United States.  3. Seaside architecture—United States.  I. Title.
II. Title: Sophisticated homes inspired by the ocean.
  NK2004.3.C59A4  2012
  747.092—dc22 2011015784
ISBN 978-0-307-71878-5
Printed in China
Book interior and jacket design by Stephanie Huntwork
Book interior and jacket photography by Noah Webb
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition

Clar_9780307718785_3p_fm_r1.indd 4 10/19/11 2:31 PM

 contents

introduction 8

1 coastal modern
basics 14

2 scandia surf 48

3 seaside
mediterranean 80

4 beach classic 110

5 inherited ease 146

6 native woods 180

resources 220

acknowledgments 223

Clar_9780307718785_3p_fm_r1.indd 7 10/19/11 2:32 PM

 introduction
Filling a room with a variety of
textures is essential in creating
harmony.
8 coastal modern
Clar_9780307718785_3p_fm_r1.indd 8
there is something simply magnetic about the ocean. For
anyone who has felt its pull, the sea is a means of transport, a source
of food, a place of joy and solace, as well as the backdrop for countless
summers where memories of youth and age intertwine in the fabric of
our lives.
Homes located on the ocean capture the imagination, for they
embody the depth of feeling people hold for the sea. The beach house
is more than just a place to live—it is a symbol of a life well lived. It is a
refuge and a respite from life’s grind, a paean to beauty and relaxation,
and a celebration of both solitude and togetherness.
I design homes that embody a dream. From my first residential
project onward, I set forth to create interior spaces that celebrate the
freedom, lightness, and relaxed elegance of the perfect beach house
regardless of the architectural style or location of the home.
I’ve been lucky enough to work with people who have
trusted me and my team to make transformations on a very large
architectural scale, often designing entire homes, and sometimes
entire lifestyles, for them to feel renewed, refreshed, and reborn.
Though it may sound rather over the top, I feel privileged to have
witnessed the power beach house design has to change people’s lives.
For far too long, modern design and architecture conveyed
a cold and uncomfortable mood, and modern homes became
caricatures of themselves: uninviting, uncompromising rooms that
may have looked sleek and sexy but weren’t places where you wanted
to live your life. When people came to me looking for designs for
their beachfront homes, which were often their second or even third
residences, they wanted to get away from the showcases they lived
in during the week and settle into something comfortable and real,
without sacrificing style. So I began to create homes that embodied
this relaxed way of living, and with each beach house, this theme
began to shape itself into a more cohesive approach to design that I call
coastal modern.
10/19/11 2:32 PM
 Whether you live in Santa Monica or St. Louis, you can have a
beach-inspired house—any living space can be transformed to embody
the spirit of a coastal residence. Coastal modern is really a way of
thinking, of looking at each space so that the home can be livable, but
still truly modern. It should provide a break from the stresses of fast-
paced lifestyles and serves as an oasis that fosters a feeling of closeness
and warmth. The people I work with live all over the world, and many
are hundreds of miles from the closest sand dune, but they come to
me to help them create residences imbued with the essence of the sand
and the sea and the magical interplay between the two. Even if you
live in a noncoastal area, you can open your home to the outdoors
to enhance the connection between indoors and outdoors and to
reinforce the idea of an “imagined” coast.
Every home you see in this book embodies the coastal
modern aesthetic, but the expression of this aesthetic is as varied as
the homeowners themselves. There is no single design style, era, color
scheme, size, or shape that typifies coastal modern, because the style is
about a way of living and a way of looking at the world.
I’ve organized this book into five distinct styles of design that I
have dubbed “Scandia surf,” “seaside Mediterranean,” “beach classic,”
“inherited ease,” and “native woods.” Moreover, the book flows
according to the changing light of a day: starting from the palest and
lightest residences of Scandia surf and seaside Mediterranean, moving
into the bright midday of beach classic, and slowly approaching sunset
Opposite With inspiring views like
with inherited ease and native woods. Each of these styles is an entirely this, adornment is unnecessary.
Simple furnishings with clean,
unique way of approaching beach house design, and perhaps you will
unbroken lines enhance the
find ideas for your own living spaces. seascape.

I truly love what I do, and strive to create homes that inspire
following page, left The pale
comfort, creativity, and passion. I hope the interiors in this book yellow-orange in these outdoor
umbrellas take inspiration from the
encourage you to create your own perfect beach house; one that both
orange tones in the boulders below.
embodies who you are, and who you hope to be.
following page, right Small
design moments tell big stories.
Don’t forget to fill in the blanks.

introduction 11

Clar_9780307718785_3p_fm_r1.indd 11 10/19/11 2:32 PM

Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 52 10/19/11 3:51 PM
 the quest for light

homes that i call scandia surf embody the best of the

Scandinavian aesthetic in their look and feel. The style is understated
in both form and palette, taking inspiration from the wind- and
sea-battered homes of the Nordic coastlines that withstand an almost
constant barrage of salt spray year-round. The exterior paint, often in
muted blues, grays, and whites, has a weathered, lasting patina that
reveals the harsh beauty of this part of the world.
The cultures of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark emphasize
frugality, pragmatism, and self-sufficiency, and this shows in the
way they design their homes. Objects and furnishings are not purely
decorative but made to last, no matter the changing tides of fashion
and trend. Danish modern pieces from the twentieth century look
sublimely at home in a contemporary residence; the clean lines and
timeless materials never go out of style.
Natural resources are of utmost concern in a Scandia surf
home. Like the Nordic cultures that inspired them, these homes make
as much use of local materials as possible. Nordic people often draw
their livelihoods from the natural environment and see themselves as
stewards of it. The use of local wood and stone is a necessity and has
opposite Scandia surf bathrooms
the added benefit of creating an intangible aesthetic connecting the are always simple and spare.
This master bath is an exercise
interior and the natural environs.
in informed restraint. The
Scandinavian homes are elegantly proportioned and handsome view is treated as if
it were a painting; the board-
symmetrical and feature classical detailing—pulling from the best of
formed concrete wall is an elegant
European architecture but paring it down to its most basic and efficient treatment that doesn’t detract from
the experience.
elements. Quiet in both color and texture, these homes make use of
large systems of windows and strategic mirrors so as to maximize light Following pages The bold vertical
stripes are a modern interpretation
and minimize shadows and darkness.
of the soaring forests seen in all
directions from this room.

scandia surf 53

Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 53 10/19/11 3:51 PM

 A beach home needn’t be
overstuffed, overdecorated, or
oversaturated: this under-the-stairs
collection of art includes both local
and well-known artists, cheap flea
market finds, and machine parts.
The secret is in the simple mix.

Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 59 10/19/11 3:52 PM


A successfully designed Scandia
surf home uses colors and forms
that echo the natural environment.
This office space feels at once
relaxed and sophisticated
without overpowering the senses.
Furnishings and accent pieces in
blond wood work together with
driftwood-inspired lamps and side
tables to give the room a sun-
bleached timelessness that typifies
beach house life. Roman shades in
a pattern that you might find in an
English country home lend an air of
sophistication, while the sea foam
colors of the upholstered furniture
and striped rug are immediately
associated with the sea. The
Moroccan-style leather ottoman
brings a subtle ethnic element into
the design scheme.
62 coastal modern
Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 62
minimal details,
simple forms
scandinavian design has been so influential on contemporary
interiors because not only is this style light, breezy, and easy to
incorporate, but also it works in concert with the natural world.
Gray serves as the best foundation for a color palette accented
with the lightness of blue, pale yellow, and blushy pink because it is
easier on the eyes than white, especially on blindingly sunny days or in
the glaring fog—conditions that coastal homes often see. The ceilings
are important in this palette as well and should receive as much
attention as other planes. They are often detailed with wood beams,
tongue-and-groove work, paneling, or wallpaper. The floors might
be painted driftwood gray or bleached free of all color and left to look
more natural. The minimal details and simple forms of the decor are
best placed on unvarnished wood floors, and the furniture is slightly
worn, or at least covered in fabrics that age well.
Fabric is mostly solid in color and made of natural materials.
Curtains should feature blown-up abstract patterns that are hand-
blocked on natural linen. I love using faded ticking stripe on furniture
as it gives a space a muted whimsy that lightens dark wintry days. I
look for rugs that are woven “sweater” wool, or jute and wool that
have been woven together for softness and durability, and for grid,
plaid, or stripe patterns. I upholster furnishings to also be simple and
functional with almost no detail, using mostly natural linen.
Scandia surf style features open storage, and therefore these
homes must be neat, clean, and orderly. Such an open plan facilitates
visual organization and saves time and effort—eliminating the need
to hunt through cupboards and drawers. These homes are sensibly
arranged; they are useful and full of life and purpose.
10/19/11 3:53 PM
Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 63 10/19/11 3:53 PM
 design in detail
sandyland
cove
Treating outdoor living spaces
with as much importance as the
indoors is part of a well-designed
coastal home. This outdoor “living
room” was painted in the same
family of gray found throughout
the indoor spaces, but the shade
is slightly more saturated. Colors
used outdoors should be within
the same palette as your indoor
scheme but more intense, as they
must compete with the sunlight.
These modern, simple wooden
furnishings are offset by bold
striping that feels almost like
something you would see on the
beach in St. Tropez. I intentionally
used horizontal stripes on the
couch and chairs to play off the
vertical details on the exterior
structure. Always have some
opposition in a space; even if it
isn’t immediately noticed, it creates
an emotional experience.
70 coastal modern
Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 70
a breathtaking location provided instant inspiration for
this beach house remodel. Situated just a few miles south of Santa
Barbara, California, this oceanfront home sits on one of the most
sought-after beaches in the area. Families that own homes here rarely
put them up for sale, making any residence that comes onto the
market a coveted item. When the family purchased the property, they
were planning on spending summers there, though their primary
residence is just up the coast and also very close to the beach.
Even before work had begun on the remodel, my initial
visit to the home provided a wealth of ideas. Though the house
and its surrounding property sit just a hundred feet from the sand,
its relationship to the changing tides and oceanfront weather is
immediate. Perhaps most striking is the dramatic play between the
ocean on one side and a protected salt marsh on the other. Viewed
from the living room, the ruddy, ever-changing, chaparral-covered
mountain range plays in visual concert with the crashing waves just
beyond the expanse of grass outside. This home is truly at one with
the nature that surrounds it, and it was my paramount concern to
make that relationship an integral part of the design scheme. I knew
immediately that the home was well suited for the breezy lightness
that typifies the Scandia surf style.
I spent several days walking the property, experiencing
changes in weather, light, and temperature so that I could seamlessly
weave the character of the land into the design. This holistic approach
allowed the home and its surroundings to reveal their unique
character to me, resulting in unexpected inspiration and design
direction.
At SandyLand, color revealed itself to me first: the sandy beach
tones were broken by the dramatic tar-covered rocks that cut the
coastline like giant chips of coal. This theatrical play between light and
dark is reflected in many of the color choices throughout the home,
including the rustic weathered charcoal gray floors and in the choice
of artwork throughout. These rich, dark, natural elements when
10/19/11 3:54 PM
Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 71 10/19/11 3:54 PM
Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 74 10/19/11 3:54 PM
 coupled with light tones inspired by the beach are very much in step
with the coastal homes found in Scandinavia, where an inky layer of
pine tar protects them from the elements.
The bulk of the home reflects a muted, monochromatic color
scheme. The dominant hues are pale and matte, only occasionally
broken up by dramatic splashes of orange—another color inspired
by the surrounding natural environment. In the first few days spent
on the property, I noticed how the oranges and reds of the mountain
foliage worked in concert with the muted, more subtle coral hues
on the underside of shells found littered along the beach. The use
of color as derived from the natural environment may not readily
create immediate connections to the surrounding area, but it ends
up subliminally connecting the interior spaces to the natural world
around the home. The people I design for often describe feeling
instantly comfortable but cannot immediately explain why; often I
find that these subtle references to the natural world are the cause.
The use of either recycled or local materials is an important
part of the Scandia surf aesthetic, and we used such materials readily
throughout this residence. For SandyLand Cove, I used locally sourced
items, including a collection of unfired Bauer pottery and small sea-
inspired objects made of shell and other naturally derived materials
to incorporate the local culture into the scheme as much as possible.
Using materials of this nature also created subliminal comfort in The kitchen has an expansive
the family and guests, as the design subtly referenced the world just plan and looks out into the rest
of the house. Open kitchens are
outside the door. my preferred style when creating
The interplay of nature and architecture is truly magical at a beach home—they foster lively
conversation and a sense of
SandyLand Cove and reminds me of those timeless coastal homes in togetherness. The frosted glass on
Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The natural setting, coupled with an the cabinets takes on the pale blue
of the rest of the room. Though the
ever-changing microclimate, creates a unique set of needs that makes stove and refrigerator are state of
for a truly special residence. the art, the cabinets have a vintage,
almost Cape Cod feel to them,
which nicely offsets the cold steel
of the fixtures.

scandia surf 75

Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 75 10/19/11 3:54 PM

Clar_9780307718785_3p_02_r1.indd 79 10/19/11 3:55 PM
Clar_9780307718785_3p_03_r1.indd 84 10/19/11 4:00 PM
 classic design
for everyday life

beach classic is the essence of a perfect New England

life. Think back to the days when the Kennedy mansion at Hyannis
Port was as much a part of the fabric of the American ideal as was the
White House. We all remember the images of those bright, happy days
when a large, successful American family laughed and roughhoused
under the crisp New England sun. Those days gave Americans hope
and embodied the possibility available to all of us. We imagined what it
would be like to live in that lovely Cape Cod–style home, surrounded
by a mixture of family heirlooms and furnishings that, while classic
and elegant, were very much in everyday use.
Similarly, beach classic homes may be grand affairs upon first
glance, soaring into the many thousands of square feet, but these living
spaces are always comfortable, ordered, and scaled for the day to day.
The design feels manageably human, and though intangible, you can
sense this quality the moment you walk in the door. These elegant
homes actually see use, wear, and life. Like a favorite pair of khakis
that has been in the wardrobe for years, great classic design transcends
fashion trends.
Furnishings may be traditional, giving homage to the past,
but I upholster them in materials and patterns with a fresh, modern
appeal. Beach classic homes focus on use and utility but never sacrifice opposite Rooms that see heavy
style or comfort for high design. Furnishings and objects often feature use, like this pool house, do well
with furniture that performs double
natural materials—untreated cotton and denim, bleached woods, and duty: these cabana striped couches
raw metals—all of which create comfort and ease when you enter the convert to beds in a snap.

spaces. Upholstery often consists of plain organic fabrics or simple, opening page This study is layered
elegant, bold prints that resemble “weekend clothes”—polo shirts or in natural materials: bamboo, hemp,
sea grass, and glass among them,
your favorite sundress that makes you think of unfettered summer giving it a comfortable, nautical
days spent in the warm sea breezes. feel that instantly transports.

beach classic 115

Clar_9780307718785_3p_04_r1.indd 115 10/27/11 2:27 PM

 luxurious materials
to touch and use

architectural details are crucial to this aesthetic:

carved moldings, rich hardwoods with hand-oiled finishes, and wide
reclaimed-plank wood floors. Elegant finishing touches like silver
doorknobs and platinum fixtures in the bathroom lend a soft patina.
The color palette is deeper and darker than what is traditionally seen
in the typical beach house. But the faded qualities keep these spaces
from feeling somber or dour. Each individual piece of furniture is
chosen for the subtlety and uniqueness of the design—a delicately
carved leg, a hand-applied decorative trim—which elevates it from the
everyday. These furnishings have a story to tell, whether it is the story
of an artisan who crafted the piece or of its journey through a family
opposite Though this room does
not have a view of the surrounding tree, and these stories create a sense of history that modern furniture
environs, the light colors and rough
simply can’t match.
textures give the room a distinctly
coastal feel. The mirror, with its Old-fashioned materials like vintage crocodile, fine leathers,
chalky matte finish and differently
velvets, and silks are used to enhance the sumptuous atmosphere, and
angled sunburst panels punches a
hole in the wall, creating a dance it is the tactile quality of these materials that prevents the rooms from
of light and shadow, effectively
becoming too formal. When utilizing these sorts of luxury materials,
opening up the room.
it’s best to find used, reclaimed, or recycled materials—even if you
following page, left Design, as
have to source them from an unexpected object like vintage luggage;
in life, benefits from consideration
of the bigger picture. The dark we don’t want to encourage the further decimation of endangered
painting in the bathroom creates a
animals or trees. Pieces in inherited ease homes have “good bones”
compelling focal point even for the
hallway, and when coupled with the and are begging to be touched and used—these homes are not stuffy
simple white molding, the rooms
museums. Sofas are elegant, but you lie down on them to watch TV.
look almost like a framed painting.
You can put your feet up on an antique coffee table and walk barefoot
following page, right A well-
on an antique rug. The materials are meant to last and age with you.
chosen landscape painting is a
window into another world. This
lovely piece hangs at the end of a
long hallway and instantly draws
you in.

164 coastal modern

Clar_9780307718785_3p_05_r1.indd 164 10/19/11 3:42 PM

 once you’ve begun to immerse

yourself in your home’s natural environment,

observing the surrounding colors, patterns,

textures, forms, and lines, you’ll be able to

visualize the important elements for your

home.

Natural materials are a powerful way

to connect a home to its location. Whenever

possible I use wood, stone, sand, water, and

weathered glass throughout a residence

because these materials imbue a project with

life in a way nothing else can. Elements drawn

from nature produce a calm atmosphere

that can be enriched by varying textures and

shades of indigo, black, and gray.

Clar_9780307718785_3p_06_r1.indd 182 10/27/11 2:35 PM

Clar_9780307718785_3p_06_r1.indd 183 10/27/11 2:35 PM
Clar_9780307718785_3p_06_r1.indd 185 10/27/11 2:36 PM
Clar_9780307718785_3p_06_r1.indd 192 10/27/11 2:37 PM