Decorating a beach house seems easy enough, right?

Anchors practically adorn every item in the store these days anyway, so why not just buy a bunch of anchor decor, and, well, anchor’s away!

The problem with this strategy, as you know if you’ve ever decorated a beach house, is that it can quickly become tacky. There’s a just-right balance between paying homage to the beautiful coast without making it seem like a Mermaid threw up on the place.

Given this common beach house decoration conundrum, we have compiled a list of strategies to help you toe the fine line between coastal and tacky.

1- Avoid an overall beach theme

The easiest way to verge on the side of “tacky” is by centering your entire beach home around the “beach” theme. We are not saying that your home should be completely detached from its beach surroundings. Indeed, most of our tips involve bringing the beach into your home. However, accents represent the better way to do this instead of an overarching sea theme.

If you still want cohesion in your home, consider a color scheme for rooms or purchasing a furniture set that was built to be uniform.

2- Choose colors inspired by the beach

Choosing colors inspired by your beach surroundings is one of the easiest ways to decorate a coastal home. Take a walk outside and see what colors stand out the most. Perhaps it’s the vibrant cerulean of the sea, or the muted orange of the sky at sunset. Maybe it’s the speckled white and brown of the sand beneath your feet.

Use your surroundings as the color palate — not just for your walls, but also for your kitchenware, your bedspreads, and your light fixtures.

3- Add weathered or reclaimed wood

Using wood strategically can add a great deal of warmth to your beach home. Driftwood, in particular, achieves a beachy feel and has versatile uses. If you don’t want an entire wall of wood, add a driftwood table, nightstand, headboard, or bookshelf to the space.

4- Install hardwood flooring

This tip is less about bringing the beach in and more about keeping it out! Carpet and sand can be a nightmare combination, so you might want to splurge for hardwood flooring. Not only does hardwood match a beach house vibe perfectly, but it is also extremely practical for cleaning.

5- Make personalized art a focal point

Adding personalized art is an excellent touch for your beach home. It represents the beach, but it doesn’t overpower the room.

Especially because you will probably invite guests to your beach home, we recommend a personalized art “welcome” sign with your family’s name on it. This will invite guests into your beach home and add a maritime flair.

Personalized art that has a wooden aesthetic can also be an easier, more affordable way to include a driftwood accent. Sunset Walk achieves this lovely look, as does our classic American Flag print.

For more ideas, browse our Beach House personalized art collection from Personal-Prints! Order online today before your next trip to the shore.