Summer House Tour: Rustic Cottage Decor for a Beach House

In this post: Looking for warm weather decorating ideas? Be inspired by this summer house tour featuring rustic cottage decor for a beach house.⇒

I’m not typically a rental house girl.

I love a good amenity-filled hotel with the big lobby sofas, central bar and convenience store attached. Want room service? Call 24 hours a day. Want a selection of pools and a beach on the premises? Yes, please! Need restaurant recommendations? Just head to the concierge desk.

Yep. I’ve never been one to seek out accommodations with a kitchen and laundry room, because I have no intention of doing the laundry or cooking dinner when I’m on vacation.

But a recent experience, which I’d go so far as to call magical, changed all of that.

Rustic Beach Cottage

Ok, it helps that the weather was absolutely perfect and the coastal destination was rimmed with pristine beaches. But we were also entranced by a lovely beach cottage that we got to call home for an extended weekend.

We were in Australia, visiting our daughter and her fiancée, who had taken care of selecting our weekend accommodation. They chose the spacious home for its convenient location, as well as its rustic elegance, which they knew I’d love.

Today I’m sharing a tour of this delightful Byron Bay home, which reflects the character of a beach community that’s equal parts country and coastal charm.

The Living Areas

The cottage is fronted by a lush and private yard, with tropical plantings that are common to the area. A covered veranda invites you to the welcoming pink door, a color choice that reveals the tranquil attitude of the home beyond.

Stepping in, you find an open concept living space, that’s light and airy and overflowing with charm. It’s in large part a mix of white and natural elements, but occasionally you’ll find accents mirroring the blush pink door.

The living room, above, is both relaxed and cozy, while embodying the style I’d call rustic chic. The white walls, high ceilings and ample walk space add to the uncluttered, breezy feel, while natural elements like rattan chairs, bamboo seating and woven wall hangings offer an updated look.

In the dining area, a whitewashed farm table and painted windsor chairs convey a note of country style, with bench seating on the other side of the table. The rattan pendant lights keep things looking current, while lending plenty of light. Hints of subtle color can be found on the velvet chair pads.

In a corner by the doors that lead to a side patio, a space is carved out for doing office work. A sweet little desk with a distressed vintage appeal provides a place to type or read, surrounded by additional natural woven pieces, from lampshade to wastebasket, and a jute rug nearby.

A rustic bookcase lends a bit of storage, but maintains the light weatherbeaten feel.

The simple kitchen is all white with open upper cabinets for a fresh and airy look, particularly important given this is one of the darker areas in the home.

Wide plank wood floors with a natural finish warm up the space, and the lovely rug by the sink adds yet another shot of blush pink.

The Smeg refrigerator acts as a stylish focal point.

Sandwiched between the kitchen and the office nook there are glass front double doors that lead to a private side terrace. The tiny patio is a sun-filled bonus space with greenery and a few bistro chairs. It’s a great spot to sit with your morning coffee or a book.

The Private Spaces

As in many beach houses, emanating from the open living spaces, you’ll find several similarly sized bedrooms. Like the living room, the first is blessed with high ceilings, white walls and wide plank wood floors, all contributing to the rustic chic appeal.

The bedding is comprised of white linen sheets, beige cotton pillow shams, and an infusion of color supplied by a cinnamon duvet cover. The ever-present blush pink accent can be found here, too, in the form of an end-of-bed throw. A tapestry pillow ties it all together.

Crisp white towels are presented for each guest.

The largest bath, in fact the only bath inside the house, is both bath and laundry room. It’s a simple white space with small ceramic tiles on all the surfaces, for a clean appealing look. A large plant adds to the organic feel.

A second bedroom mirrors the spirit of the first, but flips the colors, with a blush duvet and spice-toned throw blanket. White sheets and towels are crisp and tidy, playing off the white metal bed frame. The wall hangings are once again organic and work well with the light wood side tables.

A little surprise on this side of the house is a utility room, with cabinet and sink, that has sliding glass doors and wispy linen drapery panels, that lead to…

an outdoor bathroom!

I can’t imagine anything that says ‘beach house’ as much as an outdoor bath, with shiplap walls, cotton curtain and white shutters. I will admit, I have no idea if this bath had a door because I never used it, but I think the shower curtain was in charge of providing privacy.

Bedroom number three, on the other side of the house, is outfitted with lovely soft linens and petite light wood tables. This time the duvet is an oxford striped linen, with khaki pillow shams and a chocolate throw blanket. The peaceful tones are quite soothing, with the rust tapestry accent pillow adding the only pop of color.

The final bedroom is equipped with twin beds and a small two drawer nightstand. Chests are limited in all the bedrooms, as they each include large double closets to store your things.

The framed photo on the wall is from a local photographer, featuring a nearby beach, and the cerulean blue pillows mirror the sea in the image.

The entire home pays homage to the surrounding locale, with its relaxed, chill attitude and its reverence for nature. This helped ensure an enchanting weekend, filled with love, laughter and the utmost of tranquility.

Have you visited the Designthusiasm shop? Click below to shop my favorites, my Instagram and my Amazon shop. Enjoy!!