I'm not an expert but I do live on the coast. IMHO, there's more than one way to accomplish the coastal look and feel and still have it be appropriate. I personally prefer touches of darker furniture and/or accents to add some contrast and grounding to all the 'floatiness' of the typical whites and light blues. As far as espresso furniture goes it seems to be a more recent trend, which may explain why it wasn't common years ago in coastal decor, but I'm definitely seeing it used as an evolving, updated version of coastal decor in the PNW. I personally have an espresso dining table and chairs...I'll be adding short, white slipcovers to the chairs for our 'summer' look, and I think it looks great with white slip-covered sofas and white kitchen in our great room. We have a few other elements that tie in the contrast and it all just works. The photo and link below give at least a rough idea of what some darker elements can do for the coastal look for those who prefer it... From Coastal Living: Here is a link that might be useful: Morgan Harrison Home--5 or 6 photos in all

aktillery9 Thanks for the color inspiration! I love the idea of adding in a fresh color (after all, my entire house can't be white, cream, and blue!), and green is an unexpected yet beautiful choice. (And thanks for including a picture-- it's such a great example of how dark, traditional furniture can be paired with the right items/colors to produce a fresh look! I'd definitely like to do something similar in my space!) suzyq53 Thanks for the feedback. Your comment made me realize that my plea for help might not have been clear-- I definitely don't want a casual beach bungalow look. Ultimately the rooms will be formal spaces, and I'm happy with a more formal, traditional-leaning look... but I do want it to have subtle coastal references, through texture, color, etc. I continue to hope that there's a way to bring "coastal" and "traditional" together in a unique, beautiful way. ARBA Studios I'm mulling over the idea of adding shiplap or something similar to the wall around the fireplace. You're right-- it's not a huge area, so I don't think that it would be a costly change, and it might be a nice way to pull the room from traditional to coastal. Thanks for the inspiration pic! ingrid_vc so. CA zone 9 I agree! BIG rugs are definitely the way to go. I think that once rugs are added, the room will feel much more inviting. And I agree, everything that's currently on/above the mantle needs to be changed, and the dining table is screaming for something beautiful in the center. celerygirl I'm on the hunt for a wicker tray similar to the one in your picture. I think that the texture will be a nice touch, and with the right decor pieces placed on top, I think that it will go a long way to pulling the room together. Please keep the feedback coming, everyone! And if you have specific ideas for items that would look great in my space, that would be much appreciated!

Honestly I ditched any sort of gray or grayed lavender in my lower light rooms and went with a beautiful coral - BM 2170-60 Sunlit Coral. It’s muted and complex enough to not be sherbet colored, but warm and inviting and goes beautifully with my other rooms. https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/2170-60/sunlit-coral?color=2170-60 There are so many beautiful home colors that aren’t gray, especially for north facing rooms.

You can use the darker shades for your windows, to coordinate with your table, but I think they look too heavy for your sliders. I'd use a very light linen type sheer drape that matches your wall color on the sliders, stacked to the right of the door. It will soften the space when open. You can use a dark rod for the drapes to tie the two window areas together. Or consider using drapes on the sliders with a lighter colored roman shade on the windows that blends with the wall.