Sand and Surf Inspire Look of New Great Room With Pacific Views
A designer renovates a coastal California living space to highlight its amazing views and create a chic beach vibe
The old fireplace was located in the center of the wall of windows, breaking up the view. To change the focus of the room, Nelson added a new gas fireplace along a side wall and a new floor-to-ceiling picture window in the center of the wall facing the ocean. “Now when you walk up the stairs from the front entry, your eye is drawn to these incredible views of the Pacific,” she says.
To create more seating and storage, Nelson designed built-in bench seating that runs along the bottom of the windows and wraps around the corner. Pullout shelves underneath the bench cushions provide storage for board games and blankets.
Nelson added new oak floors stained in a light tone to match the color of the sand. “This way when the family drags sand in from the beach, it blends with the floor,” the designer says.
To create more seating and storage, Nelson designed built-in bench seating that runs along the bottom of the windows and wraps around the corner. Pullout shelves underneath the bench cushions provide storage for board games and blankets.
Nelson added new oak floors stained in a light tone to match the color of the sand. “This way when the family drags sand in from the beach, it blends with the floor,” the designer says.
The new fireplace surround is covered in a graphic hand-painted terra-cotta tile. “The room has mostly solid neutrals, but I wanted one feature to add some subtle pattern to the space,” Nelson says. “The tiles add that little punch.”
The rope artwork above the fireplace is a commissioned piece by artist Windy Chien — it provides more of that chic beach vibe the homeowners craved. The walls in the great room are painted plywood rather than drywall. “The old space had painted plywood walls and my clients love them, so we kept the look for the remodel,” Nelson says.
The rope artwork above the fireplace is a commissioned piece by artist Windy Chien — it provides more of that chic beach vibe the homeowners craved. The walls in the great room are painted plywood rather than drywall. “The old space had painted plywood walls and my clients love them, so we kept the look for the remodel,” Nelson says.
The dining area features a custom table made of reclaimed wood, surrounded by five painted wood chairs and a built-in banquette. “We wanted a rugged table that could handle an active family and didn’t require place mats or coasters,” Nelson says. The chandelier is made of blown glass in a light blue selected to match the color of the sea.
Shop for beach-style chandeliers
Shop for beach-style chandeliers
The back of the dining banquette is whitewashed oak; it serves as a credenza for the dining area and a console table for the entryway. “When you walk up the stairs from the front door, you can see the wall of glass and ocean above the credenza, but it still helps to delineate the space,” Nelson says.
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More on Houzz
How to Create the Mood of a Laid-Back Beach House
10 Reasons to Love Banquettes (Not Just in the Kitchen)
Find interior designers
Shop for living room furniture
Great Room at a Glance
Who lives here: This room is in a vacation home for a young family with three kids
Location: Stinson Beach, California
Size: About 600 square feet (56 square meters)
Designer: Lauren Nelson Design
For the last few years, this San Francisco family had been spending most of its weekends driving up the coast to Stinson Beach to surf, paddleboard and collect shells. When a property located right on the beach came up for sale, they didn’t hesitate to jump on it. The homeowners then reached out to designer Lauren Nelson to remodel the home’s great room.
Nelson relocated the fireplace to a side wall to create one large wall of glass overlooking the Pacific Ocean. From there, she worked to draw in the colors and beach vibe beyond the windows to inside the home.
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