Coastal Auntie has joined the chat and joined the interior design family tree. Like most aesthetic movements, this is a design style born out of social media and making waves in interior design.
Trending on TikTok and Pinterest right now, this fresh and youthful take on the popular Coastal Grandmother style embodies the breezy, relaxed vibe of coastal living, but with a cooler, more modern twist. Think sun-drenched, ultra-relaxed spaces with colors inspired by the sea and sand—with a slightly playful twist.
Ultimately, Coastal Auntie’s aesthetic is perfect for those who crave the tranquility of the coast but prefer a less traditional and more contemporary vibe. Here’s why we love it so much.
What is the aesthetic of the coastal aunt?
(Photo credit: Sarah Bartholomew Design / Photography John Merkl)
According to TikTok creator Italia Sofia, who coined the term, the Coastal Auntie is “the perfect mix of a cool single aunt and a coastal grandmother. She has your grandmother’s closet, but somehow she looks like she just walked out of a ’90s J.Crew catalog.”
“She hosts dinner parties and is effortlessly cool. She’s a living Nancy Meyers character.” Taking cues from Nancy Meyers’s houses on movie sets, Coastal Auntie’s house feels collected and unique to the person who lives in it, and by no means perfectly curated. It’s lived in and well-loved.
“It looks like the Coastal Grandmother style is here to stay. But like many ‘viral’ interior design styles, we’ll see changes and evolutions. That’s where Coastal Auntie comes in,” says interior designer Kathy Kuo.
“Similar to Grandmillennial decor, Coastal Auntie is all about adding a youthful twist to an already popular look,” she explains. “You’ll still see plenty of woven materials, calming ocean-inspired colors, and subtly luxe accent pieces, but also expect eclectic pops of color, cleaner silhouettes, and brighter and bolder patterns borrowed from ‘preppy’ culture.”
How to design a coastal style aunt house
(Image credit: Neptune)
Creating the feel of a relaxed beach house involves creating spaces that feel inviting and warm, but still on-trend and current. It’s the perfect balance between relaxed and sophisticated – which is pretty hard to imitate. But we’ve done our best below.
1. Keep coastal references to a minimum
(Photo credit: Alexandra Kaehler Design / Photography Aimée Mazzenga)
We’ve mentioned this before, but if you’re looking for advice on how to properly decorate a beach house, the most common mistake we see with coastal decorating is that people overdo it and take the theme too literally.
Try to take a more restrained approach when incorporating references to the sea, whether your home Is actually by the sea. It’s easy to overdo it, so set some rules, like one seashell per room. Or give your nautical stripes a contemporary twist with a muted color scheme.
Focus on textures and colors that evoke the coast rather than relying on obvious motifs. For example, using sandy beiges, weathered wood, and soft blues can subtly reference the coast without overwhelming the space. The coastal aunt’s house should hint at the sea rather than shout it out.
Shell-shaped centerpiece made of artificial marble
These giant clam shells are so popular on Instagram and for good reason. Place them on your kitchen island as a fruit bowl, as a coffee table accessory, or in the bathroom.
Mounted on a hand-wound linen mat, this distressed painting, September in Kalamata, features a tonal color palette and conveys the moody atmosphere of a stormy coast.
Whether you use this rope style doorstop for its intended purpose or as a decorative element on a shelf, Serena & Lily’s nautical doorstop is beautifully wrapped around a cement ball and weatherproof for the porch.
2. Start with neutral colors and add a touch of blue
(Image credit: Neptune)
The hallmark of an elegant coastal space is largely about starting with a base of neutrals and then layering colors, textures and prints.
Decorating with neutral colors like white, beige, gray, and greige tones serves as the perfect foundation for a room—think of it like the plain white t-shirt in your closet. Combined with subtle blues, wood tones, and woven accents, it creates a space that feels calm, unified, and effortlessly elegant.
Make sure your wall art, upholstery, and painted accents like doors or woodwork add pops of color rather than flooding an entire room with it. This doesn’t mean you have to stick to a minimalist scheme—quite the opposite, in fact.
3. Set contemporary accents
(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)
What sets the Coastal Auntie apart from more traditional coastal design styles is its preference for more modern materials, moods and décor.
Take the coastal kitchen above, for example. Thanks to the wainscoting and soft blue tones, you can imagine it being somewhere near the coast. What makes this space unique, however, is the use of stainless steel and chrome accents. But it doesn’t have to be done with just metals.
TikToker Taylor Simon makes a great argument for why you should add black to any room. When using elements of contemporary decor, it’s all about finding balance. It’s about adding pieces that stand out but also complement the existing decor so it doesn’t look too overpowering.
Sophie Lou Jacobsen + Etagere Spiral Set with eight nickel-plated coasters
A great example of a subtle contemporary touch, these nickel-plated aluminum coasters are designed in a swirl shape reminiscent of ocean swirls, adding a personal touch to your dining table.
Playful and shapely, McGee & Co’s Brass Tulip Shell is crafted from brass with a shimmering polished nickel finish, adding a nautical flair to decorative vignettes from built-in shelves to entryway consoles.
Hunting Season Set of Four Striped Cotton Cocktail Napkins
Coastal decor embraces stripes like no other. These cocktail napkins designed by Hunting Season are perfect for entertaining friends by the sea. Just add chrome ice cream cups.
4. But also some rustic moments
(Image credit: Little Greene)
The key is to also incorporate some weathered, rustic pieces with a slightly antiqued touch. Combining contemporary pieces with rustic accents in a coastal aesthetic creates a layered and inviting interior design style.
Interior designer Benji Lewis says: “Veiled and painted antique furniture works well with the Coastal Auntie look. The mood is pretty and timeless, not overbearing or formal,” he suggests. “Lay sheepskin rugs on the patio for stargazing in the last hours of the evening.”
These found or used pieces don’t have to make a big statement and can be as understated as a mirror, a wooden mantel, a distressed leather armchair, a much-loved vintage rug or a set of woven baskets to give the room a more homey and inviting feel.
5. Don’t lose the desire to make everything look perfect
(Photo credit: Sarah Barholomew Design / Photography John Merkl)
The Coastal Auntie also loves collecting memories and curated moments in her home. Shift your mindset from creating spaces that need to be carefully arranged and immaculately designed and instead take a more relaxed, authentic approach.
Consider using mementos and trinkets from your travels as wall hangings or decorative additions to your vignettes. If they’re from trips to the seaside, bonus points. Perfection can often feel sterile. What really makes a room special are the little quirks, the mismatched items, and the layers of personality that tell a story.
This may mean mixing different styles (such as modern and rustic), incorporating handmade items, or allowing a little asymmetry and clutter in the arrangement of furniture and decor. A home should reflect the people who live in it, and people aren’t perfect.
At Coastal Auntie, casual meets chic, it’s the best of both worlds: traditional coastal decor with a fresh, modern outlook.
This design trend embraces the popular comfort and style of coastal living and mixes it with a youthful twist. Think rustic pieces mixed with modern accents, soft linens, an even softer color palette, and a touch of whimsy that keeps the space from feeling too formal or over the top.
