Have you ever wondered what is the difference between coastal and nautical home interiors? Are they just the same thing with a different name? The simple answer? Not really! While there are a lot of similarities, there are some key differences between the two. See below for more. 

The first major difference between the two home design themes is the colour palette. As we discussed in coastal decor must haves, coastal interiors have more of a softer colour palette, nautical is often more contrasting. A typical coastal interiors colour palette includes a lot of whites, timber, sage green and light blue. A nautical colour palette on the other hand is often navy, white and black (particularly those classic navy and white stripes). 

Coastal décor often will favour natural textures such as wicker and rattan. The colour palette and key styling pieces often create more of a softer neutral effect. Nautical on the other hand is quite contrasting with darker colours and often styled with more metal (e.g anchors) rather than natural textures. Rather than a light, airy feel, nautical styling will often give more of a cozy aesthetic. 

Now some interior designers will argue that you should aim to be more subtle and avoid too many statement pieces. At the end of the day, as the person you living in that space, if you love statement pieces and want to fill your space with them then I say go for it! Now, when you think coastal statement pieces you will often gravitate to the shells and items/artwork associated with ‘going to the beach’. Nautical statement pieces often include objects such as ships, anchors and ropes. Just remember, satement pieces are also not always necessary to create either the coastal or nautical aesthetic. This can be done through colours and feeling rather than being so explicit. 

If you love your space, then so what! At the end of the day, you never have to be married to just one style in your home. Your home should be a representation of the people who live there and the feelings you want to emulate while in your own space. If this means a combination of both nautical and coastal design (and you love it!) then I wouldn’t change a thing!

Which style do you prefer? Nautical or coastal?