A Summer Home Tour of Our 1920s Beach Cottage (Part 1)
Looking for easy and charming ways to decorate your home for summer? Welcome to our 1920s beach cottage, where relaxed coastal style and vintage finds come together for the perfect seasonal refresh.
In this post, I’ll take you on part one of our summer home tour and share simple decorating ideas to bring that breezy, beachy vibe into your own space.
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Life at the Beach in Summer
Summer is hands-down my favorite season, and living on the Puget Sound makes it even better.
If you’re not familiar with this body of water, it’s basically a sound in the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea.
Whether we’re kayaking, swimming, or dining al fresco in the garden, this time of year is all about slowing down and soaking in the sunshine.
I also get to enjoy the rewards of my cut flower garden, which I start planning way back in January.
But for now, before the blooms really get going, I’m pulling in early summer color with a mix of faux flowers and fragrant Trader Joe’s finds.
A Peek Inside Our Coastal Cottage Living Room
We’ve spent the last decade lovingly renovating our little 1920 beach cottage from top to bottom.
When you walk through the front door, there’s no formal entryway—just a cozy view right into the heart of our home. And while I try to keep things clutter-free, that can be a challenge in a 1,600-square-foot house!
This summer, I’ve kept the decor casual and simple. There’s so much to enjoy outdoors this time of year that I like to keep things low-maintenance inside, too.
SHOP VINTAGE OARS
Easy Summer Decorating Ideas
Here are a few go-to ways I refresh our space each summer:
SHOP BEACH HOUSE PILLOWS
SHOP BLUE AND WHITE PILLOWS
Flowers, Greenery & Faux Finds
Even though my garden isn’t quite blooming yet, I always like to keep flowers on display inside.
June can be a tricky in-between month in the PNW garden, so I rely on faux blooms and store-bought stems to fill the gap.
And here’s my little confession: most of the greenery you’ll see on our coffee table is faux. While I LOVE gardening outdoors, houseplants just don’t seem to thrive under my care (and I’m terrible at remembering to water them!).
But with so many beautiful faux options now, I’ve learned to embrace the low-maintenance route indoors.
Lavender and geranium plants are always a great choice for your summer decor.
Mixing Vintage and Coastal Style
I’m always drawn to vintage pieces, and the cabinet in our living room is one of my absolute favorites. It does tend to fill up quickly, but it’s the only real display space I have, so I make the most of it.
I also added a few seasonal touches like citrus and lavender-scented candles from Antique Candle Co. They instantly make the space feel more summery.
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SHOP NEUTRAL AREA RUGS
Opening Up the Kitchen
One of the biggest transformations in our cottage was removing the wall that used to separate the living room and kitchen. Now the space flows so much better, and the vintage corbels and columns we added to the opening give it extra charm.
You can see the front door peeking out near the “bakery” sign—right where our tour began.
We don’t have a traditional entryway, but we’ve made the most of the space with clever storage. The vintage gray glass cabinet holds all our blankets and quilts since closet space is limited. (Yes, our “linen closet” lives in the living room!)
Thanks so much for coming along on this summer tour. I’d love to hear what you think or how you’re decorating your own home this season—drop a comment below!
Until next time,
Happy Decorating!
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Your garden and home is just stunning! You have such a green thumb! It’s so summer! It’s got to be so relaxing sitting out there enjoying the water.
I always love when you share views of the water. So magical! And you’ve decorated so beautifully for summer. From the blues and whites to all the relaxed coastal touches, it’s all so pretty and welcoming! Thanks for sharing your wonderful home with us all!
Shelley
So many gorgeous and inspirational ideas! I adore your two fur boys. It’s truly a joy to be on tour with you!
Kim your home looks beautiful! Love all the gorgeous summer vibes!
*Correction: Neither one of us “has.”
Still in teacher mode… haha
It’s funny how we are both avid gardeners…(literally obsessed with gardening) and neither one of us have indoor plants! I can’t have them because the soil often grows mold and I am highly allergic to it. I am okay in the garden on drier days but have to be careful after a lot of rain and in shade gardens. Indoors I just can’t risk it. Anyway, I am with you on using the faux plants indoors. They have come a long way. You might have noticed that faux pothos in my kitchen corner. I actually think I love it more than a real plant because it is beautiful and I don’t have to worry about it. I have enough plant babies outside that need constant care!
Okay now to the good stuff. I. LOVE. YOUR. HOME! Everytime I “come over” I become more attached. I am a beach girl at heart and am looking forward to having my own coastal cottage within the next ten year span. I love how your home has all the vintage goodies and cottage character but with just enough coastal vibes to authenticallly tie in to your surroundings without being “beach themed.”
Great choice to open up that wall! It all looks great. Can’t wait to see your kitchen and garden in a few weeks!
*Correction: Neither one of us “has.”
Still in teacher mode… haha
Your garden and view are absolutely breathtaking! I definitely understand why you love summer so much! All of your summer touches in your home are beautiful too. Thanks for sharing!
Kim,
You summer beach cottage tour is so stunning. Everything so fresh and relaxing.
I always love stopping by and taking a look around your cottage, Kim! Your home is so inviting and I love how intentional your decorating is: everything has a purpose and reason. An outdoor dinner on your deck looks absolutely amazing! So happy to be touring together this week. Happy Summer!
Thank you for the kind words, Anne. It means a lot. I always enjoy doing these tours together.
Now that I’ve picked my jaw up off of the floor, I can leave a comment. WOWZA! I’ve always loved your cottage and drool over each photo. This year with the new pieces and super colorful surroundings, I’m overwhelmed with smiles. Everything is fantastic. What a dream life. And I’m totally jealous of your green thumb. So glad to have seen this and toured with you today. JUST AHHHHMAZING!
You are just the sweetest Cindy. I can’t tell you how much your kind comments mean to me. Thank you so much for making my day.
I am blown away by this home! What a dreamy place to spend time in – that water view is incredible…one day I hope to have a home on the water too. I absolutely love your styling and the welcoming feel in every detail!
Thank you so much, Tamara! We pinch ourselves every day when we see this water view. Summer is always so much fun when we can be out there more. It was so nice to “meet” you this week. You have such a beautiful home.
Everything about your home is beautiful, Kim! I love the corbels and vintage columns you added to the kitchen divide last year and all of your vintage furniture pieces. Ollie and Jax are such sweeties, I’m sure they enjoy that spot on the window seat. I’m looking forward to seeing your famous garden in all its glory soon! Thanks for the tour, have a lovely weekend!
Hi Jayne! Thank you so much. I’m really happy with how the columns and corbels turned out as well. I am impatiently waiting for the summer blooms as well. They can’t come fast enough. Happy summer sweet friend.
Your home is amazing and your gardens are truly legendary. I have enjoyed seeing them for years. I loved the tour inside your living room, such an inviting space filled with some lovely antiques. You have created such a warm and welcoming home. Thanks so much for joining the tour this season, your home is a delight to tour.
I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity to join all of these talented ladies on your tour, Marty. I have had such a great time and met SO MANY new bloggers here this week. Thank you for the kind words. Happy summer!
Oh Kim your house is my dream! That view and the flower garden. I’ve always wanted to live by the water. I too like to garden but most of my garden is shade, so I love seeing a beautiful sunny flower garden. Also loving the inside of your home. So cozy, collected and pretty! I really enjoyed your beautiful tour.
Thank you for the kind words, Julia. Our backyard is all shade and on a hill so we have a very unique situation of having the garden, greenhouse, and deck all in the front yard. But luckily it all works. I’m so glad I got the opportunity to be on the tour with you this week. Happy summer!
Talk about Charm with a capital C….dang! This is so incredibly dreamy, Kim. So happy to “meet” you, and I would be honored for you to share my home. 🙂
Thank you, Erica! I can’t tell you how much I loved your gorgeous home. Can’t wait to follow your blog going forward.
Kim, what a gorgeous home you have??? How you have incorporated the costal feel is very naturally authentic – if that makes sense☺️ There’s so much to love, and I can’t wait to see your kitchen??
Thank you, Anita. I really appreciate it. Looking forward to following your blog this summer.