8 must-have buys for homes by the sea
Ahoy me hearties! If you are lucky enough to live on the coast, be sure to deck out your home with some of these nautically themed treasures

Get your home ship shape for summer with these coastal-themed buys. Even if you don't live by the sea, you can still be inspired by their timeless look.
1. Tea by the sea
There’s something very mid century about the graphics and colours of these cute Magpie mugs. They’re shown here in four designs from the Ahoy! range – Anchors, Lighthouse, Sailboats and Fish – but there are also Narwhals, Octopuses, Whales and Lobsters.
They cost £8.50 each, with plates, coasters, tea towels and even phone cases to match. We also love the co-ordinating tea trays, £16 each.
2. Quench your thirst…
…for seaside style with this elegant carafe, £20, and hi-ball glass, £6, both Linea range, House Of Fraser.
3. Seaside seat
The deckchair has to be the ultimate symbol of the British seaside, and we could easily see this authentic beech-and-canvas design from Idyll Home on the sands of Skegness or Southbourne. But you don’t have to take it to the beach – just put it in the garden, pop a knotted hankie on your head and catch a few rays, like your nan used to.
The Rocking Deck Chair (Stripey) costs £70.
4. Star sign
A quirky sign is another mainstay of The Coastal Home TM. You could go for the mildly subversive ‘Life’s a Beach’, the recluse’s favourite ‘Gone Fishin’, or, if you’re after a more tropical vibe, this pretty Tropics garden sign, £3, Tesco Direct.
It’s available in store and online very soon!
5. Going soft
Cushions are a great way to introduce a subtle coastal theme, and we love the new Shoreline designs from Joules, from £24.95 each. You can buy them now from Joules’s new Beside the Seaside concept store in sunny Southwold, and they’ll be available online from the end of April.
6. Shining example
Very’s Fisherman easy-fit pendant in Chrome would look the part suspended above a coastal kitchen table, or maybe in a hallway or downstairs loo. It’s a steal at just £29, and also comes in a black or cream finish.
7. Hit the hut
Did you know that a beach hut on Mudeford Spit, Dorset went on sale last year for £270,000? If that’s out of your budget, make do with this cheery Contour Beside the Seaside’wallpaper in patriotic red, white and blue by Graham & Brown. It’s £15 per roll from Debenhams.
8. Drop anchor
Not since Popeye have anchor motifs been so cool – this ceramic chrome ornament is from Next, costs £10 and is 28cm high. Pop it on a shelf or window ledge for a beach-house look.
Love the coastal look? Discover more nautical buys here!
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Amy Cutmore is an experienced interiors editor and writer, who has worked on titles including Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, GardeningEtc, Top Ten Reviews and Country Life. And she's a winner of the PPA's Digital Content Leader of the Year. A homes journalist for two decades, she has a strong background in technology and appliances, and has a small portfolio of rental properties, so can offer advice to renters and rentees, alike.
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