Interior Design Monmouth Beach, NJ

Monmouth Beach, New Jersey Interior Design

This open-center home sits mere steps away from the ocean at Monmouth Beach. From the outside one sees an old country cottage paired with an expansive backyard, garden and carriage house. The garden in particular felt empty and in need of outdoor furniture, though had a nice mix of grassy areas and larger gravel walkways.

Heading inside for the first time, we were struck by the sparse dining room and how wide open the rectangular center felt. A sitting room situated between the living room and dining / kitchen area could only be described as strange and misplaced, while a small nearby sunroom had four entry / exit points, making the rectangular space difficult to use. The master bedroom at least had richly dark wooden floors, but needed more work to really feel cozy.

We decided to start with the central living space and work outwards. Our first goal was to create two separate areas, a cooler lounging area and a softer reading space. An indigo sectional became our transitional room divider, and we upgraded the lounging area with a rustic coffee table, simple window treatments and some coastal artwork. In the other area, we joined benches to the existing built-in bookcase and added blue and green pillows, two modern swivel chairs and a gray and blue area rug.

In the dining room we set a carved buffet table with a white wash finish against the main wall, which was completed with a wood and white composite mirror. A dark gray beaded chandelier with intentionally altered colors was added to convey the home's coastal themes.

We wanted the sitting room to become its own private nook, so we fit in two neutral-tone lounge chairs each paired with a coastal bench. A round mango wood cocktail table now sits between them, and we hung up another light blue beaded chandelier and some matching artwork.

Our plan to touch up the master bedroom started with finding a light gray upholstered bed with small tufting details. Two unobtrusive nightstands with wooden bases flank the bed and have matching indigo blue glazed table lamps. We added a simple chaise lounge with feather down cushions in one corner, which we then paired with a blue rattan side table, and the opposite corner now has a beach-style barrel chair with a rattan back. Breezy black window treatments with blue accent pillows and three pieces of coastal artwork on the walls finished the room.

Working within the sunroom's constraints, we found a concrete circular cocktail table with geometric edges for the very center and added four indigo swivel lounge chairs. An aluminum bistro table along one side gives anyone sitting at its two gray woven chairs a place to sip morning coffee or evening wine. We barely managed to fit in two area rugs and a collection of plants and lights to make this space feel like both an indoor and outdoor sanctuary.

Finally we had to give one of the outdoor gravel spaces a classic teak dining table with mid-century woven chairs. The existing flowers and trees give the garden area a private feel, almost an extension of the sunroom and matching the home's freshly coastal vibes. All of the grays, whites and blues we used throughout match the sea's colors, as if this beautiful home were part of the nearby ocean.

What the Client Had To Say:

I found Lisa on Houzz and hired her to help me with a few rooms in our new beach house. I had somewhat of a vision. She asked lots of questions and really listened and the result is beyond what we ever imagined, an absolute dream. She has an amazing talent for design and I can’t wait to work with her on more projects.

M. Gola