Bringing Coastal Style to Your Kitchen & Bathroom

Transforming a home into a seaside-inspired retreat doesn’t require a literal beachfront location, just the right approach to materials, finishes and fixtures. In Australia, the coastal style has emerged as one of the most enduring and flexible design investments: fresh, relaxed and elegant.

Here’s how you can bring that “beach house at home” vibe into your kitchen and bathroom, with a focus on meaningful fixtures that elevate the aesthetic and the experience.

Anchor with Natural Materials & Light

Coastal design loves lightness: think abundant natural light, open layouts, and airy spaces. In both kitchen and bath, the foundation is often built from neutral colours (whites, soft greys, sandy tones) and natural textures (timber, stone, linen).

For example, choosing a pristine white undermount sink like the Franke Maris Granite Single-Bowl is more than just a kitchen upgrade, it sets the tone for a bright, breezy workspace. Its clean, crisp surface pairs beautifully with timber benchtops or light stone, and visually gives you the feeling of surfside freshness.

Combine that with large windows or open plan layouts, and your kitchen can channel the easy-going rhythm of coastal living, even in metropolitan Melbourne.

Warm Metallics that Read like Sand & Sun

Coastal style doesn’t mean you must always lean blue & white. The modern coastal palette has broadened to include warm metallics, particularly brushed golds and brass-tones, which evoke sun-lit shores and weathered beach hardware. In fact, designers point out that “warm, natural finishes” are a key feature of modern coastal interiors.

In the bathroom, the Phoenix Gloss MKII Wall Shower System in Brushed Gold becomes a statement piece. Its finish gleams softly under ambient light, like sunlight on gentle waves. Pair it with pale tiles or white carriage-house details, and you get a feeling of relaxed opulence.

Similarly in the kitchen, the Franke Eos Neo Pull-Out Tap in Gold introduces a rich accent that balances the neutral base. Gold fixtures against white or light-toned surfaces give you a subtle hint of luxury, reminiscent of polished beach stones or driftwood hardware aged by sun and salt.

Clean Lines, Curves & Understated Elegance

Coastal design thrives when the architecture is simple, open and unpretentious. Too many ornate details or heavy mouldings can interrupt the relaxed flow.

Take the Phoenix Vivid Slimline Basin Mixer with Curved Outlet & Extended Lever in Brushed Gold. Its clean silhouette and gentle curve reflect the subtle movement of water without over-designing the fixture. Mounted above a raised basin in the bathroom, it becomes a sculptural element rather than a functional after-thought.

Integrating such fixtures into your kitchen and bath allows you to maintain a sophisticated coastal rhythm, light, layered, and effortless.

Colour & Texture Palette: Sea, Sand, Surf

Your underlying palette lays the groundwork for the coastal aesthetic, soft blues, muted greens, warm neutrals, crisp whites and sandy beiges. Then layer texture: natural timber, woven baskets, linen fabrics, slatted timber panels.

In the kitchen: Polar White sink, brushed-gold tap, light timber cabinetry or stone benches, perhaps a pale sea-foam accent splashback. In the bathroom: white or light tile backdrop, brushed-gold mixer and shower system, maybe a driftwood vanity, white linen towels and beach-glass accents.

Connecting the Spaces: Kitchen to Bathroom Flow

If you’re styling both kitchen and bathroom to echo coastal charm, consider linking the materials and finishes. For example:

• Use brushed gold taps in both spaces (kitchen tap & bathroom mixer) for continuity.
  

• Use Polar White sink in kitchen; in the bathroom choose white fixtures or basins to echo the tone.
  

• Incorporate timber or stone accents (benchtops, vanity cabinets) in both spaces.
  

• Maintain neutral wall surfaces and let the metallic accents and natural materials shine as focal points.
  

The result: a home that feels unified, light and effortless, as if the same seaside breeze flowed through the entire space.

Your Home, Your Shoreline Escape

Bringing coastal style into your kitchen and bathroom isn’t about shell-covered décor or overt seaside clichés. It’s about rhythm, light, material and mood. With clean-lined fixtures, warm metallic accents, natural textures and a cohesive palette, your home can evoke the serenity of the coast, no matter your postcode.

Choose the fixtures that speak to you: the Franke sink in Polar White, the gold pull-out and slimline taps, the brushed-gold shower system. Let them anchor your design and carry the mood across spaces. Together, they become more than just hardware, they become the touchpoints in a home that feels relaxed, radiant and timeless.

When every detail works together, you’re not just creating rooms; you’re crafting an everyday escape.