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10 Ways to Age a Beach House

Shop owner and designer Kay Douglass shares her tips giving a brand-new beach house a lived-in, comfortable feel.

“Chairs beside a bed or stools flanking a sofa were the most practical choice in this house because they take up less space and serve as extra seating when we have a crowd,” says Kay. The simplicity of the chairs’ utilitarian forms and smoothness of their worn wood add a sculptural touch and some texture to the space, as well.
Paul Wicheloe, Text by Steele Thomas Marcoux

Pull Up a Seat

“Chairs beside a bed or stools flanking a sofa were the most practical choice in this house because they take up less space and serve as extra seating when we have a crowd,” says Kay. The simplicity of the chairs’ utilitarian forms and smoothness of their worn wood add a sculptural touch and some texture to the space, as well.

NextThink Antique

“Hung in a series, everyday items create a graphic focal point on an architecture-free wall,” Kay says. “When I am shopping for wall art, I’m initially drawn to the shape of an object, but I also look for woven textures and pay attention to the object’s former life.” Baskets, oars, and even hayforks grace Kay’s walls, and while shopping for clients the designer is also drawn to old shutters and wheels.

Previous Slide Perk Up Lackluster Walls

“I fell in love with the dark, worn finish of this oversize French chest,” Kay says. “We needed something that would function as storage as well as a sink console, so we mounted the sinks on top and ran the pipes at the very back to conserve as much drawer space as possible.”

Next Slide Think Antique

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“Chairs beside a bed or stools flanking a sofa were the most practical choice in this house because they take up less space and serve as extra seating when we have a crowd,” says Kay. The simplicity of the chairs’ utilitarian forms and smoothness of their worn wood add a sculptural touch and some texture to the space, as well.

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