I love when a space manages to pull off a beachy vibe without turning into a pastel-y, gaudy vacation rental (think brightly painted "fish art", fake buoy replicas, and nets draped from the ceiling). Bethany Mayer, owner of Surf Bazaar, gave Refinery 29 a tour of her Brooklyn home, and shows us all how it can be done tastefully.

I’ve admired Michelle Pattee’s style since I first visited her family’s farmhouse in Sebastopol, California four years ago. The all-white palette peppered with rustic wood and natural elements made the home, built in 1902, feel modern and cozy and refreshing in its minimalism. 

Michael Anastassiades "String Light" for FLOS at Euroluce is elegant and interesting. It's about the space as much as it is about the light. 

Project by: Barker Freeman Design Office
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Alexandra Freeman tells us about the project: This gut renovation of a Brooklyn rowhouse for a family of four developed as a series of transformative insertions into the existing building fabric.

This is a pearl of wisdom that I received years ago and wanted to bring back right now. When in need of a really simple, nice, natural material desk, use IKEA butcherblock countertop (which is cuttable, sandable, stainable and paintable) and some cool legs (like the Vika Inge style seen here, which has been replaced with Vika Runtorp). I've been building them in all of our offices and for clients, and I thought they'd be great to bring back out during our January CURE as folks dig into their homes and make them better than ever. More

They've long been a staple of Parisian apartments and it's easy to see why — white oak floors are pretty, easy to maintain, and well suited to just about any design style. More

If you need open storage, it may as well be pretty and versatile — a feat easily accomplished by wire baskets. There are endless ways to display them: hung from branches, tacked to the wall, set on cupboards, and tucked beneath armoires, to name a few. More

Ever like a certain look, but can't quite put your finger on what the style is? This past year we started a catalog of eight distinct decor styles and highlighted everything from kids rooms, to furniture and even light fixtures that fit within these categories. Here we have them all in one place for your browsing pleasure (even more links after the jump!):

• Classic Glam
• Dramatic Modern
• Eclectic Collector
• Happy Modern
• New Traditional
• Organic Modern
• Simple Chic
• Warm Industrial More

If you're hosting a dinner party or having cocktails with friends, there's nothing like a pitcher to save you from running back and forth from the kitchen. Plus, whether you're making large batches of cocktails, or simply serving juice or water, a beautiful pitcher manages to make serving drinks feel stylish. The following 10 vessels will do the job and look great on anyone's table or bar cart. More