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Get the Look: Grace and Frankie’s Coastal Cool Beach House

Written by

Anita Shriver
Anita Shriver
Anita is an actor turned designer with a passion for creating beautiful spaces and experiences. Currently based in Boston with a passport that is always current, she is involved in turn-key residential design and educational design. Interests also include good jokes, strong…read more
updated May 3, 2019
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(Image credit: Melissa Moseley / Netflix)

A beach house can be so wrong or so right. You either fill it with all the crap you don’t have room for at your full-time residence or you make it a sanctuary with fresh, earthy tones and ocean-inspired artwork and collectibles. I would watch Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin anywhere, but watching them in a well-designed oceanside getaway is incredibly satisfying.

While Grace and Frankie weren’t in the beach house when we last left them, hopefully there will be some happy developments in season five, now streaming as of today on Netflix (the show just got picked up for a sixth season this week, too).

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(Image credit: Melissa Moseley / Netflix)

Devorah Herbert, the show’s production designer, kept Grace’s “impeccable taste” in mind when designing the beach house, she told Traditional Home. “The beach house is somewhere you want to spend time. You can imagine wandering in barefoot after a stroll on the beach and just relaxing, listening to the waves outside. We wanted the audience to feel the ocean in every room.”

The house is a traditional Cape Cod-style exterior with a blue and cream palette inside, with some added pops of color. In the living room, there are orange pillows and patterned chairs to break up the serene blues and whites. The key is selecting a complementary hue to keep the visual chaos to a minimum. A slightly burnt orange mixed with off-white works nicely—like eating a Creamsicle at the beach.

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(Image credit: Melissa Moseley / Netflix)

For furniture, keep things casual with slipcovered sofas, rolled armchairs, and wicker. If you can curl up with a glass of wine, it’s perfect. Grace and Frankie have a cream sofa and a light blue one—I like the combination because they are in separate rooms. If you don’t have two living rooms to furnish, I would stick with one or the other. If you are going with the cream colored sofa, grab a couple similar-hued arm chairs. If a blue sofa is more your speed, pair it with orange patterned chairs for a funkier look.

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(Image credit: Melissa Moseley / Netflix)

The wooden tables in the space have subtle finishes, like limed oak or a gray wash. It should look like the ocean air has weathered it and you moved it back inside before it started rotting. Oil-rubbed bronze hardware creates a nice contrast against the beachy finish. Top your tables with a wooden bowl full of seagrass or starfish.

Lamps are a great opportunity to add personality. One of my favorites is a table lamp with a pelican on its base, sitting on top of a wooden chest. A bird lamp is perfect for a beach house. Once you’ve found your own, focus on collecting other tables lamps in various shapes and sizes, within the blue, cream, and orange palette. A wooden base lamp would also look very chic. For hanging lighting, consider an oil-rubbed bronze chandelier or pendant. It will feel grounded in the space.

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(Image credit: Melissa Moseley / Netflix)

Nautical accessories and artwork are easy to find, so grab a handful of seashells, a woven basket or two, and a few striped throw blankets to finish off this look. Now you’ve earned a glass of rosé to enjoy while listening to the waves.

Get the look

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(Image credit: Anita Shriver)
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