From Vision to Reality: The Coastal Haven Design Process

To show how our design process works from start to finish, we’re walking you through one of our recent projects, Coastal Haven. This project is a perfect example of how we take a client’s inspiration, refine it, and transform it into a cohesive, thoughtfully designed space that feels both personal and polished.

When we first met with our clients, they shared a collection of inspiration images that captured what they were drawn to, light-filled rooms, soft coastal color palettes, natural textures, and a sense of relaxed elegance. Rather than focusing on individual pieces, our conversations centered on what they loved about these spaces: how they felt, how they functioned, and how they wanted their own home to live and flow.

Establishing the Design Direction

Once we fully understood the client’s vision, we stepped away to develop the overall design direction. This is where we begin translating inspiration into something tangible but not literal. The goal at this stage isn’t to select furniture or finishes; it’s to define the vibe of the project.

For Coastal Haven, the mood board became our creative anchor. It allowed us to visually explore the balance between coastal ease and tailored sophistication that the clients were responding to in their inspiration images. Soft blues and muted greens reference the coastal setting without feeling overtly beachy, while warm neutrals and natural textures add depth and warmth. Organic materials such as woven fibers, stone, and soft textiles introduce an element of relaxed comfort, balanced by more structured forms and refined details.

This board helps us see how colors, materials, and textures interact with one another before making any specific selections. It ensures that every future decision whether it’s a fabric, a finish, or a piece of furniture supports the same overall feeling. In many ways, the mood board is our visual shorthand for the project’s personality.

Translating Inspiration into Intentional Design

What made this mood board especially important was how closely it aligned with the themes we identified in the client’s inspiration photos. The layered blues echo the calm, airy spaces they were drawn to. The mix of soft finishes and natural textures reflects their desire for a home that feels welcoming and livable, while still refined. The inclusion of subtle pattern and organic shapes nods to coastal influences without overpowering the space.

By grounding the design in this visual framework, we were able to move forward with confidence knowing that every selection would feel cohesive, balanced, and true to the client’s original vision.

Curating Individual Room Looks

With a clear mood established, we began translating the overall vision into individual room designs. Each space was treated as its own composition while still feeling connected to the rest of the home.

Formal Living Room

The formal living room was designed to feel elegant yet welcoming. We focused on balance and symmetry, grounding the space with a soft, textured rug and anchoring it with tailored seating in light, neutral upholstery. Soft blue accents were introduced through pillows and accessories, echoing the mood board without overpowering the space.

Natural materials, such as woven elements and light wood finishes, were layered in to add warmth and prevent the room from feeling too crisp. Wallpaper was selected to subtly introduce pattern and movement, giving the room depth while maintaining a serene backdrop.

Bedroom

In the bedroom, the focus shifted toward comfort and calm. The color palette remained soft and cohesive, with layered blues and greens creating a restful environment. Upholstered pieces and textured fabrics were chosen to enhance softness, while clean-lined furniture kept the space feeling tailored and intentional.

We paid close attention to scale and balance, ensuring that each element had room to breathe. This created a space that feels relaxed and restorative, while still visually connected to the rest of the home.

Family Room

The family room was designed with everyday living in mind. Here, comfort and durability were key, but never at the expense of style. A softer seating configuration encourages gathering, while the neutral base allows accent colors and textures to shine.

For the couch, you’ll see how the final upholstery choice evolved from this initial concept, with a durable, easy-to-maintain fabric in a darker blue selected to accommodate a black-haired pup who we knew would quickly claim the sofa as her favorite place to relax.

We layered in natural wood, woven textures, and subtle pattern to create interest, while maintaining a cohesive palette that flows seamlessly from room to room. The result is a space that feels inviting, functional, and effortlessly pulled together.

The Bonus Area: An Intimate Conversation Space

As the design developed, we identified an opportunity to create a bonus area that could function as a more intimate conversation zone within the home. Rather than leaving this space undefined, we intentionally designed it as a place for connection, ideal for games, drinks, and relaxed evenings with friends.

To differentiate it from the surrounding rooms while still keeping it visually connected, we leaned into texture and circular forms. The round woven rug helps define the area and subtly encourages conversation by grounding the seating arrangement. Its natural material adds warmth and contrast against the softer upholstery and reinforces the coastal influence seen throughout the home.

We selected tailored lounge chairs upholstered in a soft blue fabric, pulling directly from the established color palette. Their structured silhouettes keep the space feeling polished, while the generous cushions ensure comfort for longer gatherings. The scale of the chairs was carefully considered to maintain openness without making the area feel crowded.

At the center, a sculptural round coffee table introduces visual weight and balance. Its organic burle finish adds depth and interest, while the circular shape softens the arrangement and keeps the layout feeling relaxed and approachable. Layered with subtle accessories, the table becomes both functional and decorative, supporting casual entertaining without feeling overly styled.

This bonus area became a natural extension of the home’s overall design, a space that feels intentional, inviting, and versatile. It’s a perfect example of how thoughtful planning allows every corner of a home to serve a purpose while still feeling cohesive with the broader vision.

Why Physical Samples Matter

Once the room designs were developed, we sourced physical samples from our trusted vendors. This is a crucial part of the process. Materials can look completely different online than they do in person. In this project, we encountered rug samples that appeared to be the perfect blue digitally, but leaned far more grey in natural light.

Seeing materials together in real life allows us to assess undertones, texture, and scale, ensuring everything complements one another before any orders are placed. This step helps avoid costly mistakes and ensures the final result aligns with the original vision.

Finalizing, Scheduling, and Installation

Our design meetings are opportunities to refine, adjust, and finalize selections. Once everything was approved, we moved into ordering, carefully considering lead times and coordinating deliveries. Furniture and finishes often have extended production timelines, so understanding the client’s schedule early allows us to plan accordingly and minimize delays.

Installation day is where the entire vision comes to life. Furniture is placed with intention, lighting is adjusted to enhance the mood, and styling is completed to ensure the space feels finished and lived-in. Every detail is considered so that the home feels balanced, cohesive, and reflective of the client’s original inspiration.

The Final Result: A Space That Feels Complete

Seeing the project fully installed is always the most rewarding stage of the process. At this point, every earlier decision, from the initial inspiration images to the smallest material sample, comes together as a cohesive whole.

In the final space, the original design direction is clearly expressed. The coastal influence is present, but refined. Soft blue tones, warm neutrals, and natural textures work together to create an environment that feels calm, layered, and intentional rather than themed or overly styled.

In the main living areas, the furniture layouts support both everyday living and entertaining. Seating is arranged to encourage conversation while maintaining clear circulation, and the balance between upholstered pieces and natural materials keeps the rooms feeling grounded.

Bedroom Styling & Bedding Selection

In the bedroom, comfort and serenity were the priority. The bedding was selected to reinforce the established color palette while introducing pattern in a controlled way. The soft blue and green floral print echoes the coastal references seen throughout the home, tying back to both the inspiration imagery and the earlier mood board. Layered with crisp white linens and textured accent cushions, the bed feels inviting without feeling busy.

The upholstered and wood furniture pieces were chosen for their timeless silhouettes and warm finishes, ensuring the room feels relaxed yet polished. Nightstands and lighting were kept simple and balanced, allowing the bedding and soft furnishings to add character and warmth.

Cohesion Across the Home

What makes the final result successful is how seamlessly each space relates to the next. The bonus conversation area, living spaces, and bedroom all share a consistent language of color, material, and form, yet each serves a distinct purpose. This continuity ensures the home feels thoughtfully designed as a whole, rather than as a series of individual rooms.

The final product reflects the original brief precisely: a light, coastal-inspired home that feels welcoming, functional, and timeless. By grounding the design in a clear vision and carefully refining each stage of the process, the end result is a space that feels effortless, balanced, and truly lived in.

Styling the Space: The Finishing Layer

Styling is where a space truly comes to life. It’s the final layer that brings warmth, personality, and a sense of ease to the design, transforming it from a well-designed room into a lived-in home.

For this project, we revisited the client’s original inspiration images and paid close attention to how shelves and surfaces were styled. What stood out was a sense of balance rather than excess. Objects felt collected over time, with a thoughtful mix of sculptural forms, natural textures, and negative space. That approach became our guide.

When styling the built-in shelving, we focused on variation in height, shape, and material. Ceramics, glass, woven pieces, and books were layered together to create visual interest while still allowing the eye to rest. Blue tones were subtly repeated through glassware and accessories, tying back to the wider color palette, while warm woods and natural fibers grounded the composition and kept it feeling relaxed and coastal.

One of our greatest resources during this stage is our sister company, Salt & Creek. Having access to a physical retail space allows us, as designers, to pull pieces directly from the shelves and style them in real time. Being able to see items together, adjust scale, and test combinations makes the process far more intuitive and ensures each vignette feels intentional. That said, we also source styling pieces online when needed to complete the look or find something specific for a space.

Salt & Creek’s inventory is always evolving, which makes it an ideal place to refresh a home over time. Whether you’re adding finishing touches after a project is complete or updating a space seasonally, having access to new, curated pieces makes it easy to keep your home feeling current without starting from scratch.

Explore the Finished Project

To see all of the final project images, explore the full gallery here.

If you have ideas for your own home and would like to see them brought to life, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us at the studio and let’s start turning your vision into a reality.

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