When it comes to property values, a quality view is worth a lot, and this is especially true when it comes to waterfront properties. Allowing your interior decor choices to highlight what you’re paying for in terms of views not only makes the most of your property value but also creates a serene environment that melds the interior of your home with its beautiful surroundings.
Use Windows as Focal Points
Combining the desire to have your waterfront views front and center and your need for privacy can take a bit of finagling. Install wood shutters, sheer or light-colored drapes or vertical blinds on the windows. These all allow for plenty of natural light, even when closed, are easy to open when you want a full view of the water and provide privacy when necessary. If your waterfront home is blessed with large, picturesque windows, install a privacy film over the glass in lieu of traditional window treatments. When professionally done, these provide unobstructed views of the water while keeping the interior of your home hidden from the outside.
Use Furniture Placement to Guide the Eye
Lay out living room furniture so that the larger pieces, like the sofa, create a line pointing toward the windows; for example, have the arm rest of the couch facing the windows rather than turning the couch so that those sitting face the window head-on. This naturally draws the eye to the view, turning it into the focal point of the room, while still allowing you to see the water from the corner of your eye. Use this same trick in dining areas. Arrange bedroom furniture and office spaces to make seeing the view from everywhere easy: Point the foot of the bed toward the largest window if possible and angle a cushioned chair or desk toward the window. These rooms tend to be smaller than living and dining areas, making the view an automatic center point, as there’s not enough space for the eye to wander between the doorway and the window.
Choose Paint and Fabric Wisely
As fun as bright, neon colors or jewel tones are, use them sparingly in rooms that feature a waterfront view. When the outdoors makes up such a large portion of your home’s decor (because there’s no better wall art than windows that open to a stunning waterfront view), keeping the rest of the home natural with a softer color palette is best. Use paint and fabric in shades of cream, pastel blues and greens, soft purples and other muted shades depending on your preference. A few brighter or deeper tones used as accents can help to anchor the room without detracting from the view. For example, outfit a bedroom in creams and light sage green to highlight the water, and then use a few bright red or emerald green vases to add a pop of color. Use natural fabrics wherever possible, including bamboo, cotton, silk and linen. Most of these can be suited to more relaxed rooms or formal spaces depending on the color and design.
Don’t Be Obvious
Your best ode to the water is seeing the water itself, and traditional “water” decor pieces can look brash in large quantities. Instead, take inspiration from these ideas: Use the pearly shades of a shell as a color scheme for the fabrics in the room, the texture of the sand as an inspiration for the fabric used for window treatments or the different colors that the water appears, from light green to a deep gray, for your paint colors. With that as the base, a few “obvious” pieces can still look nice. For example, a small bowl of shells or sea glass, lake stones for a dining table center piece and house plants based on what grows right in your backyard are all good options.
Source SfGate - By Amanda Bell