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Coastal Blues: Mrs. Howard's Guide to Decorating with the Colors of the Sea and Sky
From design expert—and interior design readers’ favorite—Phoebe Howard, comes a book focused on decorating with beautiful blue color schemes. Coastal Blues is a glorious decor book filled with inspiring images of beach houses, seacoast getaways, vacation cottages, and luxurious seaside manors.
“Known for her stunning Southern style.” —Oprah.com
“The reigning queen of Southern design.” — USA Today
A hardworking how-to-get-the-look book that offers solid interior design and styling advice, Coastal Blues features brand-new, never-before-published projects, with every page reflecting the ease and casual elegance of shoreline living. Chapters Phoebe Howard shows design lovers how to make coastal style modern, fresh, and very much their own. She writes, “Blue connects us to nature more than any other color. But it also connects us to worlds of possibility. We gaze out at the sea, fantasizing about exotic lands, and stare up at the sky, contemplating the limitless universe. Just like the universe’s unlimited potential, blue knows no bounds. Its variations and versatility are what make it so attractive to so many. Did you know that, statistically speaking, blue is the world’s favorite color?”
Working in blue, Phoebe helps you choose wallpaper, furniture fabrics, serving ware, window treatments, and much more.
Whether you are decorating or redecorating your beach home, or simply want to bring coastal style to your urban or suburban home, Phoebe’s ideas, beautiful blues, and popular designs will delight you, your family, and your guests. Coastal Blues is the perfect book for a coffee table, but it will be referred to again and again . . . and it makes a great gift book.
“Known for her stunning Southern style.” —Oprah.com
“The reigning queen of Southern design.” — USA Today
A hardworking how-to-get-the-look book that offers solid interior design and styling advice, Coastal Blues features brand-new, never-before-published projects, with every page reflecting the ease and casual elegance of shoreline living. Chapters Phoebe Howard shows design lovers how to make coastal style modern, fresh, and very much their own. She writes, “Blue connects us to nature more than any other color. But it also connects us to worlds of possibility. We gaze out at the sea, fantasizing about exotic lands, and stare up at the sky, contemplating the limitless universe. Just like the universe’s unlimited potential, blue knows no bounds. Its variations and versatility are what make it so attractive to so many. Did you know that, statistically speaking, blue is the world’s favorite color?”
Working in blue, Phoebe helps you choose wallpaper, furniture fabrics, serving ware, window treatments, and much more.
Whether you are decorating or redecorating your beach home, or simply want to bring coastal style to your urban or suburban home, Phoebe’s ideas, beautiful blues, and popular designs will delight you, your family, and your guests. Coastal Blues is the perfect book for a coffee table, but it will be referred to again and again . . . and it makes a great gift book.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published April 10, 2018
115 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 2, 2025
Pretty interiors, but a little too matchy-matchy for my taste.
October 30, 2018
Really beautiful photos of home that have that coastal look without the usual trite bright blues, white and yellow. Numerous color palettes that give you tons of ideas. Really enjoyed seeing all the photos. I would go back to this book if I were looking for another color palette to work with, especially liked the creamy whites.
March 25, 2022
A cheerful and pretty collection of rooms. The rooms are perfect. In fact too perfect for my taste. It feels to me that each of the homes were designed for the same client. All furniture and accessories were purchased at the same time from the same vendors which leaves me with the sense that they are devoid of all but one personality. And yet, they are lovely. I do not fault the design. To me they just seem to be a gorgeous hotel full of gorgeous rooms or weekend cottages of gorgeous model rooms.
I did like her using Benjamin Moore colors at the end of each section, to show what colors were used and how they blend. Another con: even the books seem color coordinated to the rooms; i.e. not something you would necessarily have around to read (and I speak from experience) but rather "color by the yard" books, which is a concept of matchy matchy that I hate.
The locales? Wonderful. The "too done" rooms in a beach house? Not so much.
I did like her using Benjamin Moore colors at the end of each section, to show what colors were used and how they blend. Another con: even the books seem color coordinated to the rooms; i.e. not something you would necessarily have around to read (and I speak from experience) but rather "color by the yard" books, which is a concept of matchy matchy that I hate.
The locales? Wonderful. The "too done" rooms in a beach house? Not so much.
December 30, 2018
Blue being a favorite color and the beach being a favorite place, I knew I would get inspiration from this title. Photos depicted predominantly high end decorating and furniture, and not enough of a merge of indoor living space with the natural world of the beach for me. Sorry but the only thing I learned was that blue is the color stated as the favorite of a majority of people.
September 19, 2023
Great ocean side colors for coastal living
This book is loaded with pictures giving plenty of ideas to live your best beach life inside while bringing in the Oceanside. Although I am unable to live on the ocean but am able to live near the ocean I found this book inspirational in working on my coastal living theme at home.
This book is loaded with pictures giving plenty of ideas to live your best beach life inside while bringing in the Oceanside. Although I am unable to live on the ocean but am able to live near the ocean I found this book inspirational in working on my coastal living theme at home.
June 9, 2024
Heavenly Blues
Whether I become ambitious enough to pick up a brush and paint a wall, I felt refreshed as if I'd spent a day at the beach as I read the descriptions and drank in the delicious colors.
Whether I become ambitious enough to pick up a brush and paint a wall, I felt refreshed as if I'd spent a day at the beach as I read the descriptions and drank in the delicious colors.
February 23, 2025
Great photography!
They did not skimp on pictures and the were beautiful. MS Howard was very informative as to shades of blue and the color schemes that work so beautifully with coastal blues
They did not skimp on pictures and the were beautiful. MS Howard was very informative as to shades of blue and the color schemes that work so beautifully with coastal blues
October 7, 2019
An absolutely gorgeous book with all the possible color pallets, interior design and decor suggestions for a lovely beach cottage/ home. So great , I bought it.
October 10, 2019
Absolutely gorgeous book. If you want to explore decorating with blue, this is the book to look through. Much had a beach feel without being cute. I loved this book.
July 5, 2022
Stunning photos with beautiful blue decor inspiration! There are several different color palates showcased, along with coastal modern and coastal traditional ideas.
January 11, 2026
Just seemed like some lovely hotel or model home rooms. Didn’t inspire me.
May 15, 2021
Love every photo = = =
One of my favorite books!
One of my favorite books!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews