Beach Season

It may have started for you on Memorial Day weekend. For families with young children, it starts when the final bell rings on the last day of school. The calendar tells us it begins on June 21st this year, the same Sunday as Father's Day. Summer. Time to lighten up. Live a little. Take it outside. And, if you feel so inclined, time to bring some of that outside in.

Here, three of my favorite designers show us how to bring the beach to indoor spaces. All are based in Southern California but each has his or her own signature style. So whether you like your summer big and loud and bright, or warm and relaxing, enjoy!

Barclay Butera. His interiors are glamorous, luxurious and a little over-the-top. His shoreline designs feature classic, familiar details used in dramatic fashion: blue and white textiles, tropical plants and patterns, seashells and coral, woven grasses on the floors, the furniture and at the windows. Chinese porcelains add to the collected, eclectic look while dark woods paired with white walls or fabrics lend a British Colonial air.

Lynn von Kersting. Her Hollywood clientele might be chic and rich and famous--she founded both the iconic restaurant The Ivy and Indigo Seas, the home furnishings and accessories store next door--but von Kersting's interiors are comfortable, accessible, colorful, cozy and, quite often, a little bit beachy. Her California cottage look incorporates lots of layers, patterns, and an intriguing combination of French, Asian and West Indian influences. Fine antiques mingle freely with flea market finds.

Michael S. Smith. Beautiful, traditional interiors with an English influence are his trademark. Carefully edited collections of antiques and art are expected elements. He has designed beach house interiors in Malibu, the Hamptons and Cape Cod. Two luxury West Coast hotels, Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica and Canary Hotel in Santa Barbara, boast his designs in both guest rooms and public spaces. Smith interiors are elegant and timeless yet completely approachable and livable.

Beach umbrella image via Flickr.