Marea Clark was faced with a challenge: Design a beach home that wasn’t beachy. The property overlooks a secluded beach in Southern California. Expansive views of the Pacific Ocean and the wily sand that would find its way into the house pushed her design in one direction, but a desire to create a home with traditional design sensibilities pushed her in another. Luckily her clients had a strong aesthetic compass—as they should, since their daughter works with Marea at her Bay Area design firm, Marea Clark Interiors. “It was a really fun twist to do this internal project,” she says.
This project wasn’t your typical vacation home project. “They wanted the home to be a place where they could experience all seasons,” says Marea. They needed it done quickly too, as their San Francisco home was undergoing major renovations. “They came from a large home, but being empty nesters, they were now in this more condensed beach bungalow,” Marea explains. “I wanted it to feel comfortable and approachable for them. Figuring out the furniture plan and layout was the biggest puzzle piece.”
The husband, a musician, collects guitars. Marea chose to hang the guitars to free up space and add visual interest. “We picked the ones that worked best with out color palette,” she says with a laugh.
The living room is long and narrow, so to ensure enough seating, Marea complemented a sumptuous sofa with smaller pieces, and antiques took center stage. “Everything in the clients’ collection is beautiful,” she says. The wife “likes a very layered look, a mix of comfortable pieces that don’t feel too precious and antiques.”
Nowhere is this mix better exemplified than the owner’s collection of silver-plated seashells. Stacked atop an antique étagère, they represent the design ethos of the entire project. The refined elegance of silver meets each shell’s organic simplicity to create a beautiful curio and a subtle reminder of the home’s proximity to the ocean.
This balance of classic elegance and beachy casual varies somewhat room by room. The living room is more traditional with floral accents and classic silhouettes. “Those little details make it feel polished and tailored,” says Marea. The main bedroom leans more toward seaside living. White shiplap illuminates the entire room. Underfoot, Marea placed a custom handwoven rug that mimics the weave of a fisherman’s sweater. Nubby pale-blue linen covers the bed, which is topped with crisp white bedding and a simple throw. Minimalist art and white flowers add to the tranquil atmosphere.
We really leaned into texture and material because things shouldn’t be too fussy.
“We were going for a spalike atmosphere,” says Marea of the main bedroom. Bright light floods the shiplap-laden room. A custom wool rug provides comfort underfoot. “The pattern is almost like a fisherman’s sweater,” says Marea. The bed, upholstered in blue linen, is also custom.
Throughout the rest of the home, Marea focused on natural elements such as bamboo, straw, and sisal to add an air of quiet sophistication. “We really leaned into texture and material because things at the beach shouldn’t be too fussy.” The guest room that also serves as the daughter’s room when she comes to stay got a feature wall with the clients’ collection of straw hats. The other guest room features a bamboo chair and a rope-covered dresser. Together, these touches brought home the beach without letting it overtake the design. “Nothing was too precious,” Marea says.
Antique pieces of furniture were the perfect solution for a space that needed smaller silhouettes. This antique étagère houses the client’s collection of silver-plated shells.
Marea hung a collection of hats on the wall in one of the guest rooms, dubbed the Pink Room. “It turned out to be this beautiful installation that adds texture,” says Marea.
The Southern California home is just a quick walk to a beautiful beach.
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