DESIGNS THAT DAZZLE

Interior design trends favor a lived in look with durable materials

EVER since the pandemic’s onset, shore homes have taken on a whole new significance. At a time when travel was limited and the world came to a screeching, unnerving halt, the familiarity of a seaside escape and the opportunity to get away offered families much-needed vacations while providing all the comforts of home.

The worst of COVID seems to be a thing of the past, but that increased affection for and appreciation of those shore houses that became sanctuaries and even full-time residences remains.

It’s a shift reflected in the way homeowners have approached their decor, too, illustrating that they’re bringing the utility of their primary residences to their seasonal escapes.

“Before, I feel like no one wanted a desk or an office setup at the beach,” Jill Bonawitz of Meant to Bee Home, a home stager and interior designer based in Haddonfield, said. “Now, people want office spaces in their shore homes, they’re putting writing desks in bedrooms. People have more flexibility now to work from home, so people are spending more time down the shore and extending their stays by working remotely during the week so they can be right there to enjoy the weekend as soon as it starts.”

As Samantha Cury, owner of Interiors by Joann in Ocean City, sees it, it’s a trend that has surprisingly heartwarming roots.

“I realized that the people who are making sure they have a work space are mostly the clients who have 20- or 30-year-old children to encourage those kids and their grandkids to come and stay longer,” she explains. “Since their children are working from home, they’re saying, ‘We put a desk in a private room for you so you can come visit and still work from home.’”

Maximizing the enjoyment of their seaside spaces does mean the minimal maintenance and cleanup befitting a vacation home, and Jill has noticed that durability is in-demand now more than ever, with woven, texturized fabrics such as rattan being incorporated into today’s coastal design, the sturdiness of recycled lumbers such as polywood making for a popular outdoor furniture choice, and many homeowners realizing the importance of utilizing flooring that remains stylish while taking a beating.

“A big trend we’re seeing is luxury flooring,” she said. “Instead of doing wood floors — because at the beach, you have to think about sand and salt and water pooling — people are finding out that vinyl flooring is so durable and really looks like that beautiful hardwood, but you don’t have to worry about it.” Samantha added that opting for long-lasting materials extends to the fabrics people choose for their homes, and is actually less of a trend and more of a “must-have that’s here to stay.”

“I can’t even remember the last time I sold a sofa that wasn’t a performance fabric,” she commented, referring to upholstery that is easy to clean, stain-resistant and holds up to how lived-in shore furnishings are supposed to be. “For the most part, people don’t want to worry about their shore home’s furniture like they would about their formal sitting rooms at home. They don’t want to bug their kids about taking their shoes off or not eating on the sofa: This is where you come to relax. People don’t want their children to form Ocean City memories like ‘I could never go to grandma’s house at the shore and sit on the sofa.’”

She also notes that the ‘70s are back, but with a caveat: “Bright colors, low, modular furniture: If you were to picture The Brady Bunch living room, that is what’s coming around — but I don’t really see that hitting Ocean City because it’s not a timeless look. And most of my clients in Ocean City want a timeless interior design. They don’t want to spend time redoing their house and chasing today’s trends. They want a shore home they can come to with their families and relax.”

The area might not be fully embracing retro decor, but it has welcomed thoroughly modern conveniences such as lovingly curated Pinterest inspiration boards and the ubiquitous connectivity of Zoom, as Jill notes the latter is often the best way to stay in touch with the “busy professionals” comprising her clientele, especially when they’re not living seaside full time. Samantha, too, finds that digital communications are a great way to get quick answers and resolutions, although some textures can only be fully appreciated by interacting with them, and phone screens rarely capture the true depth and interplay of colors and materials.

In terms of color, though, Jill notes that the classic shore palate is still going strong.

“The colors haven’t really changed: People still love the blues. The light and airy watery colors are sort of a mainstay,” she said.

“We are seeing a lot more neutral colors,” Samantha added. “But everyone loves blue. A navy is as neutral at the shore as a white is.”

Whether they’re just refreshing a color theme with carefully made choices or undertaking a design overhaul, watching clients fall instantly in love with the visions that a talented decor profession made a reality is, by far, the best part of the job every time. After all, no matter how homeowners are deciding to embrace today’s trends, the professionals with whom they entrust their shore homes always have the same goal: delivering results that dazzle.

“The best thing I can hear is that I delivered something that’s better than what they were expecting,” Jill said. “Seeing something come to life that you’ve only seen in pictures and on design boards can just really blow people away, which is just the best feeling ever.”

Shoemaker Lumber is located at 1200 West Avenue, Ocean City, and can be reached by calling 609-3990150 or visiting shoemakerlumber.com.