Coastal Home Design Ideas from Our Huntington Harbour Projects

Coastal home design is not one look. Our projects in Huntington Harbour run from crisp modern to warm Mediterranean to Spanish, and none of them is white shiplap from end to end. What they share is a set of design moves that suit a house on the water: frame the view, open the house to the outdoors, use natural materials that feel warm, and build with the salt air in mind.

Here are the ideas, shown through six homes we built or remodeled in Huntington Harbour. Every detail below comes from the project pages in our portfolio.

1. Frame the Water

On the harbor, the view is the main feature, so the plan should be built around it. At the Seascape Modern home, La Cantina sliding doors and Western windows run throughout, and a custom porcelain firepit on the back patio makes the harbor the backdrop for evenings outside. At the Edgewater Mediterranean Remodel, arched doorways and stain-grade moldings lead the eye to a dramatic view of the harbor.

2. Let the Breeze In

A coastal house should be easy to open up. In the Windspun Beachy Coastal Remodel, a 2,151 sq ft home with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, the ocean breeze comes through on warm summer evenings by opening one or both of the sliding glass doors. The light, airy palette does the rest.

3. Warm Up Modern with Natural Materials

Modern does not have to feel cold. At Seascape Modern, custom-milled, stain-grade Sapele mahogany softens the entry and repeats on the gates, garage door and front door, while wide plank floors and stain-grade doors bring warmth inside. The same tile and stone materials are used throughout the house to keep the design cohesive.

The Davenport Modern Remodel, a 4,300 sq ft home with four bedrooms and four and a half baths, takes a similar approach: clean lines and a minimal palette, with a 15 by 5 foot kitchen island topped in book-matched natural quartz and a mitred solid surface fireplace in the living room.

4. Let Color and Tile Echo the Ocean

Coastal color can be a single, confident detail rather than a theme. In the Kingsdale Modern Kitchen Remodel, designed by John McClain Designs, hexagonal blue tile carries the idea. In the designer's words, "The hexagonal blue tile pays homage to the ocean breeze that can be felt in this home."

5. Treat the Yard as a Room

Mild weather means the yard gets used as much as the living room. The Spanish Casita Backyard Renovation in Huntington Harbour is built around an outdoor kitchen with granite countertops, a BBQ, smoker, warming drawer and custom stainless steel doors and drawers. A 20 ft fountain, terra cotta tile, a jacuzzi and a firepit complete the space.

6. Pick a Style That Suits You, Not a Trend

Huntington Harbour holds every style, and the best coastal homes commit to one. Edgewater is Mediterranean, with grand archways, intricate details and a warm color palette across 4,025 sq ft. Seascape is modern, with a glass cube projecting from the second floor and a 10 ft pivot front door. Windspun is beachy and relaxed. Each works because the materials and details are consistent from the street to the waterfront.

7. Build for Salt Air

Good coastal design has to last. Salt air, humidity and sun wear on materials faster than they do inland, so we choose construction methods and materials that protect against salty air and moisture. Our post on the top 7 mistakes to avoid when remodeling your coastal home goes deeper on materials, ventilation and permits.

Bring These Ideas to Your Home

Whether you are planning a whole home remodel or a new custom home, the right design starts with how you want to live on the coast. R.J. Murphy Construction, Inc. has been building in Huntington Beach and Newport Beach since 1989, and our consultations are free.