Discover the beauty of coastal decor and how it can transform your home into a charming coastal retreat. Get inspired with these coastal decorating ideas for your Cape Cod home.

Understanding Coastal Decor

Coastal decor is all about embracing the relaxed and breezy atmosphere of coastal living. It takes inspiration from the beach, the ocean, and the natural beauty of the coast. This style of decor often incorporates elements like nautical motifs, light colors, natural textures, and seaside-inspired accessories. By understanding the essence of coastal decor, you can create a home that exudes coastal charm and tranquility.

Choosing a Coastal Color Palette

When it comes to coastal decor, the color palette plays a crucial role in setting the tone and atmosphere of your home. Opt for light and airy colors that mimic the natural hues of the coast, such as soft blues, sandy beiges, crisp whites, and seafoam greens. These colors create a sense of calm and serenity, evoking the feeling of being by the ocean. Consider using these colors on your walls, furniture, and decor accents to achieve a coastal look and feel.

Incorporating Natural Elements

To bring the beauty of the outdoors inside, incorporate natural elements into your coastal decor. Use materials like weathered wood, rattan, jute, and seagrass to add texture and a touch of rustic charm. Consider incorporating natural fibers in your furniture, such as a woven seagrass chair or a rattan coffee table. You can also bring in natural elements through decorative items like driftwood, shells, and coral. These natural elements not only enhance the coastal aesthetic but also create a sense of connection to the beach and the ocean.

Creating a Nautical Vibe

To enhance the coastal theme in your home, embrace a nautical vibe. Look for decor items that feature nautical motifs like anchors, sailboats, and lighthouses. Incorporate striped patterns in your upholstery or bedding to evoke the look of a classic beachside cottage. Hang framed nautical maps or vintage maritime prints on your walls. You can even add a touch of whimsy with decorative items like ship wheels or life preservers. These nautical elements will add character and charm to your coastal decor.

Accessorizing with Coastal Decor

The finishing touches are what truly bring your coastal decor to life. Accessorize your space with coastal-inspired decor items like seashells in glass jars, starfish on display, or a collection of beach-themed artwork. Add soft and cozy textiles like nautical-striped throw pillows or a seashell-patterned area rug. Incorporate lighting fixtures that evoke a coastal feel, such as a rope-wrapped pendant light or a seashell chandelier. By carefully selecting and arranging coastal accessories, you can complete the look and create a coastal oasis in your Cape Cod home.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to present a 3D tour of one of our custom home projects on Cape Cod Bay.  This home was designed and built by the REEF team, and underwent an extensive design and permitting process, primarily driven by the environmentally sensitive nature of the site, and of course the owner's aesthetic and living space requirements. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but the ability to tour this home in a 3-D virtual environment is worth way more than that!  Let us know what you think!

If you are considering designing and building your custom home on Cape Cod, consider the REEF Builders Team, with over 35  years in business and over 1500 custom home projects completed on Cape Cod

Episode III of our Follow the Build series where we discuss the framing process of a new custom home on Cape Cod. In this episode we discuss the value of our planning process and why we chose to panelize the framing of many of our projects. Given the challenging labor market on Cape Cod, along with the stringent code requirements for wind and flood zone design, panelized framing provides the ability to build an extremely high quality and dimensionally accurate structural frame while saving time and days on the site.

If you are considering designing and building your new custom home here on Cape Cod, click here to find current costs per square foot

Looking for waterfront property on Cape Cod? Clock here to download our waterfront property guide

This spring, we expect to see lumber prices hit record highs due to a number of factors in the industry. Over the last year the US government has imposed a 20% tariff on Canadian lumber in an effort to protect US Lumber manufacturers. In addition to tariffs, lumber supplies have been limited due to bad weather and wild fires in western Canada. The supply shortages got so bad last month that some lumber yards in the western US completely ran out of materials! Current commodity projections now show lumber moving to unprecedented record highs.

So what does this all mean? Over the last 14 Months, lumber commodity prices have increased over 50% and we could see an additional increases as overall demand for construction materials is expected to skyrocket this spring and summer! Consumers can expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 in additional costs on a new small to mid-sized home project.

If you are considering a new Custom Home project, or major renovation project here on Cape Cod, plan on increasing your overall budget by at least 2-3%. There are also several design considerations you may want to take into account to reduce waste and maximize the value of the structural lumber used in your project.

At REEF we provide complete design, permitting and construction management services for all of your project needs here on Cape Cod. Contact us today to see how we can help!

For more information about lumber prices - check out this article by the Wall Street Journal!

We wanted to share some video a project we just completed! This custom home, designed and built by our team here at REEF features stunning, panoramic views of Cape Cod Bay, and Provincetown, and offers one of the most breathtaking sunset views we have every seen. This project was the result of a lengthy and fairly complex planning and design process due to the sensitive and unique location of the property. We'll be sharing interior photos next week - so check in to see what the inside of this custom home reveals... you might be surprised!

If you are considering building your custom home here on Cape Cod click here to download our waterfront property guide!

We've seen it coming over the last few years, but now it's here. If you are thinking of building your new Cape Cod Home, there is no better time than right now. We are seeing major increases in materials prices and a serious skilled labor shortage not only on Cape Cod, but also nationally. When you combine these latest issues with the ever-increasing regulatory environment, it is easy to see why the cost of construction has gone up substantially over the last 5 years. However, with low inventory of existing homes on Cape Cod, and an aging housing stock in need of major repairs or upgrades, building a new home on Cape Cod is still a sound investment.

How do you protect yourself if you are planning a major renovation or custom home project for 2017?

1. Work with established designers and builders who understand the marketplace and have the resources available to manage the labor issues
2. Set a strategy for design and permitting that can allow for an expedited start of construction
3. Pre-purchase materials if possible
4. Thoroughly plan your project to ensure quick and accurate execution
5. Minimize waste and use modern production techniques such as off site panelization of major components (walls, roofs etc)

Here's some recent information from the National Association of Homebuilders discussing these Challenges for 2017

If you are considering Building your custom home on Cape Cod, there is no better time than right now! Contact us today to see how we can help!

Mahogany floors, fireplace with beach-stone surround, open floor plan and a Master Suite with private deck and commanding view of Cape Cod Bay...is this your dream home?

Well we just built it!

Take a tour of this custom home and see if you'd change a single thing...

Northside Bayview Cape

Northside Bayview Cape