Cool Ways to Beach Up Your House

It would be easy to mistake Meghan and Bill Cashel's sun-filled Marblehead, Mass., house for a vacation home. But the Cashels and their two sons, Billy, 5, and Tucker, 3, live in the 1940 Colonial — with its blue and green walls, slipcovered furniture and woven accessories — all year long. "Before having kids, Bill and I lived in San Diego, and we loved that laid-back coastal feeling," says Meghan.

When they bought their house by the Marblehead Harbor in 2008, they figured, why sacrifice breezy style just because winters can dip below 10 degrees? With the help of architect and interior designer Molly Frey, Meghan, a stay-at-home mom, and Bill, a finance executive, decorated their home to feel like the kind of place you'd like to escape to for a beach getaway.

Stone-gray siding (the paint is Hailstorm by C2) is quintessentially coastal, especially paired with white trim and a light-blue door (Nantucket Fog by Benjamin Moore). "The house is calming from the second you walk in, which is exactly what we had in mind," says Meghan.

"We were craving an open, airy hangout space with tons of sunlight and soothing colors," says Meghan. She certainly got her wish. The linen curtains fit the aesthetic well. They're heavy enough to block the sun, but their loose weave still allows light to filter in.