Step Inside a Texas Beach House With an Eclectic Take on Coastal Style

When Marci and Jimmy Bent needed inspiration for their Matagorda, Texas, beach house, they didn’t have to look far: The home is situated on stunning sand dunes and tranquil wetlands on the state’s upper coast, and the couple, both geologists, set out to incorporate as much of the surrounding nature as possible, but Marci also wanted to have some fun. The couple hired designer Rebecca Plumb to help with their vision, and she set the stage with a saltwater taffy palette, layering in organic materials like quartzite counters, seagrass furniture and seashell accents to connect the space with the outdoors. “Once you’re here,” Rebecca says, “you never want to leave.”

Jimmy and Marci love the kitchen the most, because three generations of the family (plus dog Ruby) often end up baking treats and cooking dinners together here. Rebecca planned the room around the island’s Cristallo Tiffany quartzite top, working in green zellige backsplash tiles from Zia Tile, a trio of Visual Comfort & Co. pendants and woven rope stools from Palecek. "The shades of green in the kitchen island slab remind me of the gulf’s waters," says Marci.

Rebecca chose a mix of low-profile seating to maximize the gulf views. The subtly patterned chairs, velvet ottoman and striped sofa (in grandkid-friendly performance fabric) are all from Norwalk Furniture; the rug is vintage. The foor-to-ceiling bookcase, painted Antique Jade by Benjamin Moore, holds the Bents’ shell collection. "Each room has a distinct look, but nature is the narrative thread," says Rebecca.

“We love color,” says Marci. “I think we used 15 different paint shades!” Two of which are in the colorful entryway. The Bents wanted their foyer to serve as a cheerful welcome, so Rebecca painted the stairs, paneling and trim a nautical blue (Blue Heron by Benjamin Moore) but left the walls white. “The color enlivens the entry without overwhelming the small space,” she says. A rattan lantern from Currey & Company mimics the area’s native grasses. The poppy pink door is painted Grenadine by Sherwin-Williams.

"Since we love to travel and we both lived in different coastal areas growing up, we wanted to collect paintings of some of those areas," says Marci. "Most of the pieces are inexpensive paintings we found on eBay."

The gallery wall picks up the mossy green damask fabric from Ballard Designs on the sectional, which doubles as extra sleep space. "The sofa is really wide and can easily fit two grandkids," she says. A pair of live-edge side tables ties in with the nature-inspired theme throughout the house.

Rebecca went with a water-inspired palette here, including powdery blues in the floral Fabricut wallpaper and Jaipur Living rug and rich cobalt for the Gat Creek credenza. The seagrass chairs are from Palecek, and the linen chandelier is from Visual Comfort & Co. Marci says the painting, by Lisa Bartell, reminds them of local flora and fauna.

Marci fell in love with this playful Badgers of Bohemia wallpaper at a showroom in Austin, but it was discontinued. “I tracked the designer down and she found me a few rolls!” she says. From there, the space became a study in pattern mixing: cabana-striped bedding from Serena & Lily, an Oushak-inspired rug from Jaipur Living and a ticking-stripe armchair and an oatmeal-colored bed, both from Norwalk Furniture. The walls and trim are painted a misty blue-green (Wythe Blue by Benjamin Moore).

Rebecca continued the saltwater taffy color scheme here with a rosy quartzite vanity top and pink floor tiles from Villa Lagoon Tile. The beachy shell mirror, sconces and chandelier are from Currey & Company.

The Bents originally designed these custom bunk beds with their grandkids in mind, but the whole family loves spending time here. “My daughter-in-law hosted a 40th birthday at the house and they all ended up here like they were at a slumber party,” Marci says. The colorful light fixtures are from Dutton Brown. Buoy-themed accents, like art from Minted and an Anthropologie pillow, give the room a nautical vibe. "Each bed in the bunk room feels like its own nook, and the kids love to pile in."