Living near the beach does not mean your home has to look like a beach house. Best friends and business partners Aly Morford and Leigh Lincoln, co-owners of Pure Salt Interiors in Newport Beach, California, have built their firm on a clean, simple look that feels coastal without a seashell in sight.
Ellen Gefen asked the pair what every home needs, how they bring in color when they admit to being a little scared of it, and how designing for families shapes their work.
Key Takeaways
- Focus first on the foundational pieces you use most: the sofa, the dining table and the dining chairs.
- Every home the pair designs gets greenery. Plants and trees bring natural life into a room.
- A coastal feel comes from layering natural textures, not from beach-themed decor.
- For color, look to what occurs naturally: the green of plants, or a washed-out blue like indigo-dyed linen.
- Function comes first in a family home.
The Pure Salt Look: Clean, Simple and Natural
The designers describe their style as a “clean, simple, pure aesthetic.” They like to infuse natural elements into their designs and keep everything cohesive and simple.
How to Get a Coastal Feel Without the Clichés
Plenty of people assume that a home near the coast needs a beach theme. The Pure Salt designers disagree. Beachy, they say, can go “a little tacky” or simply be too much: “We don’t want seashells and, you know, seagrass everywhere.”
Their approach is to layer in natural textures instead:
- Seagrass and other natural fibers, used with restraint
- Greenery
- Woven light fixtures
These are the elements that, in their words, “bring you back down to the earth” and give a coastal feel without being cliché.
For another designer’s take, see Coastal Interior Design with Hannah Toney.
Design Must-Haves for Every Home
Asked for their must-haves, the pair start with the big foundational pieces: the things you spend the most time on and that get the most use, such as your couch, your dining table and your dining chairs. Those are the pieces to focus on and love.
The second must-have is greenery. Every home they design includes plants and trees, which bring natural life to a space and give it what they call the “Pure Salt feeling.”
Related reading: Classic Pieces Every Room in Your Home Needs and Indoor Plants that Spark Joy.
How to Add Color When You Prefer Neutrals
The designers are candid that they are “a little scared of color” and gravitate toward a natural palette. Their color comes from things that occur naturally: the green of trees and plants, or an indigo-dyed linen in a washed-out blue tone. The test is that it should not feel forced, and it should not be too bright.
See also How to Incorporate Biophilia into Your Home and Natural Elements in Fabric.
Designing for Real Family Life
Both designers are mothers with young families, and many of their clients have families too. “Function is key for us, but also for our clients,” they explain, and it stays top of mind throughout a project. Bringing function and style together to make a home right for one particular family is described as one of the favorite parts of the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the must-have pieces in a home?
According to Pure Salt Interiors, the foundational pieces that get the most use, such as the sofa, dining table and dining chairs, plus greenery in every home.
How do you decorate in a coastal style without it looking themed?
Layer natural textures such as seagrass, greenery and woven light fixtures, and skip the seashells.
How can I add color if I prefer a neutral home?
Use color that occurs naturally, like the green of plants or a soft, washed-out blue in indigo-dyed linen, and avoid anything too bright.
