The Classic Beach House

Grant White - Architectural Digest

This grand room in a home in the Caribbbean's Mustique combines classic and beachy elements. On a wall of the great room hangs two engravings of Trajan’s Column by Piranesi. A pair of 19th-century museum models of whales, flanked by antique cachepots filled with coral, rest on an 18th-century English side table. The silver bowl is from Christie’s.

There is an incredible amount of symmetry in this room - I count at least a dozen pairs. Two ideas I might borrow are the coral in the cachepots and the large shell filled with conch shells.

This large clamshell is a steal - I have one and love it. Fill it with lemons, limes, orchids, seashells, guest towels, toiletries, whatever you wish. Click on the caption to link.

Large Clam Shell

Jonathan Adler - Elle Decor

Ballard Designs

Savage Interior Design

Another interesting point about the room at top. Note the ceiling fan and the ceiling lantern lighting fixture hung fairly close to each other. I see this frequently in Caribbean homes, but I'm not sure I like the look. I use one or the other or recessed lighting. But living in South Florida, I love my ceiling fans. I couldn't live without them. 

In the summer, ceiling fans can make you feel up to 8 degrees cooler by creating a wind-chill effect. While 8 degrees seems like a small increment, it's quite a difference when it comes to your comfort. It makes a huge difference in your energy costs too - raising your thermostat and running ceiling fans can save you about 10% on your utility bill. Ceiling fans have come a long way - there are some beautiful ones out there.