​ A Guide to Interior Design Styles: California Casual

California casual is an airy and light design style inspired by the laid-back luxury design of coastal living spaces. California cool inspired living brings the natural beachside element into the home with its clean aesthetic and neutral beach color palettes. The interior design style is cut back, giving it a deceptively effortless and simple look. Here is an overview of the Cali casual interior design style and how to find the perfect balance of key elements.

Set a Light and Airy Tone

One of the primary design features of California cool styled homes is they allow plenty of natural light to enter the home. Large windows, door skylights, and an open floor plan allow light to enter and easily bounce around the home. These elements create an open, bright, breezy, and welcoming atmosphere.

Have a White Foundation

California casual is all about merging the indoor and outdoor, so picking a popular color tone in nature is important. White walls are the hallmark of any Californian styled home and are an excellent base to build the rest of the home around. The white acts as the perfect blank canvas for the simplistic and effortless look.

Avoid combining too many colors as you end up losing the neutral foundation. White walls contribute to the airy and light feel to match the cheery California mood. They allow natural light to flow through the living space to set a bright and comfy mood.

Introduce Neutral Color Tones

California casual color palettes are often light and monochromatic. The white canvas gives plenty of chances for adding subtle and neutral colors. Consider adding dusky tones and off whites to achieve a breezy yet grounded effect that blends with the white. Grey, tan, sky blue, and a few pastel shades are great, breaking the neutrality of the white walls.

Inky tones with a hint of aqua make up California blue, which is often the best neutral color for this interior design style. In addition, the crisp contrast between deep navy blue and bright white can be worth exploring as dark colors help anchor a space. The resulting visual depth allows the natural texture to pop out.

Add Natural Textiles, Texture, and Subtle Patterns

Natural textures and textiles add life to a California casual styled home. Choose natural and relaxed textiles like beautiful geometric rugs or woven rattan to maintain warm living space. Linen and other breathable organic fabrics are common in West Coast homes. Artisanal baskets, hand-crafted beechwood mirrors, and earthenware pots are beautiful tactile pieces that help achieve the desired effect.

Light wood tones and textures are iconic for this type of interior design. Find as much tactile and raw textured wood to Incorporate into different rooms of your home. Wooden accents and furnishings help maintain a natural atmosphere as wood is one of the original neutrals. Great kitchen additions are woodcut sections for tabletops, rough edged chopping boards, and wooden bowls.

Open shelving supported by brass brackets is another important element of a California cool style kitchen. Avoid bold or complex color patterns for this style to maintain a chic and subtle California casual feel. The use of a subtle two-tone pattern helps bring out California cool’s minimalistic yet cozy design style.

Add Some Plants

An important feature of California casual is incorporating plants as part of the home décor. Indoor plants are great for adding color, life, energy, and freshness to a room. The house plants can vary from tabletop plants to ceiling sized trees with straggling branches to capture the diversity nature offers.

Potted plants are an excellent opportunity to bring in pottery accents, a popular element of California cool designs. Look for unique handcrafted planters to greatly improve the natural visual appeal of your home décor.

Have a Spa-Like Bathroom

A California casual styled home is incomplete without a magnificent bathroom with a large shower, mixed metals, porcelain bathtub, and marble finishes. The elegant bathroom has a clean white color scheme to create a sense of tranquility. You can fit a simple yet stylish barn door to help save space and complete the minimalistic look. Add organic elements like wood, plants seashells to set up the signature coastal California style.

Choose Barndoorz

The California casual design achieves a relaxed and welcoming feel by combining neutral colors and natural materials. At Barndoorz, we provide diverse collection styles and designs in sliding barn doors. Check out our online collection for the best interior rolling barn doors to help complete your California casual styled home.