Modern Coastal Pink and Green Sitting Room Design

When we moved into our new house, I knew I wanted a space of my own where I could work on creative projects and relax. The result is a modern coastal pink and green sitting room that is perfect for reading or painting! Our house has a front room connected to the kitchen that would traditionally be used as a formal dining room. As we were building this house, we decided to have French doors added to the room to have the ability to close it off for privacy and separation from the entryway.

I unfortunately do not have many before pictures of this room, but do have one. It was truly a blank canvas!

Coastal Sitting Room Inspiration

The first thing I always do when designing a new space is choose a few inspirational images to serve as the foundation for the plan of the room. I always have a running list of inspirational images on Pinterest and in personal journals. Call me old fashioned, but I still thumb through magazines and catalogs from time to time, cutting out images and pasting them into journals. For my sitting room in particular, I had a clipping of classic pink living room with green coastal accents that I knew I want to replicate in my space.

I unfortunately don’t remember where I clipped this from and can’t find it online, otherwise I’d credit it.

Design Plan

When designing this space, I knew I wanted various seating options, including a table for projects and separate seating for relaxation. I knew that I wouldn’t need much storage space for what I’d be working on, so did not plan for any storage furniture. Planning for the function of the space ultimately made it easier to pull all the pieces of the room together.

Pink and Green Color Palette

I’ve always loved the color combination of pink and green. The paint color I chose is Benjamin Moore Melted Ice Cream. Based on my inspirational image, I knew I wanted green accents and some areas where I had high contrast to achieve the modern, coastal look I was going for.

Selecting Modern Furniture

We downsized to this house, so I wanted to make the best use of the furniture I already had. The two high back chairs, the round white table and the marble top side table were all things we already owned. It’s so easy to look at home decor catalogs, social media and retailers and believe that you need to “start over” when refreshing a space. I know I used to feel this way when I couldn’t quite achieve the look I was going for. I now accept that personal style is best expressed when rooms don’t look exactly like a catalog or magazine. It’s also easier on the wallet!

Here are the high back chairs. The side table is no longer available, but here’s a similar one. The round white table used to be our kitchen table. It’s from Crate & Barrel, but no longer available. Here’s a similar one. The only furniture addition I knew I wanted to make to this space was adding two stools that could be used as footstools or as stools to work at the table. These are the stools I picked.

Choosing Lighting

Choosing lighting for a space is another component of a room that is all about function. It is important to think about how you will use the space when planning for lighting. Lighting selections can also be centered around seating areas in the space. In my case, I knew I would need a small lamp for when I sat in the high back chairs. I’ve had the crystal side table lamp since I was in college. Overhead lighting would be necessary for working at the table. Light fixtures are a great place to bring in the style of your space, so I selected one with a strong coastal vibe here. Factoring in natural lighting is also an important step when planning lighting. There are two windows in this space that are a good size for the room. I don’t want to block this natural light, so I just hung these high contrast black and white curtains. Gold curtain rods complete the look. Similar ones can be found here.

Selecting Decor Items

I love choosing decorative accessories for a space, it’s the best part! To stick with the modern, coastal theme I was going for, I added a new woven rug, flamingo art and a couple faux palm leaves in an old sea glass colored vase. I already had all of the pillows, the X stool and the kids portraits.

What do you think of the pink and green color palette? Is it something you’d try out in your own home? Let me know in the comments!