Blues, Whites, and Rattan All Over: How Designer Phoebe Howard Infuses Beach Vibes (No Matter the Home’s Locale)

When the interior designer Phoebe Howard dreamed up her latest coffee-table tome, The Waterfront House, she was looking out at the clear blue ocean in Antigua. “I was decorating three houses there back-to-back,” Howard recalls. “And I was enthralled with the beautiful scenery in every direction and realized I was doing many waterfront houses, including my own in Jacksonville, Florida, and the book began to take shape.”

Howard, who began her career in the Sunshine State in the nineties and has since spread to Atlanta and beyond, is known for her thoughtfully edited Mrs. Howard and Max & Company stores across the South and her furniture line with Sherrill. Though this is her fifth decorating book, she soaked up the laid-back premise of this particular subject. “There’s an undeniable sense of peace and calm when you’re on the water,” she says.

Throughout its pages, Howard consistently illustrates how to blur the line between indoor and outdoor spaces. Her favorite project, which is featured on the cover, brings this idea to life. Situated on Jolly Harbor in Antigua, Howard says of the property: “You can relax in the pool, enjoy lingering meals outside, or kick back on a chaise lounge and read a book. It embodies all the best elements of a waterfront house.”

She also demonstrates how to go beyond the beloved blue and white color palettes of many coastal homes (though you’ll find plenty of that, too). “In a few of the houses,” Howard says, “I used neutrals, which actually amplify the colors of the lush greenery and beautiful blues of the water and sky beyond the windows.”

And even if you aren’t lucky enough to own a waterfront cottage or getaway, not to worry. Howard has advice for how to bring the idea home, anywhere. “It’s all about creating a relaxed atmosphere with nothing that is too precious or off limits,” she says. “Use a lot of wicker and natural elements to promote a casual feeling and employ outdoor fabrics wherever possible to make the space feel carefree.” Howard loves using informal fabrics like cottons and linens, washed wood finishes to keep the mood light, and abaca rugs by Patterson Flynn, along with any other elements with that same sort of natural fiber look: jute, rush, and seagrass, to name a few. “Outdoor rugs can be used inside or outside,” she says of this waterside aesthetic. “When I place them indoors, I usually specify them in houses where there will be heavy wear and tear, or wet, sandy feet.”

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