10 Coastal Kitchen Recipes to Inspire You

thickskin is correct. Here in BC, Canada, our waterfront cabin is exposed to the unforgiving ocean environment... even the stainless steel hinges selected for the French doors to the deck were corroded a year later (stainless comes in varying qualities!). Between salty air, moisture/humidity (including plenty rain), an unheated interior while we're not there in winter, very hot air in summer, material selection becomes key. For example, we have pine T&G ceilings and although they were well acclimated, we still see slight cupping part of the year. Wood reacts in various ways to damp, temperature fluctuations, and so on, not always the way you want or think. I originally spec'ed laminate flooring because it's more stable than engineered hardwood, and more scratch-resistant (think dog claws and gritty feet), but now the new vinyl flooring products offer a better option (am about to shell out on a good quality product for a floating installation): survives wetness better and it's more stable than laminate or hardwood. One bonus is it's relatively easy to replace a patch if damage happens. Another big bonus: the brand I selected has a skookum stair nosing that looks good and will last far longer than previous permutations of cheap-looking laminate nosings. Another big consideration is mould, which thrives on cotton, amongst other materials - think towels, linens, area rugs, canvas, quilts, throws, etc... ! Beachy living should be maintenance- and care-free. So no matter which "style" from the above you like, research the products (read the specs, call the tech product people, hire a designer).

Penwork Design, if cotton is so impractical, what other textiles would you suggest?

thank you.

Keira: If you click on a picture, it sometimes has green tags on it which tell you what a product is. If the product isn't tagged, there is a spot on that page to ask questions of the designer. In this case, someone already asked & the sink is the same material as the counter: honed black slate. You can get asimilar look from other materials.