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07
Modern
Coastal

Modern Coastal is expanding beyond its beachside roots to become an elevated, joyful and effortless style for any location. The look now embodies a refreshing coastal state of mind that is calm, playful and open, whether by the sea or in the city.

Download the full Design Handbook for a more in depth look at design themes, inspiration, floorplans, landscaping and more.

Download the full Modern Coastal Design Handbook

Elevated, joyful & effortless

The feel-good style moves beyond the charming beach house aesthetic to encompass considered comfort, bringing coastal warmth into cities and suburban settings. This year, the palette shifted from airy light tones to warm pastels and citrus accents, deepening the emotional warmth of the style.

Contents:

  • Lifestyle themes NEW
  • Floorplan NEW
  • Design features
  • Cladding solutions
  • Colour palette
  • Style variations
  • Materials & textures
  • Landscaping NEW
  • Styling
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Lifestyle themes

Guided by elevated, creative and multigenerational ways of living, the Modern Coastal home responds to contemporary life with effortless style and warmth–balancing joyful expression, relaxed comfort and adaptable, light-filled spaces that support connection, autonomy and uplifting everyday living.

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Evolved Living

Evolved Living in Modern Coastal celebrates flexibility and ease, pairing light-filled layouts with adaptable zones, breezy connections and tactile finishes to support comfort, longevity and evolving family life.

Creative Living

Modern Coastal infuses everyday living with coastal optimism through sun-washed palettes and breezy forms, encouraging emotional uplift and relaxed expression.

Multigenerational Living

Adaptable layouts support multigenerational households with ease. Upstairs-downstairs living, private retreats, and shared zones allow families to co-exist comfortably while maintaining autonomy and connection.

Autonomous Living

Modern Coastal homes increasingly support self-directed lifestyles. Smart zoning, intuitive layouts and integrated technologies enable residents to personalise their routines, manage energy use and enjoy seamless indoor-outdoor transitions.
JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 3

For additional insights in to the lifestyle shifts shaping Modern Coastal homes today, Download the full Design Handbook to gain expert insight from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Modern Coastal Design Handbook

Design features

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1 Architectural apertures

Windows and openings are designed to maximise natural light and airflow, using expressive framing and shading elements that add architectural character and coastal calm.
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2 Weatherboard exterior

The facade typically features weatherboard cladding with deep shadow lines to add coastal charm without the maintenance of traditional timber.
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3 Warm colours

A palette of warm whites for the exterior, accented by muted pastel and citrus tones, evokes coastal optimism and is balanced by chalky matte finishes for a calming counterpoint.
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4 Connected living zones

Wide-stacking doors, sliding glass panels and breezy screens create seamless transitions between indoors and out, encouraging connection and a resort-like sense of ease.

Cladding solutions

Modern Coastal cladding layers breezy weatherboards with smooth and textured contemporary profiles, enabling expressive exteriors that capture coastal optimism while supporting durability, airflow and relaxed indoor–outdoor living.

Ready to specify Hardie™ fibre cement products in your next project?

Order a sample

Colour palette

These colour palettes blend soft coastal neutrals with warm pastels, balanced by subtle citrus accents. Gentle hues and chalky finishes enhance natural light and relaxed elegance while creating a joyful, effortless coastal atmosphere.

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JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 3

Want to understand how colour shapes the Modern Coastal aesthetic? Download the Design Handbook for insight into the colour palette from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Modern Coastal Design Handbook

Scheme 1

Scheme 2

Scheme 3

Roof
Main Walls
Trims
Front Door
Rectangle 143

Zincalume® steel

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Dulux® Delicate Bloom Half
Wattyl® Warm Sand
Taubmans® Soft Coral

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Rectangle 218
Natural Timber

Colorbond® steel Surfmist®

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Dulux® Oyster Linen
Wattyl® Jest
Taubmans® Vellum Smoke

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

150ff25f304c17ca80b04a1e6f95bb2cb3cdcb41 1
Natural Timber

Colorbond® steel Dover White®

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Dulux® Shell Haven Quarter
Wattyl® Soft Siamese
Taubmans® Ocean Pearl

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Dulux® Gold Rush
Wattyl® Pharaohs Gold
Taubmans® Rise and Shine

Image Ratios (3)

Scheme 1

Scheme 2

Scheme 3

Roof
Main Walls
Trims
Front Door
Rectangle 143

Zincalume® steel

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Dulux® Delicate Bloom Half
Wattyl® Warm Sand
Taubmans® Soft Coral

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Rectangle 218
Natural Timber

Colorbond® steel Surfmist®

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Dulux® Oyster Linen
Wattyl® Jest
Taubmans® Vellum Smoke

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

150ff25f304c17ca80b04a1e6f95bb2cb3cdcb41 1
Natural Timber

Colorbond® steel Dover White®

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Wattyl® Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Dulux® Shell Haven Quarter
Wattyl® Soft Siamese
Taubmans® Ocean Pearl

Dulux® Colorbond® Surfmist®
Solagard® Colorbond® steel Surfmist®
Taubmans® Colorbond® Surfmist®

Dulux® Gold Rush
Wattyl® Pharaohs Gold
Taubmans® Rise and Shine

JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 3

Want to understand how colour shapes the Modern Coastal aesthetic? Download the Design Handbook for insight into the colour palette from Jenny Li of WGSN.

Download the full Modern Coastal Design Handbook

Style variations

While the relaxed coastal language anchors Modern Coastal, variations respond to lifestyle, site orientation and climate. Layouts, material palettes and indoor–outdoor detailing adapt to context, enabling breezy homes that balance comfort, flexibility, connection and long-term performance across evolving family needs.

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Hamptons Coastal

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Box Modern Coastal 

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Pavilion Coastal

Download the full Modern Coastal Design Handbook

Get the Look

Materials & textures

A layered material palette combines timber, stone and limewashed surfaces with woven fibres and brushed metal accents. Smooth finishes meet textured elements, creating depth, tactility and a relaxed, refined coastal atmosphere.

Image Ratios (7)
Editor Avatar

Hear directly from VOGUE Living Editor Rebecca Caratti on material choices. Download the full Design Handbook for exclusive insights.

Download the full Modern Coastal Design Handbook
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Exterior

  • 1

    PVC Decking, Vintage Collection®, Coastline,
    TimberTech®

  • 2

    Premium Bluestone Stepping Stone, RMS
    Traders

  • 3

    Newport Matte White Small Square Tile, Tilecloud

  • 4

    Green Sukabumi Blai Stone Pool Mosaic, RMS
    Traders

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Flooring

  • 5

    Alta Engineered Floorboards, Kustom Timber

  • 6

    Graphite Sisal, The Natural Floorcovering Centre

  • 7

    Nueve European Oak Floorboards, Tongue &
    Groove

  • 8

    Insernia Natural Stone Tiles, Artedomus

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Windows & Walls

  • 9

    Bone Limewash Interior Paint, Bauwerk Colour

  • 10

    Brushed Nickel Trim

  • 11

    Cashmere Interior Paint, Porter's Paints

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Cabinetry

  • 12

    Laminex Whitewashed Oak, Laminex

  • 13

    Laminex Porcelain Blush, Laminex

  • 14

    Laminex Coolum Sand, Laminex

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Tiles

  • 15

    Newport Matte White Small Square Tile, Tilecloud

  • 16

    Clovelly Travertine Look Crazy Paving Tile,
    Tilecloud

  • 17

    Materia Gesso Mosaic, Di Lorenzo Tiles

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Textiles

  • 18

    Ovis Onyx Upholstery, Warwick

  • 19

    Hampstead Linen Upholstery, James Dunlop
    Textiles

  • 20

    Sardinia Curtain, Dune, James Dunlop Textiles

  • 21

    Salento Curtain, Whitewash, James Dunlop
    Textiles

Get the Look

Materials & textures

A layered material palette combines timber, stone and limewashed surfaces with woven fibres and brushed metal accents. Smooth finishes meet textured elements, creating depth, tactility and a relaxed, refined coastal atmosphere.

Image Ratios (7)
Small Image1
Small Image2
Small Image3
Small Image4

Exterior

  • 1

    PVC Decking, Vintage Collection®, Coastline,
    TimberTech®

  • 2

    Premium Bluestone Stepping Stone, RMS
    Traders

  • 3

    Newport Matte White Small Square Tile, Tilecloud

  • 4

    Green Sukabumi Blai Stone Pool Mosaic, RMS
    Traders

Editor Avatar

Hear directly from VOGUE Living Editor Rebecca Caratti on material choices. Download the full Design Handbook for exclusive insights.

Download the full Modern Coastal Design Handbook

Landscaping

Landscaping extends the relaxed, sun-washed character of Modern Coastal homes, layering breezy planting, textured paths and shaded outdoor rooms. Gardens foster connection and ease, unfolding as restorative retreats that celebrate light, airflow and seamless indoor–outdoor living across changing seasons.

brushed concrete-axent trim-axon-barn-modernhomesforecast2026-jameshardie-Rear 2 (1)
JAM2677 MHF 2026 Campaign Dev 4 9 2

Find a detailed, climate specific planting list in the full Design Handbook, with expert insight from Matt Leacy, Director of Landart.

Download the full Modern Coastal Design Handbook
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