I just got home late last night from a fun family getaway to Hawaii. We went to Oahu and spent two nights in Waikiki and the rest of our time at a rented beach house in Lai'e. We booked the house through Vacation Rentals By Owner (vrbo.com), which we've done in the past as well and have been overly happy with our results. I like to use places that already have great reviews just for the comfort of knowing what others think (this house had 99% votes of 5/5 stars). If you remember back to when I traveled to Portugal, we used Airbnb, which I also highly recommend. Staying in homes instead of hotels gives you a more intimate feel of where you are visiting (although I miss getting my bed made for me every day : ) and lots of times you can find better rates as well (especially when travelling with a group).
I'll give you a little glimps into my days of paradise in Lai'e -
I'll give you a little glimps into my days of paradise in Lai'e -
Picture one is the stairs down to our beach. All beaches are apparently public, but since the public access is 1/4 mile down the beach, it felt private the whole entire time. The second picture is of my boys enjoying the water and sun at our little beach, which is called Bathtub beach. Btw- how ideal is that water for little kids?
It was dreamy. So dreamy in fact, that while I was at our rented house it made me start thinking about how I would refurnish the place to make it not seem so overly beachy (think Hawaiian print sofa...) but still pay a needed respect to the ocean that was out our back door. So just for fun, I thought I'd look around the web for some fun, random items for a beach house.
Belvedere Hanging Lamp from Z Gallerie. This reminds me of the sparkle of the sun on the water.
Timber Table Lamp from Z Gallerie. With Big trees as a back drop to the beautiful ocean, I'd want to bring some of that wood inside.
Loft Round Mirror from Room and Board. This circle mirror gives a porthole look... which brings a nautical feel to the space.
Bone Side Table from West Elm. The bone is reminiscent of shells.
Ikat Links Rug from West Elm. The links in this rug look like a net to me, and because its an ikat print, it softens the look of it and reminds me of water movement.
Five-Position Chair Frame from World Market. How good looking is this chair? I'd love to sport this at the beach.
What about you, readers? What feels "beachy" to you?
