Ethan’s Modern Coastal Teenage Boy Bedroom

Designing a teenage boy bedroom doesn’t have to be a difficult task! Take a look at Ethan’s room to see how we achieved both function and style!

Teenage Boy Bedroom

The biggest design problem that often comes with decorating a boys’ teen bedroom is finding the right balance between being too matchy and too mismatched. (Gone are the days of decorating an entire room around his favorite sport!)

Ethan was insistent that we didn’t do any sort of theme or color scheme – and this was new territory for me, but I actually 100% agree.

So when choosing the overall design of Ethan’s room, I wanted to find a way to showcase his hobbies and interests:

• We travel a lot as a family, and he wanted large artwork of some of his favorite destinations.
• Ethan collects glass soda bottles and flags from various places we visit.
• He is a huge LA Kings fan, and he has quite a few trophies of his own to display.

The modern coastal design we came up uses his personal belongings and makes everything coordinate without being too juvenile.

Modern coastal design blends the breezy, relaxed elements of traditional coastal decor with clean lines and contemporary features.

It’s a fresh take on seaside-inspired interiors that feels polished yet relaxed, perfect for a stylish yet comfortable home.

Key Features of Modern Coastal Design:

*All the products we used in this space will be linked at the end of this post.

• Color Palette: While traditional coastal design relies heavily on soft blues and sandy hues, modern coastal often features a more minimalist color scheme. White and neutral tones are the base, accented by deeper shades of navy, charcoal, or muted sea greens. The overall vibe is light, airy, and calm, but with a refined edge.

Ethan’s bedding is from Beddy’s – I actually purchased it 3 years ago. I added a navy blanket + some new throw pillows. (All of which can usually be found on the floor!)

Use code StephanieD for 20% off your Beddy’s order.

• Natural Materials: Wood, rattan, linen, and jute are still present, but they’re used in a sleeker, more streamlined way. For example, reclaimed wood might be used for furniture but in clean, modern silhouettes. Woven textures like seagrass rugs or rattan chairs bring warmth and a coastal feel, while linen upholstery keeps it casual yet elegant.

While he might have outgrown his Hockey Room, his love for hockey still runs deep.

We kept the Hockey Shelf I made all those years ago, which allows for some hidden storage of all the things we didn’t want on display.

• Clean Lines & Minimalism: Modern coastal design emphasizes simplicity. Furniture and decor have straight, clean lines with little ornamentation. There’s a sense of openness and minimal clutter, allowing the natural beauty of the room to shine.

I told Ethan he isn’t allowed to collect any more soda bottles now that his room is finished. 😉 All the bottles he has look perfect as they are!

• Subtle Coastal Elements: In modern coastal design, nods to the beach are subtle and tasteful, often seen through textures, colors, or a few carefully chosen decor pieces like abstract ocean art, seashells, or coral. Nautical or beach motifs are toned down, focusing more on an overall feeling of tranquility rather than overt theming.

For Ethan’s teenage boy bedroom, we brought in the coastal feel by adding black and white prints of the beach, as well as some prints from other vacation locations. Using black and white photography helped coordinate each print so we didn’t have to find matching color tones and hues, and I love the clean lines of the white frames on our gray walls.

• Refined Furniture: Furniture tends to be more structured and sophisticated compared to the rustic, weathered look in traditional coastal styles. Clean, modern furniture with soft cushions for comfort keeps the space casual without feeling cluttered.

My only fear is that this room is so awesome, he may never want to leave home.

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