How to create interiors inspired by the sea

Create a glamorous corner for reading or just watching the world go by with a mixture of statement furniture and intriguing natural history artefacts.

Glamorous reading corner with an Art Deco cloud armchair — - -

Shell-shape and Bristol fashion: let a chic cabinet like this one sing out with a selection of carefully positioned standout collectables. Here, the gold is picked out in the shell lamp and pouffe.

Chic white and gold sideboard styled with oceanic antiques — Pale Powder Estate Emulsion, £46.50 for 2.5l, Farrow & Ball. Three Captain Brown shell engravings, £2,808 for set of nine, Lorfords. Nizwa three-door cabinet, £9,420, Bethan Gray. On cabinet: String of Pearls plant in pot, stylist’s own; early French gilt metal shell table lamp, £310, Muir Antiques; large shell, £45, Chloe Antiques; vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre Marina Angel Fish desk clock, £2,300, Regent Antiques; three glass decanters, £28 each, Focus on the Past; decanter labels, £9 each, Focus on the Past; large coral on stand, £750, Lorfords. Speckled Gold Cowhide rug, £425, Graham & Green. Metallic Gold Moroccan leather pouffe, £150, Graham & Green. - -

An old printer’s tray, either left plain or painted, is an inspired way to display a collection of small shells and curios. You can mount it on the wall or prop it up securely on a cabinet and rearrange your treasures to your heart’s content.

A painted printers tray filled with a collection on shells and curios — - -

Plates such as these were made to be seen, not just eaten from or used as serving platters. Put on display on a dresser or arrange on the wall as artwork.

Add texture and soft furnishings to emphasise the sense of luxury. Soft pinks tone well with aqua and blue to mirror the inside of

a seashell in the deep blue sea

A luxury dressing room set up with a pink petal chair — - -

Pearly white and gilt are a marriage made in heaven. This delicately detailed chest of drawers is elevated by the mirror and sconces and would look delightful in a bedroom or hall.

Pearly white and gilt chest of drawers — - -

Your own cabinet of curiosities can be made anywhere – from a bathroom to a spot at the top of the stairs

Painted blue cabinet of curiosities — - -

Play with your scheme,choosing wallcoverings in soothing blue and green tones that give the impression of coastal landscapes. These scallop-shaped tiles give the effect of scales and would look striking in a bathroom, especially teamed with antique pottery and a bleached wood console table.

Buying coral

Shopping for coral is one of the rare situations when we would suggest you might consider seeking out a fake option. Coral is an essential component of our oceans and, while antique artefacts are not generally considered to be doing any harm any more, fresh specimens must not be pulled from their natural environment today. We have ensured that all of the coral in this shoot is genuinely antique by sourcing from reputable dealers that we trust. If you are not confident that the piece of real coral you are considering buying is a genuine antique, consider buying replica instead. Graham & Green, Kelly Hoppen and Cox & Cox, among many others, have some beautiful faux coral in a range of sizes.

Photographs: Philip Sowels

Styling: Jaine Bevan

Stockists

Brownrigg01666 500887; brownrigg-interiors.co.uk

Cole & Son 020 8442 8844; cole-and-son.com

Dunelm 0345 165 6565; dunelm.com

Farrow & Ball01202 876141; farrow-ball.com

Focus on the Past0117 973 8080; focusonthepast.org

Graham & Brown0808 168 3795; grahambrown.com

Graham & Green01225 418200; grahamandgreen.co.uk

Lorfords01666 505111; lorfordsantiques.com

Old Albion07879 051362; theoldalbion.com

Rachel's & Michael's Antiques0117 329 8989; rachelsandmichaelsantiques.com

Rag & Bone Bristol0117 329 8989; ragandbonebristol.com

Rockett St George01444 253391; rockettstgeorge.co.uk