'In With The Old' Shows Us A Unique Way To Incorporate Summer Seashells Into Your Home
Fans of the Magnolia Network's "In with the Old" regularly get a glimpse of what it's like to renovate a historic home in disrepair into a beautiful, livable space. In a season 4 episode, homeowners Tim Trojan and Eliza Clark find personal ways to "bring some love back" into a house built in 1926 by a sea captain (Via MAX). As part of the extensive first-floor redo of the family's summer home, Clark and her daughter, Arden Wray — proprietors of the design firm Byrd Studio in Catskills, New York — took on the challenge of incorporating some of Clark's nature collections into both the renovations and decorative touches. This includes adding oyster shells gleaned from the property to the wall over a fireplace in what Clark dubbed a 'coquillage' — a French word alluding to decorating with shells.
"I can't go outside without finding a bird's nest or picking up a rock or a feather and bringing it inside," says Clark of her nature collectibles. But when she presented the idea of augmenting a wall with shells to Wray, there was some skepticism about her vision. Once they agreed on how to space and arrange the shells, however, Clark went to work on the design. The finished wall, along with a mantel decorated with hurricane candles, more decorative shells, and an old pottery vase filled with sprigs of greenery, fit in perfectly with the overarching theme of what they ended up calling the 'Nature Room.'
More on decorating with seashells
Coastal grandma and boho beach aesthetics offer ideas for ways to transform any home into what feels like a seaside retreat. If you're adventurous, like the decorators of the Maryland home featured on "In With the Old," you can try your hand at attaching a cache of interesting shells you've collected to an accent wall in coquillage fashion. Decorative mirrors, planters, and furniture can also be accented with collections of beautiful shells, or you can turn them into cute table dishes. Incorporating shells into your décor doesn't have to lead to a DIY project, though, since you can buy ready-made accents like wreaths, encrusted boxes, and even furniture similar to the statement-making bar decorated with pretty shells also featured in the show.
For even easier decorating with seashell collections you've curated yourself, simply arrange them under a glass dome, fill a decorative tray with them, or place some extra pretty ones in a clear glass vase. Larger conch shells can stand alone on a shelf or mantel and look lovely amid other natural collections. What's even better? You'll recall all those wonderful trips to the beach you made curating your collection of natural wonders each time you look at them in your home.