Beach Couture in Malibu

Beach Couture in Malibu from Coastal Living features the Malibu beach house of stylist Anya Sarre. Sarre shares seven easy rules of style. I especially love how she incorporated monograms into almost every room!

 Article: Steele Thomas Marcoux, Photography: John Ellis, Styling: Elizabeth Beeler

1. Accessorize Your Space: "The right accessories can make even the most practical look shine. So on the balcony and around the house, Sarre piled on pillows for style. 'They’re like jewelry for a room,' she says. 'No space is complete without them!'"

2. Add a Hit of Color: "Sarre introduced vibrant rugs and chairs that set the tone in an otherwise all-white room. 'The colors feel resort-chic and beachy,'"

3. Make your Mark: "To Sarre, monograms represent a preppy, feminine sensibility, so she had a blast incorporating them into the home’s design—from hand towels in each bath and artwork throughout to the barstool seats in the kitchen. 'They’re a great way to personalize a house,' she says. 'I love how they look.'"

Yes, those barstools are monogrammed!

4. Keep it Simple: "Sarre's home forgoes a lot of pomp and circumstance for a simple, chic aesthetic that keeps the focus on the home’s ocean views, while still having fun thanks to irreverent accents and graphic prints throughout."

5. Designate a Gathering Spot: "Despite the narrow dimensions of the living room, the homeowners still manage to accommodate a crowd, thanks in large part to a custom, wrap-around banquette, which has become a hot spot for guests. 'It’s comfortable and has a great view,' says Sarre. 'We love to open the windows and feel the saltwater breezes.'"

6. Embrace the Old: "While the louvered shutters and v-groove paneling in the house needed a little TLC, Sarre was adamant that they stay put as an homage to the home’s original quaint, coastal feel. She compensated for the vast white expanses in the master bedroom by adding punchy accents of pink, turquoise, and silvery gray."

7. Give Hand-Me-Downs a Pick-Me-Up: "Sarre outfitted her son’s nursery with a bassinet that her grandfather built for her when she was a baby. The dark wood piece is now painted white to match the room, with a custom bumper and cushion and a monogram decal at each end. "Making a few modifications doesn’t change the fact that heirlooms are still a part of your family history,' she says. 'They add so much meaning to a space.'"