January Has Arrived at Laughing Gull Hill! Homes With a Past Feel Better in the Present
At Laughing Gull Hill, our Sea Captain’s home doubles as my textile design studio—and a daily reminder that coastal homes are meant to work hard and look good doing it. These homes survive hurricanes, ordinary wind storms, daily abuse from the salt air and humidity YET expected to be in summer-season-ready condition to host family and friends.
I’ve spent decades helping home owners of multi-generational coastal homes make sense of quirky layouts and worn details. The launch of every new year presents all kinds of new opportunities and challenges. January is the pause-and-reset moment—the perfect time for rethinking how your home functions, how it feels, and where it needs a little tweak or complete revamp. Let's get started!
Aged Materials & Finishes – Weathered wood, cracked plaster, patinaed metals, and surfaces that can’t (and shouldn’t) be made pristine. Fix only what's broken if needed.
Layered Renovation History – Centuries of updates, repairs, and additions that don’t always align stylistically or structurally. Challenging room flow and function over aesthetics.
Coastal Wear & Tear – Salt air, humidity, sun exposure, and shifting foundations that accelerate aging and material movement. Structural vs non-structural?
Limited Modern Infrastructure – Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems adapted over time rather than designed holistically.
Balancing Preservation & Comfort – Respecting original craftsmanship while meeting today’s expectations for livability.
Visual Cohesion – Creating a collected, intentional look when walls, floors, and details refuse to be uniform.
Expectations – Understand that character comes from imperfection—and that charm often lives in the quirks.
Perfection Has Never Been What Makes a Home Feel Alive
Just like Paris, Venice, and a quaint fishing village in Santorini are loved for their imperfections - cracks, worn walls with peeling paint, multi-generational coastal homes wear their history on every floorboard, beam, and wall—imperfections that give them soul and character.
Using Laughing Gull Hill as our backdrop, let's explore how the imperfections of a coastal home that is 200+ years old add the "wow factor" to its current day decor. Walk in the front door and turn right into the original living room — the history hits you—rough-hewn beams, horsehair plaster walls, cracks, chips, and all. A few plaster repairs, a brush of Nantucket Red (concocted from Benjamin Moore’s Drop Dead Gorgeous #1329—(name is reason enough to use the color!) with an orange glaze, and voila imperfections become the lead story!
Adding a few of LGH's linen pillows featuring hand-sketched beach wash ashores for a pop of coastal emphasis quietly ties the lived-in pieces together, turning a home’s natural wear into a curated, intentional design story rather than something to hide.
Nothing is truer at Laughing Gull Hill than the kitchen being the heart of our home.
In a centuries-old coastal home, the kitchen asks for the most flexibility—and gives the most back when you lean into its quirks. Here, old wide-board floors were discovered beneath newer pine, running at charmingly wrong angles, and a crumbling brick fireplace was repointed, painted bright white, and repurposed as a firewood bin—instantly making the room feel lighter and brighter. Opening the kitchen to the dining room improved flow, while a once-hidden back staircase became a focal point, reimagined with my husband Phil’s Cotuit Skiff mast and gaff, complete with brass cleats and manila rope. Grounded in a black-and-white palette, layered with high-end stainless appliances, open shelving, and generous cabinetry, every so-called imperfection came together—imperfectly perfect.
Where Time-Worn Walls Set the Tone for Long Coastal Dinners
There’s a reason we feel instantly at ease in homes with a past.
Imperfections give us permission to relax. A room with character doesn’t ask us to perform — it invites us to settle in. When a home shows its age honestly, we breathe differently inside it. We linger longer. We stop worrying about preserving perfection and start enjoying presence.
The dining room walls began as horsehair plaster in rough shape, worn by centuries of coastal life. Rather than erase the past, we restored what we could and painted several coasts of a dark Grey with a subtle hand-ragged metallic glaze. The result is a layered backdrop that embraces imperfection—one that has held countless robust dinners around a well-loved 12-foot table, where history, texture, and gathering blend seamlessly.
Embracing Imperfection as a Design Feature in Coastal Homes...
Every room at Laughing Gull Hill speaks the same coastal story, each with its own quirks. Slanted, uneven floors remain underfoot, centuries-old beadboard—ripped from local pine trees—runs in widths that were never meant to match, and the awkward room layouts are part of the charm. Rather than fight these imperfections, the rooms are layered to blend visually. The result is a home that feels cohesive yet honest— authentically coastal, shaped by time, use, and the beauty of living with a past paying tribute to perfectly preserving the imperfections.
Frequently Asked Questions...
1. How do you decorate around uneven walls or floors?
By leaning in, not fighting them. Patterned wallpaper, hand-drawn motifs, textured fabrics, and layered finishes help visually soften inconsistencies and turn them into intentional design moments.
2. Do imperfections make a home feel dated?
Not when they’re thoughtfully layered with fresh color, modern lighting, and well-chosen materials. The contrast between old and new is what keeps a coastal home feeling timeless rather than stuck in the past.
3. Why does wallpaper work so well in older coastal homes?
Wallpaper adds movement and story—especially on imperfect surfaces. Hand-sketched patterns and organic designs complement uneven walls instead of highlighting flaws, making them feel collected and considered.
4. Can a home feel coastal without being themed?
Absolutely. True coastal design is about mood and material, not motifs. Subtle references—like texture, light, and nature-inspired patterns—feel far more authentic than obvious seaside symbols.
5. What makes an old coastal home feel “right”?
When it feels lived-in, layered, and a little imperfect. The charm is in what couldn’t be replicated today—preserving history and original construction techniques is exactly what makes it special.
The Author: Beth Odence
Beth Odence is the owner and creative director behind Laughing Gull Hill. With a background in interior design and home staging, she is no stranger to finding strikingly beautiful ways to incorporate old and new details into cohesive spaces. Her home and studio at Laughing Gull Hill are testament to her keen eye for design.
Coastal Wallpaper & Fabric for Perfectly Imperfect Coastal Homes
"The First Month Arrives Like a Fresh Canvas, Waiting for Life's Art."
Table of Contents
January Has Arrived at Laughing Gull Hill! Homes With a Past Feel Better in the Present
At Laughing Gull Hill, our Sea Captain’s home doubles as my textile design studio—and a daily reminder that coastal homes are meant to work hard and look good doing it. These homes survive hurricanes, ordinary wind storms, daily abuse from the salt air and humidity YET expected to be in summer-season-ready condition to host family and friends.
I’ve spent decades helping home owners of multi-generational coastal homes make sense of quirky layouts and worn details. The launch of every new year presents all kinds of new opportunities and challenges. January is the pause-and-reset moment—the perfect time for rethinking how your home functions, how it feels, and where it needs a little tweak or complete revamp. Let's get started!
Think Like An Interior Design Pro
What to Consider and Evaluate
Irregular Architecture – Out-of-square rooms, sloped floors, uneven ceiling lines, challenging room dimensions.
Aged Materials & Finishes – Weathered wood, cracked plaster, patinaed metals, and surfaces that can’t (and shouldn’t) be made pristine. Fix only what's broken if needed.
Layered Renovation History – Centuries of updates, repairs, and additions that don’t always align stylistically or structurally. Challenging room flow and function over aesthetics.
Coastal Wear & Tear – Salt air, humidity, sun exposure, and shifting foundations that accelerate aging and material movement. Structural vs non-structural?
Limited Modern Infrastructure – Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC systems adapted over time rather than designed holistically.
Balancing Preservation & Comfort – Respecting original craftsmanship while meeting today’s expectations for livability.
Visual Cohesion – Creating a collected, intentional look when walls, floors, and details refuse to be uniform.
Expectations – Understand that character comes from imperfection—and that charm often lives in the quirks.
Perfection Has Never Been What Makes a Home Feel Alive
Just like Paris, Venice, and a quaint fishing village in Santorini are loved for their imperfections - cracks, worn walls with peeling paint, multi-generational coastal homes wear their history on every floorboard, beam, and wall—imperfections that give them soul and character.
Using Laughing Gull Hill as our backdrop, let's explore how the imperfections of a coastal home that is 200+ years old add the "wow factor" to its current day decor. Walk in the front door and turn right into the original living room — the history hits you—rough-hewn beams, horsehair plaster walls, cracks, chips, and all. A few plaster repairs, a brush of Nantucket Red (concocted from Benjamin Moore’s Drop Dead Gorgeous #1329—(name is reason enough to use the color!) with an orange glaze, and voila imperfections become the lead story!
Adding a few of LGH's linen pillows featuring hand-sketched beach wash ashores for a pop of coastal emphasis quietly ties the lived-in pieces together, turning a home’s natural wear into a curated, intentional design story rather than something to hide.
The Heart of the House Still Beating Strong
/products/wallpaper-oyster-shell-cape-cod-grey
Nothing is truer at Laughing Gull Hill than the kitchen being the heart of our home.
In a centuries-old coastal home, the kitchen asks for the most flexibility—and gives the most back when you lean into its quirks. Here, old wide-board floors were discovered beneath newer pine, running at charmingly wrong angles, and a crumbling brick fireplace was repointed, painted bright white, and repurposed as a firewood bin—instantly making the room feel lighter and brighter. Opening the kitchen to the dining room improved flow, while a once-hidden back staircase became a focal point, reimagined with my husband Phil’s Cotuit Skiff mast and gaff, complete with brass cleats and manila rope. Grounded in a black-and-white palette, layered with high-end stainless appliances, open shelving, and generous cabinetry, every so-called imperfection came together—imperfectly perfect.
Where Time-Worn Walls Set the Tone for Long Coastal Dinners
There’s a reason we feel instantly at ease in homes with a past.
Imperfections give us permission to relax. A room with character doesn’t ask us to perform — it invites us to settle in. When a home shows its age honestly, we breathe differently inside it. We linger longer. We stop worrying about preserving perfection and start enjoying presence.
The dining room walls began as horsehair plaster in rough shape, worn by centuries of coastal life. Rather than erase the past, we restored what we could and painted several coasts of a dark Grey with a subtle hand-ragged metallic glaze. The result is a layered backdrop that embraces imperfection—one that has held countless robust dinners around a well-loved 12-foot table, where history, texture, and gathering blend seamlessly.
Lessons from Laughing Gull Hill: Layering Hand-Sketched Coastal Fabrics & Wallpaper
Conclusion
Embracing Imperfection as a Design Feature in Coastal Homes...
Every room at Laughing Gull Hill speaks the same coastal story, each with its own quirks. Slanted, uneven floors remain underfoot, centuries-old beadboard—ripped from local pine trees—runs in widths that were never meant to match, and the awkward room layouts are part of the charm. Rather than fight these imperfections, the rooms are layered to blend visually. The result is a home that feels cohesive yet honest— authentically coastal, shaped by time, use, and the beauty of living with a past paying tribute to perfectly preserving the imperfections.
Frequently Asked Questions...
1. How do you decorate around uneven walls or floors?
By leaning in, not fighting them. Patterned wallpaper, hand-drawn motifs, textured fabrics, and layered finishes help visually soften inconsistencies and turn them into intentional design moments.
2. Do imperfections make a home feel dated?
Not when they’re thoughtfully layered with fresh color, modern lighting, and well-chosen materials. The contrast between old and new is what keeps a coastal home feeling timeless rather than stuck in the past.
3. Why does wallpaper work so well in older coastal homes?
Wallpaper adds movement and story—especially on imperfect surfaces. Hand-sketched patterns and organic designs complement uneven walls instead of highlighting flaws, making them feel collected and considered.
4. Can a home feel coastal without being themed?
Absolutely. True coastal design is about mood and material, not motifs. Subtle references—like texture, light, and nature-inspired patterns—feel far more authentic than obvious seaside symbols.
5. What makes an old coastal home feel “right”?
When it feels lived-in, layered, and a little imperfect. The charm is in what couldn’t be replicated today—preserving history and original construction techniques is exactly what makes it special.
The Author: Beth Odence
Beth Odence is the owner and creative director behind Laughing Gull Hill. With a background in interior design and home staging, she is no stranger to finding strikingly beautiful ways to incorporate old and new details into cohesive spaces. Her home and studio at Laughing Gull Hill are testament to her keen eye for design.
Related Readings... Get Inspired!
Let Your Walls Do the Talking: Coastal Wallpaper That Tells a Story
2025 Coastal Décor Trends Part II - Biophilic Design
2025 Summer Coastal Décor Trends - Lighting the Way