Are you ready for a home tour that feels like summer on the coast with a splash of Americana? This year, I decorated with Coastal Patriotic Vintage Decor—a charming mix of antique touches, fisherman core summer decor, and classic red, white, and blue.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, these ideas and designer tips will carry your home through the summer months with warmth and character. Let's get started!
Coastal Patriotic Vintage Decor
Let’s start at the front door, where friends and family come in and get a hint of what is to come.
Coastal Front Door and Wreath
An easy way to add red, white, and blue is to place some stick flags to make a patriotic wreath.
It is the little details that make a good design great!
Now let's head inside.
This year, I kept the main elements the same—a mirror, lamb's ear wreath, and bronze wall sconces—but I added a few new touches to give the room that patriotic cottage feel.
Entryway: Welcoming Coastal Americana
On the entry table, I styled my scalloped basket tray from Walmart with a vintage navy colored book and a sailboat sourced at a vintage mall in Locust Grove, Georgia. Here is a great example of mixing old and new, fishermen, coastal, and patriotic.
I also added a brass candlestick with a taper candle and one of my favorite finds—a George Washington bust from Michael’s. It’s part of a set of three you’ll see throughout the home.
My new favorite piece might be that Brooks Brothers sweater flag pillow I found at Marshalls—it’s tucked into a vintage French bistro chair. Different textures add character to a space, so this soft knit fabric brought warmth to this hard metal chair.
Down the hallway, our white bench is dressed with a white linen ruffled pillow and a blue and white striped seersucker pillow in front.
I hung a basket on the front of the bench and filled it with faux flowers from Target Hearth & Hand. Above all is a vintage clipper ship print found while shopping for estate sales.
Adding the vintage clipper ship continues that fisherman core vibe.
Living Room: Inspired by a Sailboat Printable
The whole look started with this watercolor sailboat art I designed. It has American flags on the top of the sails and really sets the tone. I printed it at Walgreens in 16×20, gave it a decoupage finish, and framed it in a vintage frame layered in front of a white mirror.
Click on sailboat art to check out more about this printable design. It is already one of my top sellers this summer.
From the mirror, I draped a faded garage sale flag down the mantel. The red, white, and blue truly make a statement.
To the right, I added three vintage brass candlestick holders. On the left, some red, white, and blue books with a flower frog holding tiny flags helped balance things. I love how it brings symmetry.
Down on the hearth are two baskets. One has faux white hydrangea, which reminds me of Nantucket in the summer. Our Cape Cod and Nantucket trip inspired last year's patriotic mantel design ideas.
This large basket also holds a vintage oar. That fisherman's core summer decor really shines here.
I added a small Nantucket basket lined with ticking stripe fabric, which I also recently found while vintage shopping in Atlanta. Then, in front, I placed a large conch shell nearby.
On the coffee table, my basket tray holds patriotic books, a brass candlestick, and coral.
To continue this patriotic coastal fisherman vibe under the TV, a wooden trencher bowl is filled with seashells and starfish.
My side tables are sprinkled with more coastal and Americana treasures, like oyster shells and a brass bell.
Dining Room: Shelves Full of Patriotic Stories
This year, I left my dining table the same—it’s neutral and works through spring and summer. Instead, I added all the patriotic decorations to my two bookcases.
On the right bookcase, I placed a glass jar filled with Betsy Ross flags next to a vintage trivet of Betsy sewing the flag. Did you see how I repeated the Betsy Ross flag? I love little design details like this.
Below are two more presidential busts, also from Michaels. Under those sits my Currier and Ives teapot and bowl—both decorated with sailboats and clipper ships.
The left bookcase might be my favorite. On the top shelf, I added books and a crock bowl. The next shelf holds a large Longaberger basket filled with white flowers, a medium-sized stick flag, and red and white ribbon cascading out.
I hung this basket on the front of the bookcase to give it a new look. How did I hang a basket on the front? I simply nailed a small nail onto the shelf and hung the basket. Easy peasy!
Lower down, I displayed another vintage trivet showing the fife and drum flag scene on an easel and tucked in a seashell for texture. It’s a blend of decor ideas with a dose of nostalgia.
Kitchen Sitting Room: A Nod to Military and Coastal Life
I made some meaningful changes in the kitchen sitting room. On the wall of hooks, I hung a vintage navy military shirt on a wooden hanger we found in my husband’s old trunk—such a special piece.
To the shirt's left is a very long red, white, and blue flag scarf. Next to that is my market basket filled with white flowers.
To the right is a white French enamel milk pitcher, some stacked cutting boards, and a garlic basket with two large stick flags.
A small table topped with a Battle of Bunker Hill trivet is between the two chairs. A chair beside it holds a sweet needlepoint flag pillow layered over a white one.
Across the room, my hutch displays red Currier and Ives dishes, cookbooks in July decorations colors, and a cloche holding a blue Currier & Ives teacup.
See how we incorporated the American flag colors into the everyday decor?
I love how this room turned out!
We have come to the end of adding coastal vintage Americana decor this summer. Here are a few final thoughts to help you add these elements to your summer decor.
Final Thoughts: Bring It All Together
Coastal Patriotic Vintage Decor brings so much charm to the summer months.
Whether it’s a faded flag from a garage sale, a basket filled with flowers, or a vintage pitcher, it’s all about those layered, collected pieces.
But you might be wondering where I got all these old items? Well, keep an eye out all year long at thrift stores, garage sales, or anywhere you can find vintage items. When you come across a piece that speaks to you or tells a story, snag it and store it in your holiday box.
When it is time to decorate, it is like opening a present. Sometimes, you forget the cool treasures you found throughout the year.
Remember, collecting vintage and antiques takes time, so know that all my old decor didn't come over night.
Don’t be afraid to mix old and new.
Add some fisherman core summer decor, think Americana meets cottage, and make it your own.
I’d love to know—what’s your favorite piece? Or what DIY project or thrifted home inspiration are you adding to your summer decor this year? Drop a comment below and let’s chat!
For more patriotic decorating ideas, check out these posts:
Happy Decorating!
