How To Turn Your Home Into A Beach House, Because That's Clearly The Way To Beat Winter

With winter's end in sight, our eyes are tunnel-visioned on the beach. It's hard not to plan a sunny summer escape, even as snow continues to fall.

Or we could just make a beachy getaway at home, one that will last ALL year. Chilly days are the perfect time for a decor overhaul, and getting a breezier vibe inside is easier than you'd think. We've taken design inspiration from some of our favorite coastal homes, with special cues from a glorious set of rental cottages in Tybee Island, Georgia.

Take notes from their design code, and watch your interior start to feel like summer.

1. Get a statement plant.

A fern, palm or orchid is a bold way to make your home feel like the tropics... and who said it had to be real? Place it in a rustic planter or on a flower stool for added kitsch.

2. Replace your colored linens with whites.

White towels and sheets not only build a beachy-clean look, but they'll also make your home feel instantly luxurious. (Have you ever noticed that every nice resort has all-white linens?)

3. Turn your porch into a tropical oasis.

Take tips from a real-life beach cottage and clear the clutter off your porch, invest in a wicker chair or furniture set and add a graphic pillow. The first warm-weather day in your new hideout will feel like a mini vacation to a quaint Georgia isle.

4. Splash common rooms with pops of color.

Think bright, whimsical tones that remind you of carefree days at a pier-side cottage. Corals, blues and yellows are especially zippy.

5. And for bedrooms, pick a beachy print that works year-round.

Some of the most functional cottages incorporate subtle, nautical-print bedspreads that work during summer and the rest of the year -- a coral print, shell motif or stripe pattern is breezy without being too loud.

6. Go for the hammock.

Not everyone has a porch, but chances are you've got space somewhere to hang an indoor hammock. Any room -- from bedrooms to sun porches to that alcove by the stairs -- can turn into an easy catnap spot that reminds you to live on island time.