no way you can totally pull of modern beachy with this space! it could look amazing!

What I prefer to do is think about the practical issues involved in designing for the beach (wear on finishes, bleaching of colors in the sun, etc.) and use those facts along with the other existing conditions as the basis for the design. You will end up with a space that acknowledges the beach and still responds to your particulars as well

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/home-makeovers/blue-beach-house-0310#slide-3

Thank you flair lighting! That is the first high ceiling pic I've seen. I SO appreciate all these ideas and considerations - please keep 'em coming

idea

Yes, indeed, click here for inspiration:
http://www.houzz.com/cathedral-fireplace-beach

[houzz=]

We did this to a 1983 beach house on Isle Of Palms, SC in 2002. We even had popcorn ceiling that was the first thing we removed. The the second thing was to replace all the wood trim with white, wider..richer looking trim (baseboards, window trim, crown. All this work we did ourselves. In your case, I would choose a wood look, porcelain plank tile. Look at this one.. http://www.flooranddecor.com/oslo-gris-wood-plank-porcelain-tile-6in-x-24in.html

We redesigned the master bath & closet moved walls & plumbing to make it more luxurious. We used all marble & granite in there..all new cabinets.

The kitchen had solid wood flat slab front doors, so we trimmed them out and painted them white, added a granite countertop..looked great.

Furnishings, in stead of the overdone wicker look, we used all dark wood heavy case goods (wood pieces). But we used real, comfortable sofas & chairs, not covered in tropical fabrics. For bedrooms we made head boards from louvered shutters painted white. Most of the walls were painted a light soft gray green. Accessories & wall art can make it as "beachy" as you want it. The fabrics & colors you choose will make all the difference..go for it.

I had the same exact question before we bought out mid 90s beach house. We had ALL the same issues, dirty berber, unexciting trimwork, popcorn cathedral ceiling. My husband had a vision for it and now I could not be happier. We found that the secret is WOOD. Adding wood wherever we can, we have used lots of salvaged wood to add character and beachy-feel. We paneled the kitchen backsplash and the popcorn cathedral ceiling (I don't have a pic of the new ceiling unfortunately but I'll try to post one when I can) and added extra trim around doors, we replaced hollow core doors with solid 6 panel doors and painted them blue. Luxury Vinyl Laminate was flooring of choice for it's durability, non fading, and look of wood without the anxiety of wood. Weathered furniture (a bit of peeling paint here and there) also adds to the look. Changing out the fixtures to more nautical look also helped in our case. If you love the location of the house and the basic layout, I would say go for it and get creative with the finishes. I know you lean MCM, which I think you could totally pull off. Think " the endless summer" movie!

this photo was taken before the ceiling was paneled with reclaimed beadboard salvaged from several farmhouses in virginia, but you can see the wood backsplash in the kitchen that adds to the beachy feel.

a bit of wicker (don't use too much!) and vintage cabinet with just enough peeling paint!

close up of the kitchen paneling

vinyl laminate flooring

If you decide to go for it, post before and after photos! It would be fun to see the transformation!

This was posted march 2014. I wonder what the decided to do?