A survey of my girlfriends reveals that those who have been to see Mamma Mia! fall into two camps: one focused on the finer points of Pierce Brosnan’s, er, performance, while the other reflected on the gorgeous bleached-out blues of Meryl Streep’s picturesquely peeling paint-work. The film’s Greek-island set was a celebration of seaside chic: whitewashed walls, snowy bed linen on old metal bedsteads, striped linen cushions on distressed, yellow-painted sofas, rustic crockery and drifty white voiles at flaky wooden shutters. “My, my,” we sang, “how can I resist you?”

Like sunshine through Mediterranean waters, summer-holiday style has filtered into our homes this year for sound reasons. The best examples of the coastal craze are fresh and timeless, offering a break from the try-hard school of decoration (a scattering of piled-up newspapers and discarded flip-flops only enhances the holiday mood). The nautical blue-and-white palette is a real pick-me-up for British interiors, which can seem dingy in our grey-blue northern European light. In addition - and this is the clincher for the cash-strapped - it’s a high-summer look that can be achieved at off-season rates.

“I’m mad about seaside living and I love coastal interiors,” says Emma Palmer, whose online store, The Beach Hut, epitomises the look. “Our house is full of as much seaside memorabilia as I can get away with.” The overflow decorates the family’s beach hut at Cooden, in East Sussex, the inspiration for her brand: “This style is having its moment because people are realising it’s better to stay home for the holidays - the English coast is so pretty.” So are Palmer’s wares, which include cushions screenprinted with a beachhut motif (£30), blue-and-white enamel mugs (£3.50) and tall enamel coffee pots (£22; www.thebeachhut.com ).

Summer style often comes with a hefty helping of nostalgia. Jo Riley founded The Atlantic Blanket Company last year after moving to north Cornwall. The aim, she says, was to “capture that feeling of childhood holidays when you are always on the beach, but you have to wear an Aran jumper all the time”. Her colourful Aqua Mondo wool cushions (£32), alpaca throws (£185) and hand-painted, mussel-shaped earthenware dishes (£40) are sold alongside quirky accessories such as pebble-print flasks (£8) and grass-scented candles (£17 for three; all from www.atlanticblankets.com ).

A smart variation is New England style - think immaculately maintained white-painted clapboard, rather than wind-whipped beach hut. Nick Burrin, a long-term fan, built himself just such a chalet on the beach at Elmer, in West Sussex, a dozen years ago. Not finding any furniture that suited his new home, he designed his own. When he sold the property, the buyer insisted on buying it fully furnished. So, Burrin set up New England Lifestyle, and continues to produce white wooden bookcases, chests, tables and dressers.

“I love white, and the simple lines and straightforwardness of the style,” he says. “It never goes out of fashion and it makes your house feel like an eternal holiday home.” This lightness informs his catalogue, from the cute-as-a-button Rhode Island small dresser base (£430) to cheery, pastel-painted beachhut money boxes (£24 for a set of four; www.newenglandlifestyle.com ).

The key elements for your summer-holiday style makeover are striped blue-and-white table linen (Key West Stripe napkins, £8.40; www.thewhitecompany.com ), cushion covers in fresh ticking (Stringa stripe cushions, £19.80; www.okadirect.com ), tea lights for tables (blue-glass holders, 50p, and bags of 50 candles, £1.95; www.pier.co.uk ) and rush matting for white-painted floors (mats and runners from £42.95; www.chairworks.info ). Voiles at the windows add a romantic accent (translucent sheer cotton lawn in subtle prints, £26 per metre; www.jillnortham.co.uk ).

Some designers are even weaving the beach into their autumn/winter collections. Laura Ashley, for example, has just launched the Cornwall range, inspired by the current passion for holiday homes in locations such as Padstow and Rock. It’s essentially seaside holiday style with a warm rug round its knees: wallpaper scattered with wheeling seagulls (£20 per roll) and china mugs and jugs decorated with pale-blue and white hoops (£5, £18; www.lauraashley.com ). Seaside chic looks set to be more than just a holiday fling.

Retro tea party from £3.50

These vintage-look enamel mugs (£3.50), coffee pots (£22) and teapots (£17), in pale blues and creamy whites, are the perfect finishing touch for a white-painted dresser and are hard-wearing enough for a picnic on the beach.

Shelves not quite full? The range also includes bread bins, biscuit tins, trays and matching tea, coffee and sugar caddies.

The Beach Hut; 01892 557964, www.thebeachhut.com

Console yourself £350

Launched this summer, the Lloyd console, from The White Company, combines two key elements of summer-holiday style - painted wood and woven seagrass. The six generous baskets give plenty of invaluable storage. If you don’t have the space, the Lloyd is available as a two-drawer console (£150) or a bench with three underseat baskets (£250). The White Company; 0870 900 9555, www.thewhitecompany.com

Cute and cosy from £28

Part of Laura Ashley’s new autumn/winter collection, which promises a “relaxed, easy world of casual coastal living”, these cushions have an appliquéd front and a blue-and-white cotton ticking back (£28 each). The cream cable-knit Cambourne cushions (£30 each) are reminiscent of cosy Aran jumpers.

Laura Ashley; 0871 230 2301, www.lauraashley.com

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