Match Point! Ways to Serve Up Tenniscore's Refined Cool

This season, the coastal design crowd is rallying around tenniscore – the stylish new trend inspired by country club chic

If you love the relaxed yet refined vibe of a seaside tennis club, then it's time to bring that breezy elegance into your home decor. The tenniscore look blends casual comfort with a touch of sporty chic. Here are some tips to work the tennis aesthetic into your own space.  

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Tenniscore Interiors Are Making Waves - But Is This Trend a Slam Dunk?

With its heritage sporty chic vibe, tenniscore continues to serve up style and popularity both on and off the court. This fashionable new aesthetic serves up plenty of country club refinement with a breezy, beach house twist. Tenniscore style takes its cue from seaside tennis clubs, with their pristine courts, crisp whites, and casual sophistication. This look channels the sporty prep of tennis clubs into light and airy spaces designed for relaxed living.

While tenniscore feels fresh and modern, its roots can be traced back decades to the privileged tennis clubs and coastal resorts of the 1920s. During this golden era, exclusive tennis vacation destinations like Florida’s Boca Raton Resort catered to wealthy socialites. Surrounded by perfectly manicured grass courts and Mediterranean Revival architecture, guests wore pristine tennis whites and socialised in elegant clubhouses. This privileged tennis lifestyle became ingrained in the popular imagination, referenced in F. Scott Fitzgerald novels and immortalised in classic films like Jean Harlow’s “Suzy” (1936). As tennis grew in popularity over the decades, the country club aesthetic expanded into suburban neighbourhoods and recreational spaces. Brands like Lacoste and Ralph Lauren also helped commercialise the leisure class tennis look through affordable polo shirts, shorts and dresses.

In the 21st century, interior designers have drawn fresh inspiration from this vintage country club lifestyle. In 2015, designer Mark D. Sikes shared his “Tennis Style” home collection, merging classical furnishings with bright tennis court colours. Then in 2021, Luke Edward Hall gave tenniscore a modern, minimalist twist in a home design collaboration with Perrier-Jouët.

The casual elegance of tenniscore provides a sophisticated look without feeling fussy or pretentious. The blend of athletic leisure, coastal vibe and vintage nostalgia has scored big, making tenniscore one of 2022/23’s most sought-after interior trends. Read on to find out how to create this look in your own home…

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What defines The Tenniscore Aesthetic

Tenniscore style is taking the design world by storm with its casual elegance and breezy, coastal vibe. But how do you take this refined country club look and give it a beachy overhaul? With just a few modifications, you can transform the classic tenniscore aesthetic into a coastal oasis that feels right at home by the sea.

1. Start with a Neutral Backdrop: Crisp white walls and light wood floors establish tenniscore's fresh, airy foundation. The palette revolves around various shades of whites, ivory, sand, stone, and tan. For some pattern, look for neutrally-coloured textiles with subtle texture or tone-on-tone stripes and geometrics.

2. Incorporate Organic Textures: Bring in layers of natural materials for a coastal feel. Crisp white walls serve as a blank canvas, layered with accents like woven rattan or wicker furniture, weathered driftwood, soft linen drapery, and jute rugs. Use light wood, bleached wood or painted wood planks. Incorporate seagrass or sisal rugs. Use lots of natural light. Add woven basket pendants, ceramic table lamps, rope chandeliers. Use textiles like cotton and linen in neutral solids or simple stripes. In the kitchen and bath, subway tile, quartz countertops, and antiqued mirror cabinetry give a timeless, coastal look. Accessories follow suit, usually featuring weathered finishes, rope accents, rattan, galvanised metal, and neutral ceramics. For contrast, bring in sleeker ceramic lamps and glass tabletops. As for artwork, botanical prints, seashells, and driftwood add an organic touch without much visual weight. Simple modern prints and photography really suit tenniscore.

3. Display Meaningful Memorabilia: Tenniscore style allows you to showcase personal mementos in a meaningful way. Display cherished seashells, beach photos, or nautical maps for character. Floating shelves are perfect for curating these kinds of individual collections. Mixing modern forms with vintage finds is also common in tenniscore spaces.

4. Add Pops of Colour: While the overall palette sticks to neutrals, add punches of bolder colour for contrast. Think of the colours found at a seaside club - azure blue, coral, sea glass green, salmon pink. Use lacquered boxes, ceramic tableware, or acrylic barware to work these colours in.

5. Choose Multi-Purpose Pieces: Tenniscore furniture is designed to be flexible. Look for woven chairs that can be moved around or coffee tables with lift-tops for additional workspace. Daybeds do double duty in spare rooms. Tenniscore style blends seamlessly into living spaces that need to multi-task.

6. Don't Overdecorate: To keep the relaxed vibe, avoid clutter and let empty space be part of the design. Leave walls bare and clear surfaces open. Only keep decor you truly love on display. The coastal look stays simple and airy.

Tenniscore's laidback aesthetic makes it a perfect match for coastal hideaways and beach homes. But this approachable look also translates beautifully to urban apartments and modern suburban spaces. It brings a sense of lightness and simplicity to any setting.

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Match Point: Tenniscore and More Hot Interior Trends

This sporty-chic style has raced across social media big time, winning over fans with its casual coastal elegance. But how does this new coastal darling compare to interior design favourites like coastal grandmother and beach house? Let’s see where tenniscore falls in the seaside style rankings.

• The Luxe Legend - Hamptons: Hamptons style oozes East Coast privilege with gilded mirrors, chinoiserie accents, and lavish materials. — Tenniscore shares some old money refinement in a quiet luxury way; its look is more pared-back than the traditional Hamptons' ornamental opulence.

• The Refined Rival - Coastal Grandmother: Coastal grandmother couples ornate antique furnishings with bright, bold patterns like florals and geometrics. The look blends vintage nostalgia with playful whimsy for a collected, matriarchal mood. — Tenniscore also has refined vintage elements, but has a more contemporary feel.

• The Fresh Fusion - Grandmillenial: Grandmillenial merges antique styles with millennial pink hues and modern abstract art. — Tenniscore also bridges old and new through vintage sports equipment mixed with graphic black and white patterns.

• The Laidback Legend - Beach House: Beach house style is all about creating a carefree, sand-kissed bungalow vibe. Weathered driftwood, whitewashed walls, and linen fabrics keep things uncomplicated. — Tenniscore incorporates similar textures, but with more crisp contrast through stripes and pops of clubhouse colour and style.

• The Rustic Refuge - Modern Farmhouse: Modern farmhouse emphasises natural woods, ceramic accents, and artisanal craftsmanship. — Tenniscore has a fresher, more coastal take. The simplicity of this style connects to tenniscore’s neutral palette, but with a woodsy twist versus sporty prep.

• The Upscale Underdog - Resort Style: Resort style uses high-end materials like woven banana leaf wallpaper, teak wood, and bamboo to create a luxe vacation ambience. — Tenniscore has a similar elite heritage, but replaces exotic woods with more accessible organic textures like rattan and linen.

Tenniscore very much holds its own among these coastal powerhouses by striking the perfect balance between breezy, nostalgic, luxe and relaxed. Its versatile blend of vintage and modern makes it a rising star ready to serve up style. The final advantage is up to you and how you adopt tenniscore elements in your own space!   

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Drift & Co