By Kelli Rosen

Strolling the beaches of North Carolina’s Outer Banks is likely to reward you with handfuls of beautiful seashells. For those in the process of decorating a waterfront home, the hunt for charming trinkets does not have to end with the sand and sea. In the towns of Duck and Corolla, especially, shops offer a surprisingly wide variety of design goods that can satisfy a complete room makeover or the craving for an unusual accessory to spice up a table or shelf.

Outer Banks Style

This must-visit shopping destination will particularly please those seeking cottage-style furnishings. “We consider the store an alternative to that same-old, same-old home furnishings syndrome,” says owner Gary Springer, noting that his store started out as a Colonial Revival home built in 1896 for the local schoolteacher. Distressed furniture, hand-blown glass lanterns, woven jute rugs and striped linens fill the multi-roomed shop, which was renovated to preserve the original wooden beams in the ceilings. Among the more unusual furnishings are hand-painted benches made from old church pews from the 1850s. According to Springer, signs, picture frames and tables made from reclaimed wood are a popular draw. Interior design services are available for projects of any size, from accessorizing a room to furnishing an entire home. Outer Banks Style is located in historic Corolla Village, just north of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, at 1134 Corolla Village Road; phone (252) 453-4388, or visit the Web site www.outerbanksstyle.com

Old Corolla Trading Company

If you prefer schooner ships to seashells and brass to bamboo, check out the British and Dutch Colonial-style offerings at Old Corolla Trading Company, the sister store to the cottage-themed Outer Banks Style. “We offer all you need to outfit your home in the traditions of 19th-century traders, explorers and adventurers,” says owner Gary Springer. Among the sea-faring items are vintage posters, Colonial-style plantation furniture, reproduction signs, and model sailboats. This is also the place to peruse if you’re looking for maritime antiques such as boat-building tools, nautical lanterns and ships’ bells.  Interior design services are available. The Old Corolla Trading Company is located 1129 Schoolhouse Lane in historic Corolla; call (252) 453-9942, or visit www.outerbanksstyle.com.

Urban Cottage

Melding city chic with beach comfort, this store is hip, eclectic and fun without being coastal kitschy. Owner and designer Amy Crisler offers everything from upholstered armchairs and sophisticated polished nickel lamps to woven wool rugs and customized window treatments. Among the most popular items are salad bowls, trays and other hand-painted wooden serving pieces by local artist Jessie McClary. Be sure to check out the super-durable recycled flip-flop mats, perfect for an outdoor shower or near the hot tub, and the adorable stainless-steel cheese graters bedecked like lovely ladies. Interior design services are available. Urban Cottage is located in Duck’s Scarborough Faire Shoppes at 1177 Duck Road, Suite 43; phone (866) 261-6877, or visit www.theurbancottage.com