The boat survey for our new sailboat came back and, although there are a few things to fix/repair before we set sail, there was nothing to deter us from moving forward with buying the Ticon 30 we found. We are making things official - as in, officially draining our bank accounts - tomorrow! It's currently stored in a boatyard, where we hope we can keep it while we tinker. I'm not sure how long it will be before we can sail it home, but as soon as the boat is ours (and I can remove the tarp shelter and give it a good scrub), I'll share a full tour. I'm so excited! In the meantime, I wanted to chat sailboat interior decor...
The interior cushions are trashed, so I'll be having new ones made and I'm currently trying to narrow down my long list of fabric contenders (I'm looking at the marine upholstery fabric from Sunbrella). The problem is, there are a few aqua fabrics and they're calling my name! I love, love, love the interior of this retro houseboat and it was originally going to serve as my inspiration, but the houseboat (below) has huge windows and a lot of white, which looks fresh and cheery with the bright aqua and orange.
HGTV
HGTV
Our boat, on the other hand, has a beige fabric headliner and beige fiberglass. As much as I desperately want to pick out some striking aqua for seat cushions, I'm actually leaning more toward a warm grey, smokey blue, or even - gasp - navy! The beige interior is calling out for a cozy, muted scheme - something to make all that beige look intentional and earthy (not old and 80s).
In the lakehouse, I've eschewed a nautical vibe (navy stripes, anchor motifs, and chunks of coral) and pulled my colour inspiration from the water, layering in subtle textures inspired by the surrounding nature ("beach glass" finishes, soft white and wood stains, etc). Combined with mid-century modern teak and walnut, the overall look isn't your typical lakehouse decor. With the sailboat, however, I'm leaning toward a slightly more nautical palette of blues - with some classic coastal touches, because I'm sure our yacht club membership will be revoked without at least one requisite anchor motif (ahoy!)
I created a secret Pinterest board for boat stuff and I've been pinning any rooms/images/colors that in some way evoke the look I'm after. Unless I cave and just buy aqua upholstery (no promises), this is what is inspiring me right now:
MyDomaine
MyDomaine
MyDomaine
HGTV
Amber Interiors
Emily Henderson
New Darlings
Stories
New Zealand Design Blog
So what am I teasing out from all of these beautiful spaces?
Teak and walnut wood tones (check - we've got lots of beautiful teak woodwork in the boat)
Beige and earthy hues (a departure from my love of white walls!)
Rich blues and greys (maybe a pop of cobalt, definitely some indigo)
Lots of natural elements (think: rattan baskets, jute runner, macrame fruit basket)
Brass (yup, I'm embracing brass on the boat)
An uncluttered, mid-century feel
Textiles with a watery, organic feel (tie dye, shibori, ice dyeing, velvet...?)
I just love these pillow by Rebecca Atwood (that gold zipper detail is perfection):
Rebecca Atwood
Rebecca Atwood
It's a seriously different look for me! I'm excited to try something new - and kind of trendy - but I'm also incredibly tempted to get bright turquoise upholstery. Seriously. I know I keep harping on this, but it is a struggle for me to choose a non-aqua something, when aqua is available. I think I might need an intervention here...
Hubby, meanwhile, is thrilled by my newfound desire to embrace nautical design - he's even eyeing up our mantle in the lakehouse for a miniature version of our new boat. So maybe I should forget the aqua and just get fully on board (pun intended) with this new look:
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