Salvage Spotlight: From Boat Hull to Social Hub of the House
Come aboard as we show you an amazingly different nautical bar in a Massachusetts oceanfront home
One day when the lady met this fellow ... they renovated their home and included a showstopping bar island crafted from a sailboat. "These homeowners are a classic Brady Bunch story: a woman with three daughters, a man with three sons — they found each other, married and created a family of eight. The children were all teenagers at about that time," says architect Jean Verbridge of Siemasko and Verbridge. "One of the homeowners grew up with a bar-type space as the social center of the house and wanted to re-create this welcoming environment, albeit with a unique twist."
The swimming fish details have special meaning; made of mahogany that matches the bar, each one has a different stone eye, representing each of the kids' birthstones. They also provide a function. "It is traditional in using reclaimed wood to have chips, dings and holes, and often these areas are treated to disguise the flaws," Verbridge says. "Here the flaws were celebrated as an opportunity to add interest."
A brass footrest adds a practical touch for comfort and another nautical touch.
The location of the bar is just off the kitchen, near the informal entryway into the house. The bar anchors one end of a casual family room, complete with comfortable lounge furniture, a fireplace, a television and an Elvis pinball machine.
The location of the bar is just off the kitchen, near the informal entryway into the house. The bar anchors one end of a casual family room, complete with comfortable lounge furniture, a fireplace, a television and an Elvis pinball machine.
"One of the homeowners was a bartender during his college days; he had a great working knowledge about how a bar should function," Verbridge says. The team carefully planned for pullout trash bins, drawers, a sink, and a marble counter and backsplash on this side of the bar. A refrigerator, a dishwasher and an ice maker are integrated into the cabinets on the wall behind it.
"Another detail beyond the use of the boat hull is the use of a plank floor made out of mahogany and holly strips, found in yachts," Verbridge says. The stone used on the countertop recalls the large rocks along New England's coast.
"Another detail beyond the use of the boat hull is the use of a plank floor made out of mahogany and holly strips, found in yachts," Verbridge says. The stone used on the countertop recalls the large rocks along New England's coast.
The property's setting, at the gateway to Marblehead Neck, is just the spot for a bar made from a salvaged boat.
Long before they found the boat hull, the homeowners envisioned the bar as a great spot for family, friends and neighbors to congregate at informally, and now it is.
See more of this seaside home
Long before they found the boat hull, the homeowners envisioned the bar as a great spot for family, friends and neighbors to congregate at informally, and now it is.
See more of this seaside home
Once they had a conversation-starting nautical form, they needed function. The boat hull bar was carefully planned, measured, refinished and made functional with a mahogany counter, sink and cabinets added to the hull by expert craftspeople. All of this work involved a team that included Verbridge as the designer of the overall renovation, the homeowners, Nowland and her craftspeople, and took several months.
The beauty of boats inspired the rest of the bar area; the bar is mahogany, with a gloss finish worthy of a yacht, and the cabinets have nautical hardware like you'd find on a boat, including sailing cleats.
Over the bar a TV transforms into a framed mirror when not in use. Behind it beadboard panels were also inspired by boat design.