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Ahoy, Matey! Explore These Interiors for Boat Lovers

12 nautical-themed rooms celebrate a life of adventure and whimsy

Jess McBride July 21, 2016

Houzz Contributor. Custom decorating professional and content creator for the home design industry with a lifelong passion for color, pattern, and texture of every "stripe"

Houzz Contributor. Custom decorating professional and content creator for the home... More

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“If at first the idea is not absurd, there is no hope for it.” — Albert Einstein

Though Albert Einstein probably had math theorems rather than boat-shaped playrooms in mind, his penchant for the inventive is a sought-after trait in today’s design world. Come with us as we embrace the imaginative quirkiness of turning furniture and architectural features into vessels fit for the high seas. Permission granted to come aboard and explore.

Bella Home Builders Inc

1. Rock yourself to sleep. At least half the charm of using a boat as a bed frame is the opportunity to personalize it with the occupant’s name. Here, Bella is the captain of her own ship, both in her dreams and in the waking hours when she settles down for homework at her coordinating maritime-styled desk.

DiMauro Architects, Inc.

2. An island destination. This kitchen island with teak countertop was modeled after the Cape Dory daysailer that is popular in the waters around Jamestown, Rhode Island, where this beach house sits. Among the proliferation of new and clever ideas for kitchen islands, this custom option stands out as one of the most evocative of a sense of place.

Jessica Helgerson Interior Design

3. Daydreaming. If the previous photos got you thinking about where else you might press a converted sailboat into service within your home, this daybed could just send you overboard. Not only have the owners turned a boat hull into a hanging lounge, but they’ve also dropped the spring line to use as a rug.

Contemporary Home Office Contemporary Home Office

4. Captain’s quarters. Sure, this office with a view isn’t boat-shaped, but it doesn’t need to be when it’s designed after the pilothouse of a ship. Looking out that window behind the desk, it’s easy to imagine the captain of industry who likely works here as the captain of an ocean liner instead.

Northern Sky Developments

5. High tide. With a boat hanging in the rafters and shiplap paneling all around, this open-concept living room resembles a homey, intimate boat shed. Naturally, lofted or pitched ceilings are required to make this look work for you; under a standard flat ceiling, a hanging boat might be more claustrophobic than charming.

6. Coastal closet. This room divider owes its massive street cred (er, sea cred?) to a double whammy of yachting bona fides: First, the millwork was conceived by yacht designer Joe Artese; second, the holly, teak and mahogany used in its construction are the same materials you’ll find on high-end watercraft like the kind Artese designs for his saltier clients.

Kuhl Design Build LLC

7. Walk the plank. It’s every swashbuckling child’s dream to sail the high seas, hunting treasure and sending their younger siblings to the gallows. This lofted pirate ship comes equipped with a rope bridge and a jail cell above the bathroom and closet.

Polhemus Savery DaSilva

8. A buccaneer’s bedroom. You don’t even need a colossal cathedral ceiling to shiver your little buccaneer’s timbers. A vaulted corner of the room plus a ship’s ladder will do. Children love tight, fort-like spaces, anyway!

9. Shipshape simple. Admittedly, the designs featured thus far will probably set you back a pirate’s booty or two. Here’s one that won’t: Shipshape shelving units like this one are regularly sold for a farthing at retailers like HomeGoods, especially in markets by the shoreline.

Colin Cadle Photography

10. Porthole perfection. Another slightly more modest investment (relative to curved rooflines and converted sailboats, anyway) is a custom porthole door. With the wood that looks like decking and the multiple portholes, there’s simply no mistaking its nautical pedigree.

SV Design

11. Rum runner. This bar, a converted 1952 Hinckley craft, was designed by nautical salvage pro Davita Nowland for a large family in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Outfitted with a mahogany top and the same hardware and boat cleats you’d find on an actual floating commission, this hull is the real McCoy — or the real McCay to you Adventures in Paradise fans out there.

Cottage Home, Inc.

12. The full regalia. With the wood, patriotic stripes and sailboat on the wall, there’s no question that this bunk room is all about life on the sea. Take note of the gently curving sectional that’s built-in and shaped just the way you’d expect it to be on a yacht, where things are bolted down and tucked into the deep slope of the hull. The nautical look is an authentic theme for a bunk room in general, as it accurately reproduces the stacked design of naval sleeping quarters.

More
Fresh Take: 9 Twists on Nautical Style
Design Motifs: Nautical Charts

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AliciaTappDesigns Images on Tiles

Add a compass rose mosaic to a table, floor, wall, pool

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Bev

What a fun, unique, and quirky house! I especially loved the boat bed, boat shaped kitchen island, and the boat hanging in the children's bedroom! Great use of boat shaped furnishings without being too much!

1 Like July 21, 2016 at 5:51PM

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