Advertisement
Nautical home design is something that will never go out of style. It is possible to provide a relaxed atmosphere for any room by creating a mood that is associated with the sight, sound and smell of the ocean, complete with beach-inspired textiles, accessories associated with seafaring and some simple natural furniture.
With simple nautical interior design you can easily create the feeling that the ocean is never far away, bust by using attractive decorative elements such as starfish, stripes, anchors and nautical stars. These should be supported by natural textiles and the type of furniture that will add some coastal chic to any room.
Nautical bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms and living space are all easy to create just by applying an appropriate style and featuring some key elements in your home interior design.
Key Features of Nautical Interior Design
It is not necessary to start from scratch when designing a room with a nautical theme. You only need to introduce some characteristic features which capture the freshness of the ocean. Combine these with some suitable decorative elements and have fun with your creative ideas.
Nautical Stripes
A striped blue and white pattern can provide a touch of nautical home design when used in any room setting. Choose striped textiles for a window treatment, a rug, wall covering or in your furniture accessories. Other colors should be restricted, but a red rug or decorative item will look attractive when placed next to nautical white and blue stripes.
Sea Creatures
Starfish are the ideal decorative feature for nautical bedrooms or a bathroom where you want to add a touch of the seaside. A few starfish can be made to feature in a room by placing them on a shelf or hanging them on a wall.
Nautical Maps
Vintage charts and sailing maps can be used as traditional artwork in a room with a nautical theme. These can be found in thrift stores and can be framed to provide a room with a classic design feature.
Nautical Stars
The nautical star is an emblem symbolic of guidance and protection at sea. There are numerous ways to incorporate nautical stars into a room when they are used as decorative elements. They can be applied as transfers or mounted individually on a wall.
A Nautical Focus
None of the decorative aspects should be overdone in home nautical decor, and key elements of design should not be mixed too much. Nautical stars, stripes, starfish, ships and anchors all featured in one room would not give it the same stylish appearance as a room designed around a single element.
When creating a design for a nautical bedroom, for example, it should feature the same basic design element in the pattern of printed bed linen and on other bedroom textiles.
Color Use in Nautical Interior Design
When considering the use of color, think of shades that most represent the ocean and the natural tones that can be found on a sandy shore.
White should be used to highlight all the other colors chosen for a nautical home design. This can be a brilliant white or a more subtle shade that can be combined with a lesser amount of blue, which can be any shade from pale aqua to a dark navy. Other colors should be used less and in combination with natural shades.
Natural timber furniture is most suitable for nautical interior design. When timber is used for shelves, tables and chairs in a nautical setting, it can be tinted in shades of brown or beige, whitewashed or painted blue.
Walls can be painted flat white or pale cool blue. Natural wood wall panels also work well with the theme.
Nautical Decor
Furniture and fittings can be made from reclaimed wood and natural textiles. No plastic or synthetics should be used. Windows can be draped in light tulle or have striped curtains in shades of blue and white.
A ship’s anchor, telescope or big steering wheel can be used as a focal point. Accessories should all be made from natural materials. Items associated with seafaring can include sea chests, rowboat oars, model ships, tide-worn stones and big old ropes.
Nautical Home Design in Individual Rooms
Bedrooms, kitchens, living spaces and bathrooms are all suitable for nautical interior design. Anything that is used to furnish and decorate the room can fit in with the theme when it is typical of the style.
Nautical Bedrooms
A nursery, child’s room or adult’s bedroom will benefit from some aspect of nautical home design. In nautical bedrooms the white painted walls provide a light and airy feel and the ocean theme is continued in the use of printed bed linen and blue blankets. Natural colors feature in bedside furniture and fitted closets, along with items such as natural wicker lampshades, woven rugs and small bedside mats in beige or sandy shades. A bedroom can be made to look like a ship’s cabin with timber floor boards that have been lightly tinted or given a white wash.
Living Spaces
A family room or open plan space can be made to appear much lighter and more spacious when it makes use of nautical interior design.
Any living space can have a strong nautical identity when it features a marine-blue carpet and has a minimal amount of furniture. The look is complete when the accessories in a living space can also be identified as related or belonging to the ocean.
Kitchens
It is not difficult to apply nautical interior design to any kitchen. This is mainly achieved through the use of color on walls, floors and in textiles. White paint and shades of blue and white provide a kitchen with a fresh and elegant appearance.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms are particularly suitable for nautical interior design and it is easy to achieve the right look by having bathroom tiles of white or blue, and floor tiles of white, blue or sea green. The nautical theme can be continued around the bathroom walls with representations of ocean life arranged along a border or featured in a mural.