Create a contemporary sea captain's cottage. There's a lot of fun to be had with a maritime theme, especially if you're partial to antiques. In their charming 18th-century home in the Hamptons, New York, antiques experts Chris Mead and Zoe Hoare decked their cozy cottage with decor befitting an old sea captain's cabin. The couple paid homage to the heritage of their house by stripping it back to its bare components and whitewashing the walls, but they also made concessions to comfort, such as removing part of the living room ceiling to allow light from the existing skylights through.Tip: In a small room, separate components into blocks. In this living room, the sofa set takes center stage in hues of white and blue. The antiques, meanwhile, are grouped in clusters around the periphery of the room.