House boat interior help needed

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

Hello all

We have recently purchased a wide beam canal boat, which I will be living on for a couple of years in London. It has been beautifully (and expensively) fitted out in an art deco style, however this is not to my personal taste. I am therefore looking for a way to lighten and modernise the interior, and would be grateful for any ideas!

The interior has been lined with a mixture of wood - mainly American Oak, Maple and British Oak, with an even darker wood floor. Combined with the portholes, this makes the interior of the boat rather dark.

My parents (experienced boat owners) have kindly helped me to purchase the boat, and we will be looking to sell it on again in a few years. They are keen to retain the 'integrity' of the boat as much as possible ready for the resale and would probably choose to keep the boat as it is, but are keen for me to feel comfortable and happy in my surroundings while I am living on there. We are therefore keen to find a compromise in terms of how we can brighten/modernise the boat without destroying the structure, and therefore keep both parties happy.

We have agreed to rip out the fitted sofas as they are so large and inflexible, and rather dark in colour, and I am hoping to replace this with a (probably mid grey) L-shaped sofa bed (see pic). We all agree that some white-ish paint would probably work wonders, but my parents are keen to minimise how much of the wood work is covered. I have suggested the upper half of the walls.

We would all be grateful for any suggestions that you may have!

Many thanks in advance.

Featured Answer

minnie101

10 years ago

Fantastic new home! If it were mine I would look at accessoring first and see how you feel. Painting half of the walls white is likely to make the ceilings feel lower and it would be a shame to paint expensive wood. I would change the wall lights. Look to see where you can incorporate mirrors for light and space. If you add cushions, throw, rugs, table lamps and maybe a floor lamp, plants, maybe good faux flowers, art and accessorises in different textures (not wood!) it should give a totally different feel. Is the dining table built in as that could be changed? I also wonder if it would be possible to add fabric to the bed headboard without doing any damage and then paint the end of the bed in a complementary colour.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

torjones
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Thank you Minnie! The table isn't built in, and it's actually a leaf table so reduces to a square shape, saving a bit of space. I'd prefer to be able to change the dining chairs but will probably have to prioritise my budget elsewhere for now.

Will definitely have a think about accessories. The flooring is lovely but I aim to find a large rug in a pale tone for the living area.

I'd be interested to know whether other people agree with no painting at all. As well as the darkness, I'm not overly keen on a fully wooden interior, so would definitely like to paint at least part of the walls if it doesn't ruin anything. Perhaps using a paint that is easier to remove if necessary for the eventual resale in a few years. But I hope to have a good few years on it before then.

Thank you for the advice!
Related Professionals
Sarasota Interior Designers & Decorators · Muskogee Interior Designers & Decorators · Lansing Interior Designers & Decorators · Olean Interior Designers & Decorators · Medford Interior Designers & Decorators · Columbus Architects & Building Designers · Virginia Beach Architects & Building Designers · Potsdam Architects & Building Designers · Chula Vista Architects & Building Designers · Amarillo Architects & Building Designers · Clarksburg Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Sacramento Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Salinas Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · San Diego Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Cheyenne Kitchen & Bathroom Designers
temple274
10 years ago
The timberwork looks lovely. I'd leave it as it is and spend your money on lighter colour chairs, sofa and rug. Have you got somewhere you could display some white ceramics, white mounted artwork or a small sculpture - that might help too?
minnie101
10 years ago
I'm not sure there is a paint that would be easy to remove but perhaps others have ideas. I would definitely accessorise first and then reappraise as I think you could transform it but if I were to paint anything I might paint the base units in the kitchen. Have you thought of clear eames or Louis chairs? You should be able to pick up a pair for around £65. You could also paint the table legs, again to break up the wood. Good luck in whatever you decide and your new home!
Jonathan
10 years ago
Be careful about ripping out the sofas as the floor might stop in front of them.
I also agree that you shouldn't paint over expensive wood.
In my opinion you would have the biggest impact by changing the floor and the kitchen worktop and the sofa cushions for lighter.
PRO
Suki Shocker Interior Design
10 years ago
Loving the new home :-)
Instead of painting why don't you have a look into a product called strataflex. It's from a company called muraspec. It a vinyl that is used in high traffic commercial environments and comes in lots of different finishes and patterns. This could be a happy compromise for you and your parents.

Hope that helps
torjones
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you all for the feedback. Jonathandb1972 you correct in that the flooring stops at the sofas, however we have all agreed that the chairs are not practical to retain so we will look to redo the flooring in that area. Thank you for pointing that out though, it was something that we only recently realised ourselves during a boat survey.

Suki Shocker the vinyl is a great option, we have looked into that but are worried about the glue substance that is needed, as we fear it may be harder to remove than paint. We are looking at water based paints that may be easier to sand down and revarnish the underlying wood if eventually needed. But the painting is really something that we now will consider more carefully, especially as everyone on here has advised not to paint at all! Our only fear is that accessories will not be enough to brighten the interior. The photos were taken on a very sunny day with the maximum amount of light coming in through the portholes. Installing roof lights is also an option that we are considering.

Thank you to all!