The ocean is a popular destination for vacations and many people enjoy living near the coast. More than 123 million Americans live in counties that are in coastal areas. That translates into about 39% of the United States population. It may surprise many to learn that more than 80% of all people in the country do not like the decor they have for their homes. A full 13% say it actively makes them feel bad. If you find yourself thinking that about your home and home decor, you may want to bring a little of the sea into your living space. By putting accessories, such as a nautical wheel, in your home and by picking the right colors, you can bring the ocean or sea to your home decor, even if you live in a landlocked state.
The Huffington Post sees nautical decor as being a big romantic. They argue that bringing the ocean into the home can really alter the way the homeowner views and interacts with the space. The romance comes, in part, from the feelings the deep blue and green colors may evoke. By using items, like nautical wheels and sea shells or glass fishing balls into into the home, a person can be transported to another place. Maybe they have taken long (or short) sea voyages or spent time on a fishing or sailing vessel.
As romantic as this can be, it can also be a little sterile if you are not careful with your nautical home decorations. You may want to bring the atmosphere of the into your home with the right colors and nautical items but leave behind the bitter chill of the wind on the ocean. They offer some ways to bring the sea home while maintaining a comfortable and cozy feel for a home.
- Get really comfortable furniture. While wood furniture is a mainstay for many homes that want to look like a beach cottage or feel like a sailing vessel, bare docks and nautical wheels are not the only things you will find in a sail boat or on a pirate ship even. What you can do, for a couch or the chairs, is pick some rustic looking material for the cushions but make sure they are thick and comfortable to sit on. When you are looking at pirate decor, you can cover the cushions in plush, crushed velvet. Leather couches are often really comfortable but can have the look you are going for in terms of your nautical decor and can just be accentuated by your nautical wheel.
- You color scheme should not just be blue, green, grey and white. If you throw some red in with all of it, you can bring some needed warmth and fun into your color palette. This red can be introduced in a number of ways. You can have some throw pillows with red and white stripes, which maintains that sea faring look but also the warmth you need. A few sea worthy accessories that have red in them, such as lanterns, can do the trick as well. While the blues, greens and grays are essential parts of the sea look and feel, there are ways to get warmer colors into your decorating plans.
- Put in a fireplace. This is often the centerpiece of a lot of decorating styles and the nautically themed homes are no different. If you have a fireplace, you should orient the room so that is the focal point. The mantle above the fireplace is a great place to put your nautically themed accessories and items. You can even hang your nautical wheel just over the fireplace to complete the look.
- Use some rope in your decorating. You can get some great lamps that use rope as the base. A few accessories made from pieces of rope can add a nautical feel without detracting from the coziness of your home. You can also get picture frames that incorporate the material.
Whether the sea is within walking distance or several hours a way by plane, you can bring it into your home easily and without sacrificing comfort or coziness. These four tips can get you started.
