Modern Nautical Design Ideas for Your Home

Even the very thought of being by the sea feels calming. Waves crashing into the shore, boats are gliding on the smooth water surface, the color blue all around you is mesmerizing. Life is good.

If you are hunting for this feeling, you don’t need to go on vacation or buy a beach house. You can bring the ocean to your home with some modern nautical design ideas. Using elements such as ships, anchors, sea animals, and the obligatory nautical colors of navy and white, you can always enjoy the spirit of the High Seas. Organizing a home remodel was never this fun.

Key features of Nautical Design

The nautical design brings the best of the sea to you. It incorporates design elements such as anchors, model yachts, ship wheels, sea maps, rope, lighthouses, etc. Everything is related to being at sea. To bring this essence to life, these are the main pointers:

Choose the right color palette

When you think of nautical decorating, you think of the colors blue and white. The classic nautical color blue is a dark rich blue or navy blue. This color makes for a dramatic contrast with white. You also see a lot of red, as well as yellow and black. Red can be found on signal flags, lighthouses, lifesaver rings, buoys. You can use a neutral tone to balance out the overall color palette. It’s essential to mix and match the colors well to achieve the right coastal feel.

When it comes to a nautical color palette, the colors you choose for your scheme are the ones that pop up in your mind when you think of the sea.

Materials and textures

When you follow a theme, it’s imperative to choose your materials accordingly. The use of wood is typical with a nautical theme – making your space resemble that of a boat. For a deck-like feel, use white color wood flooring. You can also achieve an excellent wood element by adding reclaimed or dark wood with rich veins and knots. Timber is used for shelves, tables, and chairs.

You can bring warmth to your cool palette by using a variety of textures. A pattern that is most common in a nautical home is mixed striped. It can be found on pillows, wallpaper, rugs, etc. Rope is also a notable element found on a boat, and you can get creative with incorporating it into your design. It is best to avoid plastics and synthetic materials.

Lighting

Your nautically designed home should receive an adequate amount of light. This style is all about that fresh, airy feel you get on the sea, and your place should reflect that. It’s vital to position windows so that you get plenty of natural light.

Artificial lighting can also contribute to delivering that warm feel and the desired aesthetics. You can use rope lamps, buoy lights, pendant lights, etc. Get creative with it!

Modern Nautical Design Ideas To Use

Nautical design is something that won’t go out of style. It is timeless, just like the sea and the tales of it. If you want to feel like a captain that has come back after just sailing the world, we bring you some unique modern nautical design ideas to use in your home.

Wall art

A great way to bring that sea feeling to your home is wall art.  It’s one of the upgrades that won’t cost too much, making them affordable as well as impactful for your home. It offers various choices – from paintings of ships and beach photos to hanging a ship wheel or a life-preserver. You can also decorate with starfish, which is a common design element.

Nautical maps are another exciting way to use that vertical space. You can find prints or even vintage ones in a thrift shop and put them in a suitable frame.

Pro tip: Nautical map wallpapers are an excellent solution for your child’s bedroom. They follow the theme, plus they’re exciting for the kids! You can also use wallpaper with motifs of sea creatures, especially for younger kids.

Cushions

Another way to refresh your space and make it more nautical without remodeling is by adding cushions. They can include elements such as nautical stars, stripes, starfish, ships; be marine-blue, red, or stripped. Your options here are limitless, but don’t go overboard. The pillows should go well together and with the rest of the furniture. We advise the use of natural textiles.

Mirrors

Mirrors open the space up and go great with a nautical theme. It is most common to use them in a bathroom to make it more ship-like. Imagine getting ready for your day while looking in a ship-wheel mirror or a round nautical mirror! You can also get beach house wall mirrors covered in seashells or fashioned in the shape of unusual sea creatures.
Pro tip: You can add a porthole window in the bathroom to enhance that coastal feel.

Curated accessories

To make any room more nautical, just add the right accessories. It can include model boats, shells, corals, fishmonger signs, etc. A surfboard is a fantastic eye-catching piece. Salvaged items from retired ships bring history and authentic character to your design.

Nautical kitchen

If you are planning to make changes in your kitchen and renovate it to fit this theme, worry not. It is not difficult to adapt your kitchen to give it that coastal feel. You can follow the color scheme and use nautical pendant lights as a unique detail. Get tiles that have nautical prints on them, as well as dishes and accessories. You can add framed beach photos on the walls and anchors as finishing touches.

Pro tip: A reclaimed accent wall and a factory table are a great combination.

Conclusion

As we said, there is remarkable tranquility that nautical style brings; that warm feeling of summer and the sea, in all of its magic. Achieving this in your home can be done with the essentials – from blue and white to red accents, striped patterns, and sea creatures. Each of these elements has its inspiration in the sailing tradition. We have given you some modern nautical ideas to use in your home. We are hoping you take it further and create a perfect marine oasis wherever you are.

About The Author: Camille Kerry is an interior designer that specializes in reimagining beautiful interior spaces that reflect your aesthetics and spirit. She focuses on blending a mix of styles in a highly effective way and giving you remarkable spaces one project at the time. She works as a freelance writer in the fields of Interior Design and Home Remodeling.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash