How to Bring the Luxury and Freedom of Yacht Design Inside Your Home

If you were inspired by our latest post about yacht interior design or just want to add a nautical touch to your home, welcome! We have gathered our favorite go tos for mirroring the luxury and elegance of the yachting lifestyle without leaving your living room.

There are many ways to say “beach” without palm trees and seashells. The same can be said for conveying the sleek and sophisticated yachting style kitschy elements. We’ve pulled key elements from yacht designs that will subtly transform your home into a little slice of paradise.

1. Customize Your Color Style

Get creative with colors! We lean towards the crisp and classic blue and white combo for a minimalist style, but with a twist, pulling sandy beiges or stony greys as accent colors to broaden your palette and add depth to your space.

The ocean’s shades are vast, and no law says you have to pick just one shade of blue for your home. For a more maximalist approach, try incorporating dark or reclaimed wood combined with the bright pinks, blues, and yellows to portray the display of tropical flowers and fish.

2. Play with Patterns and Textures

Darker and reclaimed wood often have unique grains and knots reminiscent of a ship’s deck and are more on theme than carpeted flooring. If redoing your floors is a bit much, weathered wood elements can have the same effect and are easier to incorporate than you might think. You can also bring in reclaimed wood in smaller pieces like coffee tables, picture frames, shelves, chairs, lamps, and more.

When it comes to soft furnishings like wall treatments, rugs, or couches, try to find variety in your textiles. Select those materials that bring to mind the idea of ropes and sails; canvas or linen blends, rough edges, and thick embroidery. Rugs are a great way to add both color and texture, they’re easy to change out when you’re ready for a refresh! Materials with natural fibers in rugs or curtains, like seagrass or jute, are also great additions to help complement your yacht-inspired escape.

When it comes to nautical patterns, look beyond the typical anchors and starfish. We love incorporating coral patterns into our designs that bring a sense of elegance to an interior, thanks to its natural and slightly abstract nature. Even a simple stripe can also appeal to your nautical concept as well as supportive color combinations of blue, white, and red for that perfect touch.

3. Keep it Light

Yachting is about being on the open sea with the wind in your hair and the sea breeze on your face. While we may not be able to entirely replicate that feeling, opening your space with light and ventilation is a great way to feel free and relaxed in your home. Utilize natural light as much as possible by taking advantage of windows, skylights, and glass doors. These features are excellent ideas for bringing natural light into your home.

Let’s face it, natural light isn’t plentiful for everyone, depending on your interiors. When natural light is limited or simply not available, another key tool to brightening your space is synthetic forms of light, especially in more compact areas like bathrooms. Optimizing placement for lights while finding the perfect balance and layering of cool and warm tones are small details that can make a huge difference.

4. Let the Exterior Inspire Your Interior

Sourcing elements inspired by forms on the outside of a ship is a fun and creative way to add a nautical touch to your home! To avoid becoming kitschy, we look for subtle aspects that can be tucked into surprising spaces. Pieces like porthole-inspired mirrors or windows, rope wall hangings or curtain holders, coffee table books about ships or sailboats, and even sea glass in tile or decor are sophisticated and inspiring design elements that don’t overdo the nautical lifestyle.

You can also use the ocean itself as inspiration! Glass designs that imitate bubbles, white caps, or wave patterns are always interesting, and driftwood can be used in various ways to give your home a natural feel. (Bonus points if you find it yourself!)

The Caribbean has so much to offer in terms of inspiration and retreat from everyday life. Yachting is an integral retreat activity, especially here in the USVI, and is supported by the way nature intended us to become part of the story, to escape. Yachting helps us experience the feeling of freedom and luxury; with the use of color, patterns, textures, and light, you can exude the spirit of nautical living for everyone to enjoy.