Decorating a sailboat can be a little tricky because there are not a lot of opportunities for accessorizing – much to my disappointment. For one, there’s no room – this is kind of like tiny house living, so minimalism is key. More importantly, things can go flying when Lake Superior pummels us, so pottery, potpourri, and anything else we can’t shove in a latched drawer is a firm “no,” it turns out.
But there are still many ways to update a 1980s boat interior because upholstery and other textiles can go a long way. When I shared the first tour of our sailboat, you got a glimpse of the all-beige interior: beige headliner, beige fiberglass, accented with… beige upholstery! I really find myself warming up to beige, cream, and off-white these days though, so I decided to embrace the beige and find inspiration in a moodier palette, with lots of rich blues. The cushions were shot – in such terrible shape, that the seller actually knocked a bunch of money off the asking price so we could get them replaced. I had a lot of fun choosing upholstery fabric and, after much deliberation, Hubby and I decided on a deep blue upholstery (Sunbrella Loft Indigo). Most colors made the beige headliner look dirty, but this rich blue made it look lighter and we figured it would hide dirt and muck well too. I turned down teal – TEAL – but I like the classic, nautical feel of this blue. It’s such a gorgeous, rich shade and it really changes color when you look at it from different angles, which I love!
Sailboat – Before
Here’s quick trip down memory lane – for more photos of the “before,” check out this post. The “before” photos were snapped with Hubby’s phone when the boat was still tarped, so the quality is different but it’s also shinier and gleamier now because I went through a bottle and a half of teak oil and removed about 16 garbage bags of stuff.
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| BEFORE |
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| BEFORE |
Sailboat – After
When you first clamber down the companionway into our boat, this is the view now:
We were both surprised by how much stuff was left behind by the former owner – some of it useful, some of it not. We spent weeks just sorting, emptying, cleaning; I vacuumed the headliner, scrubbed surfaces, sorted through drawers, oiled teak. Meanwhile, Hubby worked on the engine and tackled various repairs. The unexpected de-cluttering set us back a little and it’s part of the reason we launched so late in the season, but it was necessary – and oddly satisfying!
On the port side (I’ve gotta learn this!), is a settee with fold down table and also a neat bed extender – plus the galley (kitchen). I changed the design of the settees a little, asking the upholsterers to remove the tufting and square off the corners for a cleaner, more modern look. I didn’t show you the teak table when it’s open in the first tour – it folds down and another section slides out to reach the other settee. Such a clever design! I like that it can fold completely out of the way.
The little galley is adorably tiny and I absolutely cannot picture whipping up anything more than a sandwich in there right now, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it. I’d love to find a cute vintage stove at some point. But for now, a good clean and some irresistible (clearance) melamine bowls from HomeSense do the trick!
On the starboard side, there’s another longer settee, the navigation station, and quarter berth:
Beyond the little door is a bank of tiny drawers, hanging storage, a teeny tiny bathroom (the “head”) and the v-berth with more drawers. Fun fact: if I need to, I can scramble up the hatch in the v-berth onto the deck surprisingly nimbly.
This is the view looking toward the stern (back):
I love the new upholstery fabric and fresh new mattress-grade foam (so comfy!). My DIY ice dyed pillows look perfect in here and really brighten up the space! Now that it’s clean and we’re using the boat, I’m assessing what else we can do to spruce it up. I have a Pinterest board just brimming with nautical crafts and projects…
There is some terrible wall covering in the head and little storage area that I’d love to cover up, but I need to figure out what can withstand the moisture. We’re eyeing a cute nautical wall sconce for more light – plus we’d like to upgrade the existing interior lights. I’d love to make some DIY fitted sheets and some sturdy, washable, cozy blankets – maybe a quilt? Lots more to do, but I couldn’t wait to show you the update sailboat interior makeover!
P.S. Don’t Forget to Pin for Later!
A huge thanks to Sunbrella for providing the Loft Indigo fabric. I am absolutely thrilled with the quality of the fabric and the gorgeous, deep shade of blue. I’m already eyeing up some other nautical fabrics to have our forest green bimini re-done…
this is so dreamy, tanya! i am so excited for you!
Thanks Cassie! I'm really happy I could make it look and feel cozy and comfy inside because it wasn't very welcoming when we bought it.
This looks great! I love the blue and the ice dyed pillows look perfect in there.
Thanks so much Haley!
Hi Tanya, this looks great! Just a copyediting note — pretty sure it's "berth," not "birth" in this context. Don't want you to look like you don't know your boat lingo!! 😀 <3 <3
Haha, I don't know the lingo very well! Our last sailboat was SO tiny, it didn't have these fancy things, lol. Thanks for catching that!
This is awesome—I knew you'd refresh the interior and make it cozy!Amy
Thank you! It even SMELLS better now that it's been scrubbed and all of the cushions are new. I'm so happy with how it turned out!
I love it!!!! My mother is (honestly) the best seamstress I've ever seen–she does everything from reupholstery to wedding dresses, alterations, suits, etc., and it's all perfect. One thing she made for me was fitted sheets for beds (out of leftover sheets–we are a thrifty sort), and she even made the top sheet have two corners, so that I could make my boys' beds easier and so that they wouldn't pull the sheets out. it was a game changer. she put a big pleat in the middle of the base of the sheet where the corners are so that they are not too narrow or have to be tapered at the end. this could even be done with blankets. i think this might be a nice idea for a boat, too, as making up beds that consist basically of loose cushions can be tricky. My mom said this would not be difficult for a less experienced sewer (although I have no idea since i cannot sew and find it very intimidating).whatever you choose, good luck! i love you blog…
Thank you! Your Mom sounds amazing! I'm trying to picture what your Mom did and I think I know what you mean. Thanks so much for the idea, sheets for these random cushions will be a project for the winter because I'm not sure we'll sleep on it this year. We might just do some day sailing and work up to overnight trips.
Wow! Amazing how significant an improvement you've made from reupholstering and those beautiful ice-dye pillows. I'm in love. I'm excited for you guys. How beautiful!
I'm swooning! You're right that the blue and cream go together so well. It totally looks "you," even with the limited creativity allowed by such a small space. Can't wait to see what else you add!
Thanks Staci! It was fun working with a new color palette for me (the indigo blues, the beige – not a speck of aqua, lol), but I'm so happy to hear that it still looks like "me"! If you spot any cute, practical accessories you think might work, let me know – I'm still scheming up some things here.
Looks fabulous! Great work.
Thanks! I'm so excited with how it looks – the cushions were terribly frightening before because most of them were just shredded, lol. I've been so excited to show you 🙂
Well you dun good. 😉 The decor is homey yet with a maritime bent. Love it.
Now I'm finding myself drawn to more nautical stuff when I'm at HomeSense. What the heck is happening to me?
Consider warm LED lighting when you upgrade. They use much less battery power. I like the fabrics you chose!
Thank you 🙂 And thanks for that great tip!
Hi, Congrats on your boat you have done a beautiful job detailing her. Here is an idea you could use two sleeping bags zipped together and a roll up memory foam mattress roll it up use bungee cords and stuff bag. When you need them roll them out when you don't put them in their bags and store them no laundry or bedding to store just pillows and the bags.and saves on wear n tear on the new cushions.Best regards,K River
Hi again, I just thought something how about using puck led lights from Lowe's they use batteries not power and would probably be easy to install on a wood or metal surface. maybe some under counter lighting along the underside of the shelving just ideas.Best regards, K River
I love your style – we just bought a 26 foot Beneteau with the same color blue cushions. Where did you purchase your adorable rug and baskets?
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Thanks so much! Congrats on the purchase!! That’s so exciting. I bought the rug and baskets at HomeSense, a discount home goods type store. I will try to see if I can track down any tags or a brand. I think I remember seeing the rug online…?
Hi Tanya – a couple more questions – did you use teak oil on your interior knowing that it was not varnished by the prior owner? Also, did you use a marine upholstery shop or regular? (one more – is there vinyl on the back of the cushions?) Thanks!
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The wood was not varnished. I didn’t ask but I could tell it was definitely oiled at some point and not varnished. I’ve fondled enough teak in my day to know haha. If it had been varnished, I would have stripped that and oiled.
For upholstery, I used a place that was recommended by other boaters. The shop does everything: RVs, boats, furniture – they were even contracted to do repairs by a local furniture retailer. But I asked around at the yacht club and their name came up again and again. And the fabric is on the front, back, sides – everywhere. But it’s Sunbrella and designed for this application. I have found that people with boats love to chat about boats. There are always random dudes roaming my local yacht club and always willing to offer up advice and answers. I’d recommend asking for a recommendation in your area. I hope this helps! Feel free to ask anything!
Well – we finally got our boat (also new-to-us), Beneteau First 26, into the water – and had our own rough first sail. 98 degrees outside, wind from the N 1 mph (we were going due N). We had 24 miles to go across Lake Ponchartrain from the New Orleans side to the North Shore. Thank goodness the engine held out for FIVE HOURS ha ha. We thought we had sun stroke – but, of course, today was better : ) We enjoyed our little bayou marina. Sure hope you make your previously mentioned sailing pinterest board public at some point – I’d love to see your ideas! Wishing you smooth sailing!
Tanya
You are a genius! Your ideas, selections and applications are flawless. I now have the inspiration I need to open the hatch of our newly purchased Alberg 22 in search of assets in this diamonte in the totally rough. I know right? Tiny. But don’t overlook, it’s also ancient! And hasn’t been touched since the day it was born over 30 years ago. Wish me luck and please let me know if you’ve had one of your marvellous sparks of creative advice for me.
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Thank you Karenina, you’re so kind! I used to have a little Fireball – I want to say it was 16 feet? So a 22 seems plenty spacious haha. I am so excited for you!! Having a sailboat is so much fun, no matter the size. I am wishing you all the luck in the world. I’d love to see photos! I’m @danslelakehouse on Instagram is you ever want to send over a couple 🙂
Hi Tanya,
The interior cushions you made look amazing and I’m thinking of using the exact material to reupholster our new to us Bayfield 32.
Couple questions. First, how has that Sunbrella material held up since you installed it (I guess 3 years now)? Do you regret the colour or pattern at all. Reason I ask is I’m torn between whether or not I should have a pattern or solid colour.
Thanks so much,
Dennis B
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Hi Dennis,
That’s a good question! It still looks super new but that’s probably because we don’t sail as much as we thought we would, so it has seen wear but not a ton. We also don’t have kids! So that makes it easier to keep things new looking. So when I say it looks new, it’s because we’ve been really gentle on it and haven’t put it through the ringer.
But about the fabric choice, I was just commenting the other day how much I still like it. It’s a classic choice and hides dirt because it’s so dark. I would choose it again for sure, when it comes to aesthetics.
I’m not sure that helped at all! I always say to go with your gut. Choose a fabric you really love!
Best,
Tanya
Hi Tanya,
Thanks for this great article. Did you ever get new canvas for the bimini?
I’m curious how you found the aesthetic shift going from forest green around the cockpit to deep blue in the cabin?
I’d love to hear more about your upgrades to the boat, if any.
Thanks!
Author
Hi Curtis, I’m so glad to hear you liked this article! I am ashamed to say that we have not made any other aesthetic upgrades. We’ve had a lot of tinkering to do, over the years, to functional elements (new toilet, yay! haha). But I will say that the forest green is not my favorite, but we can’t afford to replace it yet. Also, when we are sailing, we can’t see it because we don’t sail with the bimini… So most of the time I don’t really think about it. It’s still the plan the change out the forest green and perhaps do something to the brown exterior paint too, haha. But I do think that, if I were to keep the forest green, it could work well with deep blue. Theoretically! They’re both jewel tones – if I was committed to the green, I could search for a nice outdoor fabric with blues and greens to tie it together aeshtetically. But I definitely want to shift towards more of a classic nautical aesthetic, if only everything weren’t so darn expensive. We need new sails too, the list never ends. Do you have a boat? I’d love to know what kind!