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!

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!

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

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

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 🙂

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!

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…?