Nautical Ideas for Houses

Wall Treatments

• Paint your walls with a neutral color such as cream, tan or white for a way to keep your walls versatile, or go wild with decidedly nautical wall treatments. Use blue and white stripes or a hand-painted ocean scene mural. If you aren't into drawing and painting, wall decal options exist in nautical themes and can easily be removed from the wall when you need a change. Use wallpaper and borders to create an oceanic feel, or make a room look like the interior of a fine ship.

Furniture

• Choose furniture with dark wooden construction or accents. Use unexpected pieces, such as a classic ship wheel repurposed into a coffee table or an ottoman made from an old wooden chest. Use obviously nautical pieces mixed with modern sets for a tasteful balance. Give mismatched pieces a uniform look with a thin coat of white paint for a whitewashed and sea-weathered look.

Accessories

• Choose accessories that invoke the feeling of being in a ship or on the ocean. Display model ships and ships in bottles on mantels and tabletops. Fill clear glass vases and decorative bowls with sand. Place pieces of driftwood, small model ships and seashells in the sand. Lay sections of rope across tables, and hang them over wall art to add to the nautical theme. Display standard-size globes and maps to add an exploration or travel feel to the home.

Textiles

• Use textiles to pull a room together quickly without having to change every piece of furniture, which can get expensive. Use furniture covers in crisp linen white or blue and white stripes to pull together your couches and chairs in the living room. Create an instant nautical room with striped or rope-trimmed curtains. Use the same color scheme for tablecloths and throw rugs or shower curtains in the bath. Add nautical cross-stitched or embroidered throw pillows to accent beds, couches and chairs.