When someone asks you to picture a ‘home’, nine times out of ten, a house or perhaps a flat will be called to mind. These buildings come in many different styles, from massive mansions to cosy cottages, but in general they do have a lot in common. They have front doors, windows, a kitchen, bathroom, living space and at least one bedroom – and they are all on land.
Yet your home does not have to be on land if you prefer it not to be. Some people find that living in a houseboat is the ideal solution for them. Of course, living on the water won’t suit everyone, not least because your home is literally going to be moving around as you try to go about your daily business, but there are many benefits to enjoying a home like this, including the fact that it’s cheaper than a traditional house and you can move it where you want to, enjoying a luxury cruise like experience every day of the year!
If you have a houseboat, you’ll want to decorate it so that it feels more like home. With that in mind, here are some of the design ideas you can put in place.
HAVE GOOD LIGHTING
On deck, you generally won’t have to worry about lighting – you’re outside, after all, and the natural light should be enough. However, it can be very dark below deck on a houseboat; even if you do have windows, the way the boat is made means it can have low ceilings and not much light can get through.
Therefore, you’ll need to add as much good lighting as you can. Use window blinds that completely retract to get as much sunlight in as you can, for example. Plus, you can add some lovely standing lamps downstairs – just make sure they are fixed to the floor, however, so they don’t get damaged (and you don’t get hurt).
For that extra nautical theme, you might want to invest in some marine lighting, and speaking of not getting hurt, some sturdy furniture is a must, too…
BUY STURDY FURNITURE
As we’ve said, a houseboat is not going to be still or stationary all the time, and this is especially true in inclement weather. This means you have to choose any furniture you want very carefully, indeed. A lot of people actually tie their furniture down to prevent it from moving too much when the water is rough or when the boat is on the move, and this is something you’ll need to consider.
The best way to ensure this works well for you is to choose sturdy furniture. Heavy furniture is less likely to be dislodged as the boat moves and less likely to be damaged if it does. Remember to also exercise caution when placing glass objects about the home as these could cause a lot of harm when they break.
MAKE THE MOST OF THE VIEW
When you live on a leisure boat, one of the things you’ll probably like best is the view. You can enjoy spectacular views from the cosy comfort of your houseboat, and so it makes sense for your design ideas to take this into account and maximise the potential of that view.
To start with, make sure you put some comfortable – and attractive – seating on the deck of your houseboat so you can while away the hours outside if you choose to. Inside, check that your furniture is facing the windows, or at least could offer you a chance to enjoy the view if you want to.
