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Ship to Shore

Jill Evans explains that even if you don’t live on the coast, your décor can reflect your passion for things nautical.

Even the largest yachts are restricted on space, so yacht designers have created clever ways to overcome this with products that look even better in a home on shore. Practical ideas and products that have a real purpose have a beauty all of their own especially when made in the strong, durable materials that a are necessary when facing the elements. Charming soft furnishings on the same theme would soften and complete the scheme.

The Salcombe Trading Company supplies a high—quality Danish brand called Skagerak, which takes its inspiration from yacht fixtures and fittings, and uses quality materials such as oak or teak, with stainless steel, in stylishly simple designs. The wall-mounted Cutter Mini Wardrobe, for example, which is nothing like a normal wardrobe, takes up very little space but holds a great deal. It has four coat hooks, a hanger rail and a shelf, in a simple nautical style. Skagerak also has a wall-mounted Cutter Folding Seat, just right for pulling off your boots and then pushing it back up out of the way. Both would be absolutely ideal for a hallway, a small bedroom or bathroom. Its Nautic Square table design is actual based on the hatch of a ship and, whilst it feels really solid, it simply folds up almost flat. It can used as a coffee table or occasional table or outdoors so proving to be almost indispensable.

Practical ideas and products that serve a real purpose have a beauty all their own.

It's not just the hard materials used for boat fittings and fixtures that can be used in the home. Salcombe—based Quba and Co sell products inspired by our British nautical heritage, turning recycled sailcloth into unique holdalls and jackets. They now also make sailcloth cushions, complete with numbers from the sails, to liven up a sofa or bedroom, and cover armchairs and sofas in sailcloth too. Imagine sinking into one of their enormous sailcloth beanbags or relaxing in a numbered sailcloth deckchair.

On a more architectural point, for stairs and balconies — indoors or out, you may like to use ships' handrails, with stanchions and wires, from a chandler or marine supplier, for a look which is both timeless and contemporary — with or without the ubiquitous decking. Drifting on to soft furnishings, a small up—and—coming textile company — Emily Burningham —- has a Sailboats fabric that would be ideal for roman blinds, small curtains and cushions. For more experienced sailors, they also have a cushion with a Solo boat design. The colourways include the expected marine and powder blue (you cannot go wrong with blue for a boat design) but they also have a modern neutral and a delightful verdigris colourway.

Back on shore, Vanessa Arbuthnot noticed how seashells created circular halos around themselves on the sand, which inspired her to produce her linen union fabric Seashells and Sand, available in a denim or a sand colourway Together with its co— ordinating Deckchair Stripe fabric, it is ideal for curtains, blinds, bed headboards, bedcovers, and loose covers for chairs or sofas. For a child’s bedroom, you could take a tip from a scheme created for a famous Welsh film star for her house in Bermuda, who was delighted to see her child’s name spelt out in naval ensigns strung up on the wall above the bed. Flags of all kinds hold a great fascination whatever the age. On the same theme, you may prefer to use a Mulberry fabric called Naval Ensigns, which depicts various flags from all over the world and was based on an antique printed scarf.

If you have the right sort of room, perhaps a study or small drawing room or breakfast room, you could turn it into a map room, with maps all around the walls showing nautical charts of your favourite haunts and those places still to be explored. It is best to have no frame at all, just mounted, or a very simple unobtrusive frame. You could paste the charts directly onto the walls of a small cloakroom if you are brave, but be prepared for a queue at parties. On the other hand, if you are lucky enough to collect antique nautical charts, you may want a more formal group of framed charts gracing your drawing room wall. There are some specialist nautical antiques shops in places like Dartmouth, and also online.

Should you be wondering whether conditions are favourable and time is sufficient to go down to the sea, the smart Time and Tide clock from The Salcombe Trading Company will give you the answer right away, hopefully in the affirmative.

Whether at sea or on shore, high- quality lovingly created products made with good honest materials in practical and stylish designs, will keep your home looking ship-shape for years to come.

Photographs: Quba & South Sands Hotel / Bangwallop, The Salcombe Trading Company, Emily Burningham, Venesse Arbuthnot

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