Something is alluring about the sea. Maybe it's the sound of waves crashing on the shore or the salty scent in the air. Some of us are captivated not only by the sea itself but by the ships that seem to roam over the waves freely. From one person skiffs to masted vessels, humans took to the water bit by bit until our ancestors finally circumnavigated the globe. The romance of sea vessels has been exhibited in films, books, and folklore for centuries, which makes it no surprise that some homeowners use it as an inspiration for decor.
With lots of blues and browns, decorating and furnishing your nautical-themed living room has tons of options. While some authentic accessories can be more difficult to come by, a little bit of extra effort on your part will usually yield some great finds for your space. And though some rooms might be better laid out than others for this type of theme, you'll be able to remake any room in your home with accents of the sea.
This post will explore 15 homes that have chosen the nautical theme for their living rooms. As you will see, some have this theme very dominant in their living space, while others use hints of it with how they style their walls and tables. Welcome aboard, and enjoy what we've discovered!
1. The Seaside Cottage
This homeowner used naked vertical wooden paneling and matching exposed cross beams to give the room the feel of a seaside cottage. The decor in the room is mostly nautical-themed. The framed print above the tan sofa is of a man rowing a boat in a rough sea. On the coffee table in front of the sofa is a model ship, and a nautical mirror is in the background on the left. The room has a lot of blue in the furnishings, a sure reminder of the color of the ocean.
If you're looking for a mirror that's nautical themed, we suggest you consider this one.
If you'd like to view this mirror on Amazon, click here.
2. The Boathouse
Here we have a living room that is less subtle with the nautical theme. The striped blue and white upholstery on the furniture fits the theme well. Looking around this room, we see large wooden shipping crates that have been repurposed as a coffee table. On the floor in the foreground are decorative ropes that have been balled into knots.
We found a similar rope knot that is used as a door stopper.
To view this doorstop on Amazon, click here.
3. Using Sailboats as Props
This homeowner has the light blue color scheme to capture the ocean's feel on a sunny day. They also incorporated a large-scale model of a sailboat, which has been expertly placed upon a sofa table behind the furniture.
We were able to find this 27-inch scale model sailboat, which might complement your nautical-themed living room.
To view this model sailboat on Amazon, click here.
4. The Ship's Wheel as a Focal Point
The living room in this photo has used several pieces of decor to signal a nautical theme. But what makes it complete is the ship's wheel, which has been mounted on the mantle above the fireplace. The area rug is white with a blue rope design, further complimenting the theme.
5. Another Room With the Ship's Wheel
This homeowner also made use of the ship's wheel as a focal point. This accessory has been mounted above the fireplace, but the room has a much darker tone. The reds and browns give it the feel of the interior of a ship after dark.
If you'd like a ship's wheel on your wall, we found one similar for you.
To view this ship's wheel on Amazon, click here.
6. Ship on the Mantle
Before, we saw a ship on a sofa table. In this living room, the decorator has made perfect use of the mantle and had a scale model sailboat centered on it. The dark wooden plank flooring has a nautical feel to it, and the use of wooden crates around the room is a great touch.
7. Accessories Make the Room
The homeowners here are capitalizing on the fact that there are tons of nautical-themed accessories available to make this theme dominate your living space. The pattern on the area rug is boats, which pairs great with the wall decor. Here, we have a ship's wheel mounted, flanked on either side by framed prints of ships. To the right, we see a large lobster, and to the left on a shelf is a scale model boat.
8. Use of Blue
This room has white shiplap paneled half walls, which give way to a solid blue from the midway point to the ceiling. The chosen furniture has blue and white striped upholstery set around a wooden shipping crate coffee table. Note the enormous scale model ship in the background. These types of models come in a variety of styles, from schooners to Spanish Armada-style boats. The size of the ship you choose should be based on where you'll place it.
9. Isolating the Accessories to the Wall
While the furniture and area rug wouldn't look out of place in a nautical-themed living room, they are pretty passable amongst many other themed rooms. This decorator has accomplished making this room feel of the sea by only decorating the main wall. Here we see that they have hung a decorative anchor and framed coral prints.
If you're utilizing nautical-themed wall decor, consider a metal boat propeller. You can get the real thing if you look or a reproduction of one.
To view this repro propeller on Amazon, click here.
10. Converted Skiff
In this living room, we see that they have converted an old skiff into a corner shelving unit. To the far left, they have mounted an authentic ship's wheel on the wall. Lastly, we can see that the end table has a lighthouse-shaped table lamp atop it.
11. Sea-Side Table
If you're not committed to converting your entire living room to a nautical theme, consider a part of it. This homeowner used a vintage wooden side table and styled it with nautical-themed accessories. The model ship on top is surrounded by knots of rope. On the wall to the left are framed ship's instruments. This type of room styling would be great for a living room, entry hall, or even a bedroom.
12. Tasteful Accessorizing
This homeowner went above and beyond with the nautical accessories. We see in this room multiple pieces of nautical decor, each of which is elegantly crafted and displayed. The model ships on the right sit atop a vintage wooden bookcase. On the left, we see framed prints of sea vessels. Tucked in the corner is a genuine wooden propeller.
If you want to style your walls with nautical decor, you might consider an anchor. We found this one, which is worth your consideration.
To view this decorative anchor on Amazon, click here.
13. Using Wood Framed Furniture
Most of the furniture in this post has been covered entirely with fabric. The homeowner decided to accent their sofa with solid wood end tables and a coffee table in this living room. To the right of the sofa is a floor lamp with a rope stem. On the wall to the left is a wooden ship and shelf, which holds various nautical knickknacks.
14. Built-in Shelving
The homeowner of this living room has used the built-in shelving to display numerous nautical knickknacks. Decorating the shelves are miniature lighthouses, ships, pieces of coral, and other objects. No built-in unit? That's not a problem. Using larger freestanding shelving units can accomplish the same feeling, as can the tops of side tables and coffee tables.
15. Sometimes, Just Use the Walls and Ceiling
Finally, we have a room with specialty wallpaper and ceiling treatments to capture the nautical theme. The furniture and accessories in this room go fairly unnoticed, as they are overshadowed by the obvious. The walls are papered to give the impression that they are giant maps, with images of ships' wheels and nautical instruments.
Decorating your living room in a nautical theme doesn't have to cost a fortune. As you have seen in this post, there are a number of inexpensive accessories that will complement almost any room, all the while giving it the feel of a ship at sea.
If you enjoyed reading this post on nautical bedroom ideas, we believe you will find the following posts on living room decor informative:
23 Rustic Farmhouse Living Room Ideas
How To Arrange Plants In Living Room [7 Amazing Suggestions!]
5 Questions To Ask Yourself When Choosing Wallpaper For The Living Room