NAUTICAL and NICE
Think calm blues and natural materials to get that washed-out New England ocean vibe going
Nautical themes have long been a stylish interiors staple and come summer every shop window display tends to resemble a clichéd seaside getaway. There’s the obligatory navy and white Breton-striped textiles, sea shells and starfish textile motifs, a fake anchor decoration and usually some sort of rope accessory thrown in to remove any doubt that this is meant to convey a holiday scene.
However there is another way to introduce nautical vibes at home and avoid such excessive fanfair.
A far more understated alternative is the aim; think rustic coastal retreat rather than beachside resort. Colours are calm, muted and organic – a far more liveable set-up comprising mostly creamy whites to pale grey white along with accents of blue, coral, dull turquoise and sandy gold.
Natural materials such as seagrass, jute, linen and rattan are a key component of this subdued coastal look along with plenty of wooden furnishings either whitewashed, untreated or handpainted in sea-inspired shades.
While the nautical stripe hasn’t completely disappeared this season it is softened by painted textures, as seen in Ikea’s latest Sommar range which features beautiful watercolour blue details across tabletop, home accessories, bedding and more.
Furniture brand Neptune’s (neptune.com) look for springsummer is heavily inspired by the fresh Cornish coast and laidback New England/Martha’s Vineyard style using lots of texture in its decoration and taking its lead from nature. Its new range includes the beachhouse-style Long Island sofa that can be upholstered in a variety of light-coloured linens in coastal shades like oyster pink, Holkham sand and Agatha stone.
The design team at DFS have taken inspiration from the tranquil South African coast and traditional Cape Town beachhouses for its latest sofa collaboration with French Connection.
They’ve combined soothing hues of blue and indigo with simple materials in organic shapes to create a relaxed coastal look for the new Coast sofa range.
The Coast Grande sofa in denim blue, €1,885, pairs perfectly with the ivory armchair. €939. Set against a clean white backdrop the colours evoke a sense of a beautiful faraway coastline.
Meanwhile renowned textile design house Harlequin (harlequin.uk.com) has just unveiled two new striking designs with ocean vibes, Floreale and Kaleido, in collaboration with luxury bedlinen manufactures Bedeck.
Digitally printed on 100% cotton sateen with a 200-thread count, the Floreale duvet features an upscaled floral motif in ocean blue and turquoise tones with the reverse in plain ivory. There’s a watercolour striped cushion
on a white linen base to match. The Kaleido duvet cover has horizontal stripes in a refreshing palette of sea blues, greens and ochre yellow. And if you look really closely you might just see a hint of a Breton stripe!