The Wet Web
EVERYONE who is puzzled over organising the interior of a narrowboat understands the problem of trying to make what is, essentially, a corridor feel light and spacious. When Sharon Peach and husband Aaran Chapman fell in love with narrowboating after a single weekend on the canals in 2016, it was a question that would lead to a completely new venture.
They bought themselves a run- down ex-timeshare boat and asked themselves: “What happens if we make a lovely space?” Research into narrowboat interiors hadn’t impressed. “It felt like narrowboats in general were stuck in a gloomy varnished plywood time warp,” says Sharon. “We knew we could do better.”
Applying interior design techniques resulted in a modern look that drew plenty of praise and they realised they were on to something. To test out their idea, they surveyed 200 people on narrowboat groups and forums online. Two-thirds said they’d contemplate more onboard holidays if living accommodation were more modern, with unfavourable comparisons made between many hire boats and 1970s caravans. The result was Boutique Narrowboats.
Operating out of Union Wharf, Market Harborough, Aaran and Sharon now run a small fleet of holiday hire boats, mainly for couples. The new concept involved, among other things, a complete rethink of materials. “Materials need to withstand such extremes of environment,” says Sharon. “At times of the year, everything gets damp, everything gets dry.” Practical and well-tried as marine ply and vinyl are for interiors, Sharon and Aaran wanted to leave them behind. “They’re not very beautiful,” she explains.
Early trials of tongue and groove panelling were not a success because of moisture and temperature variations. “It expands and contracts, leaving strips of unpainted wood. It cracks.” The answer has been an MDF product that is usually put into bathrooms. Early attempts at doors resulted in warping—with a character that adds warmth to light interiors, those are now made with a reclaimed wood cladding over an MDF core and are now an important element in their signature look.
But looks aren’t everything. “We always knew that we wanted guests to use the boats as closely as they can to being on land,” says Sharon. Aaran is in charge of engineering and they work with a skilled carpenter. The result is that boats have king-size beds, a large shower, and plenty of battery power to allow for appliances that include a coffee machine. Their latest addition, Paper Kite, launching this summer, is gasless. This is a bonus from a design point of view, as it reduces the number of vents required.
What they’ve done certainly seems to have gone down well. In January, the British Travel Awards 2023 awarded Silver to Boutique Narrowboats as the Best Company for UK Short Breaks in the small companies category. “We’re so pleased,” says Sharon. “It’s voted for by the public. A lot of people come back to us year after year, and come a long way to stay on our boats – including from America and Italy.”
Refitting narrowboats turns out to be a transferable skill. Sharon’s new venture Skipperlings (skipperlings.co.uk), helps anyone self-brokering their boat to dress their interior to create the best impression and maximise a sale. Sharon and Aaran also fit out private boats for owners who want a fresh approach – accommodating what Sharon sees as a new trend in narrowboat ownership. “People are viewing them as mini-apartments,” she says, “whereas I think they used to be seen more as a mode of transport. Whatever their taste is at home, that’s what they want.”
So, what are their design secrets? If you’ve ever wished for a lighter feel and a freer flow of space, or an alternative to the ubiquitous dinette, Sharon highlights her ideas in a regular blog for their website (boutiquenarrowboats.co.uk).