So you’ve purchased a Sailaway canal boat with the intention of fitting out the interior yourself. Whether you’re the proud owner of a brand new narrowboat or whether you have a little extra space to play with in a wide-beam houseboat, canal boat interior design poses unique challenges, but thankfully you can overcome this with a touch of creativity resulting in a functional and aesthetically pleasing interior.
Understanding the Space You’re Working With
Unlike traditional home design, canal boat interiors must take into account limited space, irregular layouts, and the need for practicality in every aspect. Maximising storage solutions, optimising spatial flow, and incorporating multi-functional furniture are just a few considerations that can allow you to make the most of the space available.
It is important to have an idea of the kind of lifestyle you wish to have when on your canal boat. Are you looking for a leisure retreat to cruise the waterways o are you looking to transform your boat into a floating home?
Consider the Layout of Your Canal Boat
This will tie in heavily with the function that you want the vessel to serve. Are you an entertainer and pan to have guests, or are you looking for a more peaceful retreat away from the stresses of everyday life?
These questions can determine where you decide to place certain rooms within the layout of the boat. For example, if your ideal lifestyle is one of quiet relaxation consider designing the bedroom at the bow of the vessel as, providing the bow deck is long enough, it will give you your very own private deck from which to take in the serenity of life on the canals.
Toilet facilities are also a key thinking point in terms of placement. Do you want to have to walk the length of the vessel to use the toilet, or do you value convenience and want to place it towards the rear of the craft? In the case of convenience, this usually comes with a trade-off with space.
Utilise Smart Storage Spaces
Whether designing a livaboard or a waterway cruiser storage options are important but more so if you plan to live aboard. There’s nothing worse than decking out your boat immaculately and then finding that you haven’t accounted for the amount of items that you wish to bring aboard.
Consider using vertical space for space-saving storage options. This allows you to free up the main living areas and makes moving around the vessel easier without feeling cluttered.
Create a Sense of Space with Light Colours and Decor
Depending on how you want the feel of the interior to come across, bright colours can really help emphasise the space you have available and even make the interior seem bigger.
Traditionally canal boats utilised a lot of natural colours such as wood tones like oak, mixed with cream or white, but recently a lot of liveaboards have utilised grey tones to create a very contemporary finish.
Narrowboat owners should take care not to overpower their space with vibrant colours as this can be a tad distracting and even lead to a decreased feeling of space within the vessel.
Talk to The Experts About Your Canal Boat Interior Design Today
Collingwood Boatbuilders is the largest canal boat builder in the UK. With decades of experience under our collective belts, we’ve seen canal boat interior trends come and go so if you’re looking for advice on furnishings or even looking to skip the middle man and have us design your ideal living space on water, contact us today and we will be more than happy to help.
Stay tuned for the second part of designing your ideal canal boat interior.
