Modifying landlubber furniture to fit narrowboat contours

[Marjorie]

Hi again

 

Here's another one:

 

I don't like the 'fully fitted' look (although there are some ingenious space saving options around, which I will not be discounting in some areas).

 

I have only ever seen one picture (video actually, of a lady with a narrowboat moored on the Regent's Canal in London) where 'normal' furniture has been modified to fit a boat.

 

Seems to me it would be cheaper than having fully bespoke everything, and would give the boat an entirely different aesthetic to the standard (which appeals to me).

 

Am I missing something?

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

Are you sure the video you saw was a Narrowboat and not a Wide narrowboat ?

 

A narrowboat is internally only about 6 feet wide - standard domestic furniture will be far too big, and I cannot see how you could 'modify' it.

 

A setee is the size it is - it could only be modified by cutting the frame down and rejoining it, in which case the cushions would not fit

 

Maybe if you could expand on exactly what you want it would help :

You say :-

You dont want fitted furniture

You dont want a futon (uncomfotable)

You dont want individual 'Captains'chairs

 

It may be worth your while going to some boat brokers to have a look what is 'available', or what ohers have done.

[Marjorie]

The boat I saw was definitely a narrowboat (40 footer I believe. I was pretty Bohemian), and we went to Crick last weekend, so I have seen a few different layouts and options, but they all seem to be variations on a theme with various levels of expense. Just playing around with different ways of doing things and trying to understand whether I am a trailblazer or a fool (you don't need to address that one directly).

 

Surely you could take, for example, an existing sideboard, put it under the gunwale (assuming it fits - mine will, with an additional 'proper' worktop fitted if the gunwale is 37" or more above the floor, which I think they usually are?), and have it as half of your kitchen. The one I have is 19" deep (which I guess you could extend by extending the additional worktop you put on top if you wanted). I thought I might fix some of the drawer fronts and cut out part of it's guts to fit a sink in.

 

Or, get a narrow gentleman's wardrobe (assuming height restrictions are accounted for) and cut a chunk out of the back to make it fit to the contour of the gunwale (you might have to fiddle around with hanging space a little to make it work).

[Alan de Enfield]

Kitchen units - yes can be modified - I thought we were still on furniture ?

 

Remember the slope (tumblehome) of a narrowboat means that the roof width is considerably narrower than the floor width. If you try to fit a wardrobe such that coathangers can be used "widthways" at the 'normal' height then the depth of the wardrobe at floor level is too excessive.

 

What type of boat are you currently living on ?

 

"Or, get a narrow gentleman's wardrobe"

 

Presumably you are suggesting a "narrow gentleman" (as opposed to a "wide gentleman") as his clothes will be smaller and hence take up less room.

 

A bit like the advert in the local "Free Paper" :

 

"Wanted, table for lady with Queen Anne legs"

[bottle]

You could do all of that, if you so wish, it is your boat.

 

Whether it would be cheaper more aesthetic than building from scratch would be in the eye of the beholder.

[Paul C]

Remember it will have to fit through the doors of the boat!

[Marjorie]

Yes, a wardrobe for narrow gentlemen might work. Alternatively, one like this (pull forward hanging space and shelves):

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vintage-gentlemans-wardrobe-/321415090496?pt=UK_Antiques_AntiqueFurniture_SM&hash=item4ad5d51140

 

That particular one might be too tall, I didn't really look, but you get the point. I know you'd loose some hanging space by making the top less deep, and need to modify the rail, but you could do it, couldn't you? I'm not mad?

 

Usually, how wide is a narrowboat at it's narrowest point (that would be right near the ceiling, wouldn't it?).

 

Fair point Bottle, I wasn't meaning to write off the fitted aesthetic, I have seen some lovely ones, by this beholder's eye is not generally enamoured...

[Grace and Favour]

In my experience, adapting furniture (by cutting and reducing size, is, (if one wishes to make a half-decent job of it) considerably dearer than having bespoke furniture made from the outset. It is also true that once one cuts and alters existing joints, they are considerably weaker, and less suitable than the originals.

[FadeToScarlet]

It is possible, if you're brave!

 

Older, 1940s and earlier furniture, and some things from the 50s and 60s, tend to be smaller than modern day stuff. Some friends fitting out their boat have some lovely 1950s armchairs and a sofa that are perfectly narrowboat sized, along with some older hand-me-down furniture.

 

We've been hunting and scouring antique and charity shops to find things to fit, and have adapted a few things:

 

 

Wardrobe - from the 20s or 30s, it's quite short, about 5' tall, and only about 15" deep. We modified it by cutting the back of it off, and putting in angled wooden supports onto the walls (which will be painted to match one day!)

 

 

This let us put the hanging rail down low to use the space under the gunwale, and have some shelves above for jumpers etc:

 

 

Other adapted furniture is the late Victorian wash stand in the bathroom, we had holes cut in the marble top by a monumental masons, and added the enamel sink and taps, which were eBay finds:

 

 

We also got several chests of drawers, one's visible above, and there's a couple that I built our bed frame around to make use of the space.

 

Our favourite piece of furniture is the dining table, which is over a century old- not quite sure exactly, but it was old in the 1930s when the father of the previous owner of the boat remembered playing under it when he was very young, in his great aunt's house!

 

There's also a couple of bookshelves, also eBay finds, in the living room, to complement a couple I made myself.

 

The main benefits are that you can have some beautiful furniture, of a professional quality, that can give the boat an instant atmosphere; if you're brave, you can then adapt it to fit.

 

The main thing is to take a tape measure with you EVERYWHERE, because you never know what you might stumble across, and to realise that things like legs can be chopped down, or backs taken off, to make things fit.

[John V]

Love the wash stand.....fabulous job

[Marjorie]

Oh gosh, that washstand is beautiful

 

Rather marvellous wardrobe too.

 

I can see that you have to be careful about the structure of anything you use, and (of course) the size, but it's nice to see someone having done essentially what I was thinking of (thanks for the photos!).

 

Surprised to hear that modifying existing stuff might be more expensive that having things made bespoke, but I guess it depends on the particular builder, the quality and finish of what you'd want if you went fully bespoke, etc, etc, ad infinitum...

 

Actually, I think we could probably manage some of it ourselves to a fairly good standard - other half is handy with a saw and a chisel, and I've got little fingers for the fiddly bits

[Bod]

Whatever you want can be done.

Dependant on 3 things.

1. Your imagination.

2. Your hand skills.(woodwork, metalwork, plumbing, electrics etc.)

3. Your ability to pay. More so if 2. is limited!

 

Bod

[Marjorie]

Whatever you want can be done.

Dependant on 3 things.

1. Your imagination.

2. Your hand skills.(woodwork, metalwork, plumbing, electrics etc.)

3. Your ability to pay. More so if 2. is limited!

 

Bod

 

I'm going to stick this to my wall for when I'm having a panic attack because people keep looking at me like I'm mad.

 

[blackrose]

Hi again

 

Here's another one:

 

I don't like the 'fully fitted' look...

 

Am I missing something?

 

 

Only that most people don't like living on part-fitted boats. But if you like the idea of exposed sprayfoam, plumbing and electrical cables I'm sure there are plenty of partially completed sailaways for sale that the owners never got around to finishing.

 

I'm just kidding, I know what you meant but the term "fully-fitted" means something else on boats. I think you just meant that you don't like the fitted furniture look.

Edited June 3, 2014 by blackrose

[Marjorie]

Only that most people don't like living on part-fitted boats. But if like the idea of exposed sprayfoam, plumbing and electrical cables I'm sure there are plenty of partially completed sailaways for sale that the owners never got around to finishing.

 

I'm just kidding, I know what you meant but the term "fully-fitted" means something else on boats. I think you just meant that you don't like the fitted furniture look.

 

Oh, does it! I didn't realise. But yes, I meant what you said I meant

 

I have a couple of neighbours who have built their own boats and are living with the sprayfoam look (which is not so bad, once you get used to it). And another who have done all their insulating on the outside so they can have exposed steel throughout inside (it looks beautiful, with all the different shades of rust, but IMAGINE the condensation!). Probably not for me. But I might take a stab at incorporating some of my lovely 'furniture into a narrowboat...

[blackrose]

 

Oh, does it! I didn't realise. But yes, I meant what you said I meant

 

I have a couple of neighbours who have built their own boats and are living with the sprayfoam look (which is not so bad, once you get used to it). And another who have done all their insulating on the outside so they can have exposed steel throughout inside (it looks beautiful, with all the different shades of rust, but IMAGINE the condensation!). Probably not for me. But I might take a stab at incorporating some of my lovely 'furniture into a narrowboat...

That's a whacky but impractical idea. Why would anyone insulate the outside of a boat? What did they use, polystyrene, Kingspan, rockwool? If the internal steel doesn't get cold then in theory it wouldn't suffer from condensation, but you can't cover every part off the outside of a boat with insulation (especially the underwater parts), and steel has quite good thermal conduction properties so it will get cold and sweat as the warm internal air hits it.

[Marjorie]

That's a whacky but impractical idea. Why would anyone insulate the outside of a boat? What did they use, polystyrene, Kingspan, rockwool? If the internal steel doesn't get cold then in theory it wouldn't suffer from condensation, but you can't cover every part off the outside of a boat with insulation (especially the underwater parts), and steel has quite good thermal conduction properties so it will get cold and sweat as the warm internal air hits it.

 

Trust me, they drip condensation all over the show, but it is also a very, very beautiful thing.

 

They've got polystyrene down the sides (the grey stuff that looks a but like breeze blocks, you know?), and grass on the roof. Insulated internally up to the water line.

 

The whole thing is utterly harebrained and ridiculous and heart-meltingly cool all at the same time.

 

Sometimes I go round just so I can be dripped on.

[Zayna]

Are you sure the video you saw was a Narrowboat and not a Wide narrowboat ?

 

A narrowboat is internally only about 6 feet wide - standard domestic furniture will be far too big, and I cannot see how you could 'modify' it.

 

A setee is the size it is - it could only be modified by cutting the frame down and rejoining it, in which case the cushions would not fit

 

 

We never liked the two chairs idea, nor the square shaped built in seating we saw, we wanted a comfy sofa to slump on.

 

We bought two settees on ebay, a three seater and a two seater. My chap dismantled the whole thing and rebuilt it inside the boat, modifying it so it fit together in an 'L' shape. We had cushions altered at the local dressmakers. He took fabric from the back of the 3 seater settee and made a big cushion from carpet underlay and upholstered it and fixed it under the gunnel. It is THE comfiest thing I have ever sat on, and it doubles as a bed, the base is sprung so you just put all the big cushions on the floor, throw a quilt over it and it's a massive double bed.

 

Pictures don't do it justice really but here you go.

 

 

 

 

We also cut down wardrobes to fit the shape of the boat, and sawed the bottom off a king size mattress so it flips up and down and becomes a cross bed. Oh, and we sawed a drop leaf table up so it's a coffee table but we kept one of the leaves and that sits on top to make the coffee table into a bigger dining table.

[Marjorie]

Zayna - THAT is pretty neat!

[YamYam]

Seconded. Love that settee. Was going to ask where you got it but just re read your post. Wish I was as skilled to do something like that. I have quite large front doors so can squeeze some decent size stuff in but never found a corner suite thats the 'right' size. Wouldn't have the first idea how to make one smaller.