Interior dee-cor

[Orphiel]

Hallo all. Not sure if this is better here or in the boat building/maintenence but I do live on the boat and to my mind it fits better here because it's less technical and more ideas.

 

I am looking for opinions on funky paint jobs to do to the inside of my boat.

 

She is a bit dark at the minute, although she does have some lovely wood T&G above the gunwhales that shines when it is sunny. Problem is I live in Britain, and it is never sunny. Rubbish. At the moment there is also blue carpet up the bottom half of the wall. I was thinking of keeping this in the bedroom for warmth, and taking it off and putting on more (vertical this time) T&G boarding on the rest of the boat.

Here is a good picture of the walls at the moment: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/421020521/

And here is me in my very messy boat living room/kitchen area http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/421020511/

Here is some more kitchen and stove, and also me taking up majority of space in photo looking like a twat, but giving you brief idea of layout:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/421021943/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/421020514/

 

I cannot seem to find any better pictures of what it is like but will get some soon.

 

Aaanyway. What I was thinking of doing is stripping the varnish of the wood T&G, and painting it white. Mm, white. For roominess and cleaness. And maybe then painting the wall the chest of drawers is on, just before the bathroom, another colour to be bright and cheerful. Although that might look a little bit rubbish. With the carpet stripped off I would have wood on the bottom and paint on top, like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/352858011/ ( I have shamelessly nicked photos of boats for sale for ideas).

 

I could also do it the opposite way round, which would be arguably less work, such as this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/364473492/

 

Or even coloured, like this http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/352862636/

 

But I must do /something/. Because I have been watching lots of interior design shows, and so have been all corrupted by it.

 

Ooh, also I think I should varnish the wood in my bathroom and stain in interesting colours. At the minute it is like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/421019881/

 

So, what do you think? Are they foolish ideas that will make the boat seem less boat-like? Any other interesting weird stuff I should do? Promise will not be offended by criticism of any of it.

 

Meg

 

PS. Bored at work. Can you tell?

[Gary Peacock]

I would paint all that wood a nice bright colour and sod the Rosie & Jim brigade.

 

You can really go to town on it and when you're bored with it just do it again and have a change!

[Jason Wilson and Family]

Personally I would pause after you strip it all down and see how you feel about the natural wood. Otherwise an off white would do the trick I think... or you can go for my wifes choice for our bedroom.... a very bright red-orange.

 

'Course... something neat would be a scrollwork pattern on the bare wood using slightly darker stain.... hmmm...

 

bugger, now you've got me started and I don't have a boat.

[Orphiel]

Personally I would pause after you strip it all down and see how you feel about the natural wood.

 

Haha, if I pause I will never get started again!

[Gary Peacock]

You definitely need more colour!

 

Why not have a go at letting that lot from BBC Changing Rooms have a go? I don't think they have done a narrowboat have they?

Edited July 6, 2007 by Gary Peacock

[Jason Wilson and Family]

My aunt does interior dec. I don't know if she still goes but her work has been on one of those shows before (although her teacher took all the credit). She's in oxford so I could see if she'd want to give it a go for you?

 

 

I've five steps away from ditching my web job and go into interiors...

[Gary Peacock]

You need some expert advice I know just the PERSON!

 

Being serious though if the boats your home you should try just what you fancy! I would if I had a boat.

 

We did a green, silver and blue interior for a couple they loved it and I have to admit after seeing the finished thing I did too.

 

I am now a convert boats do not need to be bland and boring!

 

The Rosie & Jim's might like them in Deep Brunswick Green with dark interiors decorated with a dashing of roses and castles but that's rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

[dacaB]

It would prolly not be a good idea to paint just to 'sod off' any brigade.

 

Your decor should be a mirror for your character and personality, if you want colour, well thats superb, if you want wood then thats good too.

 

Perhaps you should consider the resale value of your baby, once painted it would be a hell of a job to return to wood. Or maybe resale is out of the question.

 

Not sure if 'weird stuff' is the answer, for the above reasons.

 

IMHO vertical t&g would be so much better than BLUE carpet, but thats my opinion, it's yours that counts.

 

Lights brighten most interiors. ( they can be as weird as you like)

 

Give it loads of thought, think some more and have fun.

 

All the best, looking forward to the 'after' photos.

[Chris J W]

I've a typical 'dark wood' interior, and so far I've found that just mounting some of my photos in either black or gold (from a £1 shop - so gold-ish) frames helps break up the mass of one colour and, to a degree, the glass in the frames reflects back differing hues of light during the day.

[Orphiel]

Ha, that website is pretty scary! Changing rooms would be pretty hilarious, and what do you reckon my chances are of getting Ground Force in to do a garden on the roof?

 

Gary, cheers for much keener support for painting green, silver and blue sounds ace, although anything that complex might take a bit more skill than I have with paint...

 

I find it hard as far as decor and personality, as I like both ideas, wood and paint. Still, if I put T&G on the bottom (I absolutely agree with you about the blue carpet, dacaB) then I will have wood AND paint. And if I want to paint it weird colours, I can just paint it white again if I want to sell. That is, I am reliably informed, how houses work anyway!

 

I had not thought about lights at all, I just have those strip lights, and nothing else. Are there other good lights that are 12v and narrowboat fitting? Oh, I have a really bright halogen style one in the bathroom as well, and some weird LED things that I don't use much. I did like those oil lamps someone linked to recently as well.

 

Am planning on some time off when it gets warmer (if ever) to do some work in a solid block, as will never get round to doing anything otherwise.

 

In related question, I have to sand off the varnish before painting, obv, so any tips on this? Just sandpaper, or is there anything easier and less tedious? Also with T&G, can you buy the stuff ready cut to put on the wall? I am looking to cut corners wherever possible...

 

Meg

[DHutch]

Just found this thread, i certainly know what you mean about it been dark, i walked though a boat breifly that looked like that. While it seams a good idea at the time, i reality it does all get a bit misrable doesnt it!

- Ive not been on a boat thats got painted T&G (any colour) so couldnt really comment on how that would work.

 

However, i think actaully, i would go for it!

- Proberbly white first, just becuase if nothing else its brighter and thats somewhere to start from if nothing else.

- And for a purely logical point of view if you start thinking about damage limitation. You dont like as it is (varnished), So either you'll like it painted, or you havnt lost anything and it all comes out for something else.

 

The only other thing you could do would be as Jason says, and see what it looks like once you;ve got all the nackered varnish off, and thing about working from there.

- I actually quite like this look, and if you maybe took out some of the lower bits of wood and made that light, and then resealed the wood, it might look good. Maybe do the ceiling white to help with that?

- We have T&G on the uppersides/ceiling in emilyanne. But its ash, so its little lighter even after 15years of colouring up, and our gunnels/walkways are higher, so there less of it. And then below is white ribbed carpet (ribs going vertial). And we also have more windows that you seam to.

 

In terms of removing the varnish, i would just sand it off as you say.

- However its worth using half decent sand paper, becuase its sharper/harder and clogs less, so it takes less time effort and changing sandpaper.

-Also, i would most certainly use a mechanical sander to speed it up, either a decent orbital (very usefull tool anyway) or maybe even a belt sander depending on how that went.

 

Lights-wise, 12v florecent lighting is what i would be using for the bulk lighting on a boat, certainly thats what we use and it works well.

- However there are a large array of 12v florecnet fittings so its worth looking at cataloges/chandlers and see what thye have, most of ours are the round '2D' fittings.

- Hallogens of varous types (inc 12v domestic ones with the mains tranformer removed) deffonatly have there place as spot lights, but are less effeicent than florecents (although better than stadard incadecents).

- Some people do also use LEDs, which can be used for spotlights, or just whatever. But they never spit out that much lights, can be expesive to buy and sometimes fail prematurely. And often arnt as effienct as florecents anyway.

- Theres also 12v compact-florecents (CFL's) avalable, which fit directly into normal 12v lamp fittings, with all there florcent cicuitry in the base (like you can get for domestic use)

- Or even cold-cathode-florencents (CCFL's), which are the creme-de'la-creme of higheffiencty florecent lighting and very nice indeed. But usally prohibatably expesive to purcase many of!

 

As for buying T&G, usally it will come in large lenghts of the stuff.

- However, if you know what lenght you want them cut (like a whole load to go floor-gunnel) you may well be able to get them cut for you.

- Certainly most dencent timber-supplyers should be happy to do the work for you for a price. Also some larger B&Qs are worth a shot.

 

 

 

Daniel

[smileypete]

Hi,

 

The colour scheme in my boat is quite similar to this:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/74619946@N00/352858011/

 

I quite like it as the white ceiling and walls reflects incoming daylight and makes the boat more airy and light inside.

 

However the boat above has T&G on the walls and ceiling that run from bow to stern, I think this can make the boat look longer and narrower. On mine I have vertical T&G painted white on the upper half of the walls and a plain white plywood ceiling and bulkheads.

 

In related question, I have to sand off the varnish before painting, obv, so any tips on this? Just sandpaper, or is there anything easier and less tedious?

 

I wouldn't sand the varnish off, just clean it with 'sugar soap' and give it a little sanding with medium sandpaper to 'key' the surface. Then paint with white undercoat for gloss paint, which will stick to the varnish well and help to hide the varnish, as well as give a good surface for most topcoats to stick to.

 

Also with T&G, can you buy the stuff ready cut to put on the wall? I am looking to cut corners wherever possible...

 

It usually comes in packs of 5 in standard lengths eg 1.8m, 2.4m. It's very easy to cut with a handsaw or jigsaw.

 

For some good info on paint, have a look at the Screwfix talk forums:

 

http://www.screwfix.com/talk/index.jspa?fo...ms&ts=42783

 

Well worth having a look at old posts and then asking any questions, there are some very knowedgable people on there.

 

cheers,

Pete.

Edited July 7, 2007 by smileypete