While nautical-themed decor might have once been the province of cheesy motels, it’s showing up more and more in stylish contexts. Design*Sponge recently previewed the above pillows, part of the new collection from trendsetter Thomas Paul. Are sperm whales and anchors replacing birds, deer, and their woodland brethren as the graphic motif du jour? See some more examples after the jump.
Austin-based Esty seller sprucehome takes the theme in an interesting direction with their Admiral Pillow, covered in vintage polyester. We love the subtlety of the nautical diagrams. This burlap pillow from Patch NYC is also fun; the storybook quality of the image would make it a playful addition to a tailored sofa.
We're drawn to the bold blue of this cheeky “Titanic” shower curtain from Urban Outfitters. And a shower curtain's a great way to enjoy the motif-of-the-moment without making a major investment.
For the office, this adorable chalkboard from the Curiosity Shoppe might make a long to-do list seem a little less daunting.
Or try this vintage diver’s helmet pen holder from Three Potato Four.
The beauty of this trend is that it's got something for everyone, from the animal lover to the science geek. We hope it will stick around even longer than antlers did.
See more previews of the new Thomas Paul collection at Design*Sponge.
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Nautical already happened.
nooooooooo.
With exceptions.
Let's not ruin the ocean like we did the forests.
I love this a lot more than the whole owl, deer, moose, other cutesy woodland creatures thing that has been going on lately. The deep is just so much more interesting and mysterious. But, anything that gets overdone gets boring, as we all know. Lets have less 'themes' altogether.
I have never seen a cheesier nautical. At least go Ralph Lauren. Are people serious with play time preschool shower curtains and cheep wood cut outs of sea life? Lets get real. Anyone who cares about themselves and does not run a day care would never have these things.
Nautical will never go out of style, because the oceans have a magical effect.
However, the things that AT has presented are very weak. An old wood engraving, blown up, and printed on coarse fabric does not constitute design.
Let's have a nice mermaid, properly drawn, and painted on a screen or whatever.
that shower curtain is flippin' gross.
I like Thomas Paul. He's a good graphic designer.
Anyone who cares about themselves and does not run a day care would never have these things.
That is hilarious. Thanks, now I've lost my self-respect.
Unless you live near the ocean this stuff is best avoided. I live in the woods. Forest-inspired decor has always made sense, and I'm quite happy it's going "out" so I can have my look back. So I guess, more power to the nautical. Reminds me of a bad restaurant, though.
I've personally never been crazy about nautical or woodland decor, though I've seen it done well a few times.
I have some "nautical" items in my house: mason jars of shells I've found, hurricane lanterns (useful because Montreal is notoriously black-out prone), a ship's barometer, some photographs of the sea...
But the products above are kitsch. They're what you'd expect to see in a Red Lobster franchise.
Very tired. Put it to sleep.
Can we please have a serious discussion on how to prevent trends from tarnishing what we love?
These trend cycles make design seem like slash-and-burn farming. An idea is identified, milked for all it's worth, and once it's no longer fertile, it's useless. Then it's on to something else. Even the so-called classics of mid-century modern seem to be taking this turn.
When a concept becomes popular, it opens the doors for an overload of interpretations, many of them bad and with the only goal of capitalizing on the trend. For me, the associations start building until the concept I loved is inextricably connected to what I dislike and the whole idea dilutes into boredom. I don't think this is right, but I wonder how to prevent it.
actually, i think nautical is the new woodland, because it speaks to efficient use of space, fresh air, light and movement. it is "home" with mobility, rest with perpetual destination, and clear, clean colours. sound is part of it, too--what are you hearing? nautical was on my mind last fall, along with the inbound yellow and grey--must have been sensing a shift. yes, it has been "done." so what? galley kitchens are fascinating to me, and the sleek, warmly preserved elements of classical sailboats. Ralph Lauren got the sensibility from nautical, but nautical certainly pre-dates Ralph Lauren. I say, make it your own. See what you can borrow that is salutary in these difficult times.
Maybe the simplest rule is to avoid all theme rooms. That's where good trends go to die.
"Unless you live near the ocean this stuff is best avoided."
I better hide my stool made from fallen forest timber because ithe people who live in the woods may confiscate it from me!!
Where I live, in SW France there are whole shops dedicated to stuff like this. I always think it makes a place (no pun intended) a bit like a fish restaurant.
I like the pen-holder- very steampunk. (is steampunk *tiiiired* as well? oh well.)
Well, the chalkboard is kind of cute. The rest is awful.
As for the beach theme in general....
There is a big difference between displaying one oceanic thing you found at a flea market while vacationing, or actually on a beach -- and displaying collection of said items gathered from antique shops and online auctions, or at Pottery Barn. Context is all. So a coral-themed room is twee, but a few pieces of coral work nicely. And advertising the fact that you have a boat is just tacky (hey!). And displaying a huge ship model when you haven't ever sailed, much less owned a boat, is just desperate (anyone watch the t.v. series "In Therapy"?).
Themed rooms are for cheesy decor shows and dorms.
Relax, people... it might be a "trend", but I see nothing wrong with working some of this into warmer-weather decor.
And I didn't read anything in this post about "themed rooms" either...
I'd rather see some of this than yet another Etsy-esque bird or branch silhouette.
Jeeze... I see I made a goofy slip in my post! "In Treatment", not "In Therapy". Some sort of name dislexia, I guess.
I like the shower curtain.
I have a subtle nautical thing going on in my home which makes sense for me because I enjoy frequent ocean cruises - and I enjoy bringing some of that flavor of being aboard ship home with me...
...but it wouldn't make much sense if I had this theme in my home and preferred ski holidays or camping in the woods.
You are allowed to enjoy the motifs of an activity or locale without having to be a participant or visitor, no?