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Living on the water offers plenty of advantages – but the fact is that a traditional narrowboat doesn’t offer quite the same standard of interior as the equivalent brick-and-mortar home. Fortunately, it’s easy to modernise a space like this with just a few simple steps.
Let’s take a look at how you might go about renovating a barge of this kind.
Pick a theme
Throwing together random ideas as you think of them might well result in a haphazard, chaotic look. As such, it’s a good idea to settle on a theme and to build around it. You might start by picking out one or two matching pieces of a statement furniture, and then building everything around it.
Freshen up your hardware
The doors and cupboards in your boat should be fairly easy to modify or replace. For example, the cabinetry in your kitchen might be taken out and repainted, or resprayed. The results can be transformative, especially when you consider that your cabinetry takes up most of the space on any given wall.
Other changes you might make include your worktop, your handles, and your taps. A few key changes here and there can provide the space with some much-needed ornamentation.
Create light and space
If you don’t get enough natural light below deck, then your space will end up looking smaller and dingier. In the winter, this can be especially problematic. You might even find that you end up suffering from seasonal depression as a result!
There are a number of strategies you might employ to bolster the distribution of natural light. Mirrors can be enormously helpful, especially if you prefer the larger variety. Hang them on the back of available doors. You might also install larger windows and skylights. If privacy is a concern, then you might opt for frosted glass.
Storage solutions
Since space is going to be at a premium inside your barge, you’ll want to be as efficient with your storage as possible. Make use of vertical space, right up to the ceiling, and install hooks onto the backs of doors. If you have a big enough bedroom, then a sliding wardrobe might be preferable to one whose doors open outward into the living space.
Add a touch of green
You might make use of your deck to take up container gardening. A small garden can make for a valuable supply of edible herbs, and flowers, too. There’s also an aesthetic benefit to having a garden aboard. It’ll provide a valuable space in which to retreat and unwind, especially during the height of summer. You might even install a miniature greenhouse so that you can keep your plants in good condition for even longer.
