Hospitable Houseboat

Originally used as a barge, this houseboat now sits in a community of floating homes and needs some special attention to give it a truly homey feel.

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Filed under: Nautical Theme, Blue, Tropical Theme, Color, Remodeling, Decorating Theme, Design Style

Before

Homeowners Michelle Harris and Raphael Barragan love living on the water and want to infuse their houseboat with a nautical and tropical theme. Designer Caroline Vesey steps in to blend the themes together and give the home bright color and eye-popping accents, while focusing on the main goals of the project, which include de-cluttering the front deck and redefining the front entry.

After

Here's how they accomplish it:

remove the old ramp and rebuild it with sturdy new planks
put up a new arbor at the top of the ramp
new non-slip urethane-sand coating for the deck
vibrant tropical paint colors: aqua goes on the body, sky blue trim and white accent paint and new shutters
bright blue awning over the door, and a new front door with sandblasted etchings of fish
lots of planters and pots for the deck, new window boxes with magenta and pink flowers for color
decorative accents: a buoy with housenumbers, new deck furniture and a hammock, and bamboo screening for the deck