Having distinctive decor doesn't have to break the bank. In fact the best way to start with any new themed decor room is to acquire one or two fine pieces and then build around them. A nautical etched mirror, etched glass lighthouse coffee table or a unique clipper ship couch might be a great starting point for you nautical decor room.
Of course the best items to decorate with are the things that you find yourself and that have a personal connection to something or someplace in your past. This is why it's best to go slow and acquire your items a little at a time. Try whenever possible, to make the items yourself and do your own work. This makes the items even more meaningful as your decor becomes a monument to your creativity.
To start with, look through magazines and on the Internet to find images of the kind of places that you have in mind. Then if you find an outstanding picture, don't be afraid to tear it out (or print it out) and put it in a nice frame. A great photograph of a beachfront or a lighthouse from a magazine a nice frame will add much to your room and people don't have to know that it's a page from a magazine or from the Internet.
Furnishings can be bought second hand or you can redo the furniture that you already have. There are stencils available in nautical themes that can be used to easily add new life to an old end table. And upholstered furniture can be covered with slipcovers that feature a nautical theme such as lighthouses or sailboats.
To find your knickknacks go to an online auction site and do a search for nautical decor. You'll many and varied items that will fit what you have in mind and most likely they won't cost you a lot of money. Also you can also find real items such as signal flags and sailboat cleats there as well. It all depends on what kind of look you have in mind for your decor.
One favorite nautical decor knickknack project of mine is the simple shipwreck diorama. Here's how to make it. Buy a model kit of a sailboat or whatever type of boat you want in your scene. Get a piece of wood that's a little bigger than the model. I like to use wood plaques that you can find at craft supply stores. (They often already have felt attached to one side, and you can get them finished or unfinished. If you use the unfinished one go ahead and finish it) and attach to one side a piece of fine sandpaper. This is going to be your beach.
Then build the model, spray paint it with a thin coat of light gray paint and let it dry. After the first coat of paint is apply a second coat of gloss white and let it dry. Then tape off a line about halfway down the hull and paint the lower hull with either flat dark gray, black or dull flat red paint. This will make it look more authentic. After all the paint has had time to completely dry, lightly sand the whole model so that some of the gray shows through the white. Break the mast and let the upper part of the mast lie on the deck. And drill a couple of holes in the hull. Use something like a hobby knife to carefully rough out the hole so it looks like broken boards.
Finally place the model on the sandpaper so that it's listing to one side. Then get some model palm trees from a hobby shop and place them around the boat. As a final touch you can get some resin clay from a hobby store and (if you have the artistic skill) use it to make tiny seashells and place those around the boat. Glue the boat to the sandpaper and you're done. You have a very interesting addition to your nautical theme decor room.
Of course, these are all suggestions there are many more things you can do to finish your nautical decor on a budget. Just take your time and let your imagination be your guide. Make it what you want it to be, don't be afraid to try something new or different. And above all else: Have Fun!
Mark Scott developed the art of high definition glass etching over the last two decades. Starting from a small one-man operation in his basement laundry room, he built Master Visions into the largest provider of high definition etched glass home decor in the world. See the unique line of high definition etched nautical home decor wall mirrors and nautical furniture for your themed room.
By��Mark Scott
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