Nautical Vibes: The Simple Use of Lake Art to Decorate Your Home

If you have ever vacationed in a lake house, you likely came home with a strong urge to redecorate and embrace the lake house lifestyle. No judgment! You are not alone.

Spending time on the shores of Boothbay Harbor, Lake Michigan, or the island of Ireland inspires cozy spaces and a nautical atmosphere, keeping the lake house vibe alive and well in your memory. You can instantly recreate the feeling of your time on the lake with a few essential items, like a high-quality wood map and casual lake art.

With a few simple additions to your existing décor, you will be reliving your sun-filled days at the water’s edge, and your friends will marvel at the effortless transformation you and your home have undergone. Whether you have a house, cottage, condo, or tiny house, you can decorate with lake art that will take you back to the shoreline day after day.

Perfecting Your Lake Decor

Nautical decorated house

You know it when you see it. The décor is part of what draws you to specific AirBnBs. You find yourself scrolling through the pictures, admiring the casual elegance in each frame. You may be intimidated by the thought of pulling together this classic look but getting nautical is much easier than you think.

To get an authentic lakeside design, keep it simple, natural, and nautical. Stick to clean and white as a nod to the bold, straight lines of the sails. Wooden accents imitate the decks and frame of the ship.

A bright white wooden mantle over a cozy fireplace is a must-have to warm up the room and create the perfect space for cuddles and coffee. Bold, navy blue and white stripes on accent pillows or a turquoise slipcover on the couch tie into the clean, white space and create the visual effect of water.

Linens and Fabric Create a Nautical Look

Natural linens, rough fabric accents, and material from retired sails create appeal with various tactile and color variations. Fabric with dolphins and seashells is one way to get a nautical look. Still, we suggest that your vibe communicates a more subtle, casual reference to the sea that is refined and experienced, with just a touch of that dreamy quality evoked by your time near the water.

The use of reclaimed wood is a casual yet impactful decorative touch. The rugged look of wood that has been tossed by the water and weathered by sand is a natural addition to any nautical space. Add a catchy lake-inspired phrase or the latitude and longitude of your home, and you have a uniquely personal handcrafted piece of lake art.

As you search for lake house décor, be on the lookout for these items:

  • white farmhouse table with bench seating
  • green plants
  • metal accents

How Do I Decorate with Lake Art?

Nautical decor in a bathroom

Updating your décor to recreate your beloved vacation destinations can be as easy as looking at your existing furniture. Do you have a television cabinet or an old trunk? You can paint it bright white and add a navy-blue anchor with a stencil, or distress it with sandpaper to give the weathered, just-washed-up-on-the-beach look. Salvaged materials can be oh so shabby chic and nautical with little effort.

For a touch of vintage charm, repurpose a length of thick rope by painting it white and hanging it on the wall in a stairwell, replacing a straight and uninspired wooden handrail. Lake art is in the eye of the creative decorator who sees drawer pulls and cabinet knobs among old bric-a-brac in nautical shapes of anchors and mermaids.

Simple, natural, or even repurposed, there are many items you already have that can project a completely different look if you take a moment to look at them differently. You can incorporate lake-themed décor, including:

Wooden Oars Make Natural Nautical Décor

You have heard the expression “up a creek without a paddle” – perhaps the paddle is being used as art! Wooden oars are a lake art staple with their clean lines, made of reclaimed wood and repurposed to lean or hang perfectly on any wall. They check all the boxes when it comes to nautical décor.

Oars can be used singularly, in pairs, on their own, or to frame other types of lake art. You can use wooden oars to create a frame around the most nautical piece of art you will include in your collection – your high-quality wood map. Unique paddle patent art also adds a nautical feeling to your décor. 

What is More Nautical Than A Wood Map?

Painting of a ship

There is nothing more nautical than a wood map. A beautiful, quality wood map will be the north star of your lake art collection. It brings together the theme of your space and offers a view into the depths of the waters you have come to love.

The purpose of your nautical make-over is to bring the lake house feeling home from vacation and make it part of your everyday life. The topography and bathymetry of a wood map have a way of recalling memories of spending days on the shore, splashing in the water with friends and family, or walking in blissful solitude as the moon rises over the water.

Wanderlust is in your DNA. You travel to find peace, beauty, and unforgettable views that inspire your soul and stir your imagination. It is simple to bring those feelings and inspiration into your own home, creating a relaxing environment for you to enjoy between the trips that satiate the wanderlust within.

Your lake art, nautical treasures, and the beauty of the detailed, magical wood map will inspire restlessness in others—a desire to travel and see the beauty your home reflects.

Travel is its own reward; nautical décor reminds you day after day how richly you have been rewarded in life, and you can share the inspiration with others. Whether you are recreating the feel of the Great Lakes or international waterways, your nautical theme is incomplete without a high-quality wood map.

You need a wood map made with precision details that reveal the beauty of the shallows and the mysteries of the deep waters that lulled you to sleep and called you to travel. Lake art is an easy, breezy, and natural way to make any home a lake house all year long and commemorate your favorite travel destinations.


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