Many people associate water with adventure. Be it cruising on a yacht, surfboarding, spending a summer on a lake shore, or just lying on the beach, there’s something about water that can be exciting and relaxing all at once.
And if you’re one of those people who’d spend their entire life near or on the water, at some point, you have probably played with the idea of buying a boat house.
Image credits: djedj
Originally, boat houses were just a luxury version of a regular boat for people who love to spend lengthy periods of time in open water. It provided a comfortable place to rest and an opportunity to travel in style. But over the years, house boats have been used as a permanent residence or a long-term getaway more and more often.
Depending on their construction type, there are various types of boat houses. When selecting one for yourself, you should consider your purposes (permanent residence or leisure activities) and where you’ll use it.
Some of the most common boat house types include:
Now that you’ve become acquainted with the fascinating array of boat houses, let’s dive into a treasure trove of design possibilities to elevate your waterfront residence into a captivating and functional living space. Consider the following boat house design inspirations to infuse your floating abode with personality:
#1 Tiny House Boat Interior
Larger boat houses can be quite expensive; that’s why many owners opt for a tiny house boat. But a tiny home doesn’t mean inconvenient. Here, it all comes down to smart storage and careful planning. Use every surface and corner to create a home of your dreams.
Image source: ourgroundedhome
#2 Cottage Houseboat
This is a perfect option for someone who can’t choose between countryside life and life on the water. You can still have your white-painted porch complete with a swing to spend evenings on, but instead of leading you into a front yard, the stairs take you right to the waterfront. You can opt for a regular cottage roof or turn it into an open deck accessible by another staircase from the porch.
Image source: Thomas Lardeau
#3 Your Personality On Display
Your house may be floating on the water, but you still have plenty of opportunities to decorate it. Surround yourself with your favorite art, bring fancy coffee mugs into the kitchen, or mount a shelf in the living room to display your collectibles. Your boat house can be as much of a comfortable place to relax in as a house on land.
Image source: emilye_king
#4 Retro Outside, Modern Inside
If you own a toolbox and aren’t afraid to use it, you have the opportunity to save some money when buying a boat house. Buy an older boat on a budget and keep its retro exterior intact. But you can design the interior to your taste and make it as modern as you like. Take advantage of the layout and fine-tune it to your needs.
Image source: MemoryCatcher
#5 Two-Story Luxury House Boat
If you have decided to move to a boat house permanently and want to splurge a bit on the purchase, consider investing in a two-story house boat. This luxurious floating home will offer you the same amount of privacy and comfort as a regular modern design house. You can cover the upper floor fully, give it some floor-to-ceiling glass windows, or leave it partially open for a balcony.
Image source: wayneswadron
#6 Open Deck Views
If you’ve chosen to live in a floating home, you might as well enjoy all its advantages. Turn the roof of your house into a top deck that can serve multiple purposes. You can lay out a contemporary garden or set up a lounge spot. It’s also a great space to welcome and entertain guests. Boat party, anyone?
Image source: _brianmeyer
#7 Modern House On A Boat
If you’re a modern house design fan, nothing stops you from making your boat house look like one. They might be pricier than more common floating house designs, but they combine the best of both worlds. Living on a modern houseboat, you have all the amenities and looks of a city home but get gorgeous water views from your bedroom window every morning.
Image source: bsrkroeslin
#8 Movie-Inspired Boat House
There’s something incredibly appealing about living on a boat. No wonder so many filmmakers choose a house on a boat as one of the major characters’ abodes. From Johnny Depp in Chocolat to Sandra Bullock in Murder by Numbers and probably the most famous movie house boat Tom Hanks lived on with his son in Sleepless in Seattle, take your inspiration from any of them and recreate the look on your own boat house.
Image source: wanderingnursekatiek
#9 Fully Authentic Boat House
If you’re looking for an authentic boat experience, it might be a good idea to let your boat house look like an old-timey vessel both inside and outside. Turn each room into a real-life cabin and keep as much of the wooden exterior intact as possible. If your boat’s bridge is large enough, you can even install a decorative steering wheel to create a feeling of total immersion.
Image source: Tho-Ge
#10 Kerala House Boat
Also known as Kettuvallam, these boats were once used not only as a means of transportation but also for residential purposes by royalty. Fully equipped and furnished, Kettuvallams are now primarily used for sightseeing along the picturesque shores of Kerala. When designing your boat house, infuse it with the traditional charm of Kettuvallams by incorporating cool wood carvings, lively colors, and funky patterns inspired by Kerala’s rich cultural vibes.
Image source: alleppeyhouseboatclub
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