Crafting a quality nautical-theme isn’t hard to do. You just have to balance a color palette of white, navy, and khaki, and then arrange some nautical home decorations, such as porthole clocks, nautical wheels, and wall mounted bells, tastefully throughout the space.

Simple, right?

While it may be easy to create a nautical-theme, there are still many interior decorating faux-pas that are easy to make. Here are just a few to watch out for.

Leaving Ceilings White.

Don’t leave your ceiling white. Although it’s one of the most dominant colors in a well done nautical-theme, it’s best to choose something else. Adding color to this one part of the room will add so much more visual drama and character. If you don’t like the idea of a khaki or navy ceiling, many interior decorators also use red, yellow, and black as secondary colors in nautical-themes.

Having Too Much of a Good Thing.

Yes, there are tons and tons of different pieces of nautical decor you can hang on your walls or decorate your surface areas, but you don’t want to overload it. Too much nautical decor is a bad thing, and could kill the interior design. Keep it light. Keep it balanced.

Failing to Pay Attention to Scale.

Scale is one of the most important things to pay attention to, especially when choosing where to place your nautical decor. Putting a small, wall mounted bell above a big sofa will not only make the bell look even smaller, but make the wall look more bare. Instead, hang large pieces near big furniture, and cluster smaller nautical decor together, or in busier areas.

Nautical decorations may be easy to find and place throughout your space, but interior decorating can be a bit tricky if you’re not careful. If you have any questions about placing nautical decor tastefully throughout your home, feel free to share in the comments.