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ships ahoy! design fans because the very first installment of d*s mini trends is all about nautical influences on modern design. whether you’re shopping for textiles or accessories to add a little “pop”, it’s all about pieces with rope, anchor and ship detailing- or that classic sea-faring combo of royal blue, white and red. [buttons above at fred flare, $8 a pack]

i’m sure you’re all just happy to hear about something other than birds for a while, so rest assured that i’ve been filling my inspiration books with sea-themed pieces instead of aviary ones. while popping through stores in manhattan and brooklyn (and online store fronts as well), i couldn’t help notice a trend towards the preppy nautical look. the movement seems to have two branches: marine life themes and straight-forward nautical. i tend to lean towards the marine theme (ie: sea sponges, starfish, seahorses and waves), but i’m also loving the primary color combo of classic red, blue and white. [picture above clockwise from top left: anchor plate by sarah cihat (under $50), rope lamp project at martha stewart, limited edition ocean reef bowl by michele oka doner for steuben glass (splurge! $23k!), paperweights at iomoi, $35]

the great thing about this trend is it emphasizes clean lines, bold color and something other than the bird craze we’ve been seeing for the past year or so. but don’t go buying up all the anchor themed pieces you can get your hands on- the best way to achieve any look is with moderation- whether that means adding hardware that mimics sailing rope, checking out some sea-themed pillows or daring to paint a wall navy blue and pop some bright white and red accessories off of it. so, here are some great ways to get the look in your home (even on a budget!) - enjoy! [photo above, clockwise from top left: pink octy pillow at hable $150, coral lamp at anthropologie $248, ship dress at elsewares $115, rope pull at kitchen source $23]

[photo above, clockwise from trop left: paperweight at iomoi $60, urchin vases at sprout home $11-$15, glass coral at velocity $33 each, sanddollar pillow at hable $210]

[photo above, clockwise from top left: rug at wisteria $399, urchin tealight at sprout home $16, sharky pillow at hable $145]

[photo above, clockwise from top left: sealife cards by stacy pancake $21 a pack or $5 each, coral cocktail napkins at source perrier $45 for 4, white porcelain shell at anthropologie $12, brass urchin candleholder at sprout home $16]

well the bedroom furniture (which belonged to my husband’s 46 yr old sister when she was a LITTLE GIRL) that my mother-in-law FORCED us to put in our spare bedroom would fit in just well. it’s like from a ship or something. 40 years old.

Grace, you also highlighted some student work recently that could fit here. She made a lighting structure. It had glass balls (containing lights) that were tied together by crocheted rope. It was then hung by the ceiling. It had a freeform shape. The balls looked like the glass floats they used on fishing boats. And the crocheted rope looked like a net.

Could the nautical theme be an off shoot of the 70’s re-mix, particularly in fashion. Recently I have noticed at least two adults wearing thoes rope bracelets that shrink on the wrist. I hadn’t seen one since my family begged me to cut off my crusty, green/gray one in 1979!

it’s about time! my 6 yr old son LOVES sharks, and I was told “sharks aren’t *in* right now”, which is why I couldn’t find much for sea life. It’s back! Hooray! and I’m sick of all the birds too. :)

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