Coastal English Cottage Decor – Floral Sails Project

floral sails for a wooden boat

Our design studio very much loves the coastal English cottage decor look with ticking, antiques and faded florals! This week, I squeezed in a little project which perfectly fits coastal English cottage interiors. I have had this little grey boat for years, it’s been in a cupboard waiting for a makeover! I had barely a meter of this gorgeous Bennison ‘Wheatfield’ fabric to make a lovely rectangular cushion with, and just enough leftover to make new sails.

I’m always drawn to that cozy coastal cottage feel—soft light, collected pieces, and rooms that feel relaxed and full of character. A little bit of modern English cottage interiors, a little seaside cottage interior, and that soft coastal cottage aesthetic that feels somewhere between a Hamptons cottage and old Nantucket cottage interiors, just with a Cornish view instead.

I used the existing rather grubby sails as a pattern, and the whole project took less than an hour to complete. You can buy little yachts/boats and add your own sails. I’ll put the pattern I used here for you to scale to fit. It is basically two trapeziums. I just used string to tie them to the boat, which already had little metal eye loops.

sails pattern

My sails are approximately 47cm in height (mast side), the top edge is 7cm and the bottom edge is 17cm. I thought I would add this pattern here so you get an idea of the size of my boat and the shape of the sails.

Removing the Old Sails and unpicking the seams

Using the Old Sails as a Template

Sewing the Hems and Finishing the Edges

Adding Rope Loops for Attaching to the Boat

coastal english cottage sail boat

How glamorous does this little yacht look now with her new cutie floral sails?! I thought about lining the sails (with a ticking fabric), but I’m so glad I didn’t—I love how the light comes through.

.

If you like our look, each week we share The Tin Coast Edit! It’s as a round-up of everything we’re loving, with all the links.

Tap here to see the latest Tin Coast Edits

Lottie xx

I hope this post has given you some ideas for coastal English cottage decor and a little inspiration for your own cozy coastal cottage projects. Sometimes the smallest sewing projects add the most character! #coastalenglishcottagedecor #cozycoastalcottage #seasidecottageinterior

Other posts you may like:-

English Coastal Bedroom – The Georgian Flat

Tin Coast Edit – Spring Home Refresh!

Stay in our luxury Holiday Cottages in Cornwall

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase something using my links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.