Seattle has a lot of house boats. Obviously made famous by Sleepless in Seattle, but they’ve been around and popular since long before that movie. When I was in college a girl who was older than me in the house was living on a houseboat. I fell in love with it.
The idea living ON the water became a dream. There are limitations; house boats don’t have garages, or parking spaces, or basements. There are no yards, no gardens, and extremely limited home gym options. As we shopped for a house the first time, I proposed a house boat and it was quickly knocked down because of the above limitations. Reasonable as we were a young family with lots of babies and a dog.
But the dream never died. Now as we are starting to think about retirement and an empty nest, a house boat has come back into the conversation.
This has led to my favorite game - Zillow search then Pinterest board! I love to do this. I go on Zillow and find a home. Then I start redesigning and renovating it in my head. And often in my notebook. It’s such a fun game. It’s a great way to get to design something that I don’t actually have to pay for.
If I’m being honest too, I never like the house boat that’s already done. I never like the house that’s already done. I want to start from zero. Start from the junkiest looking house and come in and fix it. I can’t be the only kid that watched This Old House growing up and was obsessed. Luckily I married someone who still loves to watch This Old House.
The difference in house boats is dramatic. You can get a very tiny one bedroom for less than the cost of a condo in Seattle - or you can get a new build house boat that is millions of dollars. The cost of renovation is always a mystery. You can spend a lot on hidden costs - as experts on This Old House will tell you - like the foundation, the floats, etc.
Here’s what I would do if I had a house boat to renovate.
Swivel Chair from Room & Board | Schumacher Wall Paper | Coffee Table | Linen Sofa | Stripe Pillow | Cocktail Glasses | Teak Flooring | Giant Fish Pendant | Flag | Schumacher Fabrics
It seems like a houseboat would need to have a consistent color palette throughout the entire house. Most houseboats are very small so moving from room to room should be fun, but not jarring. I would stay in one palette of blues but swap throughout with how saturated the blue is. In the living room, lots of pattern and deep blues to not detract from the view.
But in the bedroom, bright and light blues carrying the use of patterns through. Very light feeling textures, like the rattan headboard and a fluffy rug keep the room feeling light and airy.
The actual Sleepless in Seattle Houseboat on Lake Union in Seattle
