Tuesday, November 5, 2013

How to Style a Boat House

How to Style a Boat House

The other party I attended over the weekend was to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Avalon Sailing Club, which had its inception just before the war in 1938.  Although we are not members, the Commodore of this club was our best man and Mr Beach House has so many clients that belong, we decided to support this fabulous event.  We actually had our engagement party at this venue, but I ashamed to say it was not styled as beautifully as this shin dig.


The entrance and the boat shed walls were lined with lovely little LED tealights.  I haven't seen these before, but they are a great alternative to the real thing, as they eliminate any fire hazards.


We were greeted with Pimms on arrival and then it was off to snap a few shots of the boathouse vignettes, before the light was lost.


The styling inspiration apparently came form the Boat House at Palm Beach.  I was pleased to see the use of lost of galvanised wash tubes adorned with succulents.  I had no takers for mine at the vintage sale last week, but I think they are terrific as part of a coastal theme.




There were lots of intimate lounge areas, where the guests could gather.


All the usual suspects were in da house.  Ropes, baskets sisal rugs, lanterns and wicker.  It was so very beautifully done and really, my happy snaps do not do justice to the beautiful waterside vibe which was created.


Oodles of bunting,


some life rings


Palm fronds and copious amounts of greenery were all in evidence.


They used nautically striped tea towels to cover the bar tables and flora in bottles as centre pieces.


Old boxes and some conventional dining tables completed the look, for this beautifully decorated celebration.


We were regaled with fabulous stories from the war days.   About torpedoes shooting up Pittwater towards a big target painted on Lion Island for practice.  A torpedo once went astray from it's launching pad at Taylors Point.  Inexplicably, it turned east and ended up shooting onto Clareville Beach, much to the residents' horror.  The torpedoes were all unarmed of course, but the colony of penguins on Lion Island didn't know that, nor did they enjoy being blasted on a regular basis, during the war years.  No weapons were ever launched in anger in Pittwater during those years, but the fear that this area may be an invasion entry point, is clear from some of the remnant defences in the area.


There was another funny story about wet Saturday afternoons in the club and how often things were lost on those days, up in the starters box.   Things that could not be found through the cracks in the deck, if you get my meaning.

For 'safety' reasons, the starters box has since been removed from the club and not only because a rickety old ladder had to be climbed to get up there.


But the story which touched me the most, was this fabulous letter sent to Jimmy (James) Spithill on he and his sisters' winning of their first club race at Avalon. Most of you will know, that Jimmy recently skippered Oracle to win the America's Cup in a dual that captivated not only the sailing world, but also those who have no connection to the sport at all.  It was a great day for sailing.  Community organisations such as Avalon Sailing Club, are run by dedicated mums and dads, who hold their childrens' best interests as a priority.  The camaraderie and spirit which develops in these places and other sporting and community groups all over Australia, is part of what makes this nation great.  That spirit and encouragement can sometimes make, a future champion as well.


If you would like Desire Empire posts to come straight to your inbox every ten days or so, you can sign up here for my Newsletter.

Today I am linked up here

10 comments :

  1. it looked fantastic! love everything. what a beautiful location as well.
    x

    ReplyDelete
  2. looks lovely, great styling without being too nautical kitsch!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Everything looks so lovely. I miss being near the water, and these photographs just made me miss the water all the more. Lovely!
    Patty at Home and Lifestyle Design

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bonjour,

    Un très joli reportage agrémenté de merveilleuses photos qui donnent envie de partager ce moment...
    gros bisous

    ReplyDelete
  5. If only there were Pimms at every event I attended. My aunty in NZ, a former model back in the 70s, got me hooked! Love these photos, and the water

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great job! I'd love it if you shared it on our liknk party http://thecraftiestallie.blogspot.com/2013/11/its-that-time-again-friday-follow-along.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the idea of a house boat. We looked at buying one a little while ago, but it would never be decorated this stylishly!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great job. You really added nice touches to the space. Warmed it up.

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great night and it looks like the weather was good too. The old boat shed was beautifully styled for the occasion and I love how the night started with a glass of Pimms - haven't had one in years xx

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...