Surf's Up Dude

With the warm weather we've had lately I'm all excited about the coming of spring (maybe a bit premature). Warmer temps mean trips to the beach and a little sand in my shoes. I have always been a beach gal and loved anything that reminds me of the sun and the surf. Now that I own a business, I am constantly searching for unique beach decor for our local and out of town shoppers to help them decorate their shore house or to take home with them as a reminder of the coast. Lately, I've really been into vintage surfboards used for decor. Whether it's placed gingerly in the corner, as if waiting for its next ride or hung on the wall as a headboard, the colors and fluid lines of surfboards can't be beat.

Not so long ago I spotted a stylish board in a beach cottage that had the most gorgeous print (I'll have to hunt down the mag article for your viewing pleasure). At first glance the board appeared to be re-designed (as in purchased and repainted). But upon closer inspection it was designed for/by Lilly Pulitzer. Since then, I've toyed around with the idea of creating my own Lilly-esque design that would be hand painted (or stenciled) on the board. We have a few vintage boards laying around but I'm sure my husband would have my hide if I covered their original 80's designs. So for now, I'll be on the hunt for a board in need of some love (and paint!) to test my surfboard decor skills. In the meantime here are a few images of Lilly boards and a surfboard inspired designs.

Lilly Boards can be found at: Walden Surfboards

Custom surfboard coffee table

River Inn, Big Sur, CA

Design Tip: I've seen surfboards done well (as in the pictures above) and I've seen some not so great installations. My personal opinion here is to not take things too far, I call it light done right (pretty sure that is in a food commercial somewhere). It should be treated like a great unexpected surprise complimenting the other items in the room but not overly theme oriented.