If you’re returning to Blue Barnacles to see what’s new, make sure to check out our new line of home fragrance.    Bella-Lume is a fabulous line of home fragrance inspired by far off tropical destinations.    Adding a fragrance to your home that complements your decor will take your decorating over the top!    

Do you think of braided rugs and think of country decor?   While braided rugs are certainly a staple of that charming country look, they can add a stunning accent to the nautical home as well.    You may want to start with the obvious – a braided rug in shades of blue, or blue mixed with reds, golds and other typical nautical colors.   

Braided rugs also come in rectangular shapes and can even be purchased with stripes and borders in colors of your choosing.  Navy blue and white will add a clean crisp look or add some color to your room while staying within the traditional nautical colors with Navy blue, white, burgundy or red, and gold!   We are working on adding these ‘custom’ braids to our website, so if you’re interested and don’t see what you’re looking for on our site yet, please give us a call.

Of course you will then want to add in the model ship (what nautical room is complete without it!).   Toss a woven throw in rich blue, crisp white or a nautical gold over the nearest sofa, along with an heirloom quality hooked pillow with a stunning nautical anchor design!   And don’t forget the gleam of brass in a fabulous nautical clock or barometer mounted on a rich mahogany base.      

Hi all you beach lovers out there!

We’re adding a new line of seashell adorned tabletop accents to Blue Barnacles that you won’t want to miss.   We’re always on the lookout for fabulous finds to give you the best one stop shopping for your nautical home, coastal bungalow, beach cottage or tropical retreat!  

From round bowls to rectangular trays these are great for decorating every room in your home.   The rectangular tray is great in a bathroom to display attractive bottles and jars of your favorite spa products (check out our Plum Island Soap Company spa products while you’re here!).   Put an extra roll of bathroom tissue in one of the smaller round seagrass baskets.   Use the rectangular or square trays to lay out flatware rolled in napkins at your next ’get together’ and listen to the compliments!  

We’re sure you’ll find many creative uses for these fabulous seagrass baskets.   Let us know if you find a unique use or decorative idea along with a pic and we’ll share the idea with our visitors. 

In this first blog post we wanted to let you know a little bit about us.  Over time, we hope to share some suggestions on coastal, nautical and tropical decorating and share information on new lines and products that we are adding.

We are a small family-run business located in southeastern Connecticut – on the shores of Long Island Sound.   A day trip will bring you to Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, the shores of Long Island peninsula, the sand dunes of Cape Cod and the rocky Maine coastline.    We are located close to the Mystic Seaport where you can go aboard the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship, and a short trip away from Gloucester, Massachusetts  - America’s oldest seaport and home of the Gloucester Fisherman’s Memorial.  Also close by is Plymouth Massachusetts where you can go onboard the Mayflower II, a replica of the ship that carried the Pilgrims to the New World. 

We are surrounded by a rich maritime heritage and fabulous beaches.   Nautical and coastal decorating is at home in New England.  It is not unusual to see weathered beach cottages and coastal homes adorned with a seashell wreath or a nantucket basket on the front door.   This is where Blue Barnacles began – with the desire to bring this wonderful style of decorating to your front door!

Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial