• New marine fabric selection techniques

    Published On: March 1, 2022Categories: Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    Onboard Interiors LLC, located in Marblehead, Mass., has been cultivating its marine fabric library since 1984. Collecting fabrics from large mills and small boutique collections, the company updates its collection each year by going through all its fabric books and logging in each fabric. We marine fabricators love fabrics. In fact, most of the conversations [...]

  • Products and techniques for custom cushions

    Published On: September 1, 2021Categories: Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    The unique graphics fabricated by Fabric Tattoo add some decorative zing to the headrests of the custom bow cushions on this project by Mike Charpentier at Paul’s Custom Canvas. Photo: Paul’s Custom Canvas. By Terri Madden and Alayna Wool What do you do when a customer requests something that is outside your realm of experience? [...]

  • Window Treatment Trends

    Published On: July 1, 2017Categories: Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    New 1-inch cordless Wood Tension System on a 650 Sea Ray in American Walnut color.Photo Credit: Poseidon Window Treatments Interest in window coverings for marine applications has experienced a rebirth of sorts and more consumers, fabricators and designers are using innovative window treatment designs. When Krisha Plauché, owner of Onboard Interiors in Marblehead, [...]

  • Fresh updates for older vessels

    Published On: January 1, 2017Categories: In the Shop, Interiors & Upholstery, Projects, Resources

    Aqua-hued fabrics comein many patterns andoffer customers creativeoptions freshen up dated upholstery and other interior fabrications. Most interior fabrication projects occur on fixer-uppers. The vessel might be vintage or it might be less than ten years old. While I always welcome the challenge of doing a better design than the original, there is [...]

  • Meticulous prototyping leads to attractive cylinder cushions

    Published On: September 1, 2016Categories: How-To Articles, Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    Photo 1. The side view of the finished cylinder cushion and matching seating. Creating prototypes for cylinder-style cushions can help solve design challenges. Over the years I have been asked to fabricate several unusual items. I never know if that item will be a one-hit wonder or will become a customer favorite. In [...]

  • The art of project management on contour cushions

    Published On: July 1, 2016Categories: Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    Photo 1: The horseshoe-shaped seating for an aft cockpit required an elaborate checklist to ensure that all the customer’s requests were fulfilled. Marine fabricators are a unique group of craftspeople and business owners. Many of us are familiar with the notion that creative pursuits are right-brain activities, while math and logic are left-brain [...]

  • Restyled sleeping cabins

    Published On: May 1, 2016Categories: Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    Interior sleeping cabins on a vessel have always been my favorite projects. I enjoy researching options and ultimately providing customers with tidy solutions that offer easy accessibility. Cabin spaces and mattresses come in all shapes and sizes. One of my clients claims to sleep 14 people on his 54-foot Bertram with only three interior cabins, [...]

  • Elegant performance in stripes

    Published On: March 1, 2016Categories: Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    Stripes come in every color, shape and size. A two-color stripe can even be juxtaposed to form an eye-catching pattern. Striking stripe patterns can be matched or combined with solid colors to provide dramatic effects for your next project. Stripes are more popular than ever. Sunbrella likes them so much, subtle as well as dramatic [...]

  • Window treatments to WOW your customers

    Published On: January 1, 2016Categories: Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    Roman shades are a popular choice because they give a yacht interior a very soft yet refined look. This article presents options for the perfect look and fit for those challenging yacht windows. A bit of experience will help, but don’t be daunted by the encounter; just reading this page likely means you [...]

  • Child’s play

    Published On: September 1, 2015Categories: Features, Interiors & Upholstery, Projects

    Even when piloting the boat, the needs of children present a new kind of opportunity for marine fabricators. Kid-friendly boat interiors balance durability, safety and plenty of fun. Kids are fun and adorable. They’re also clumsy and messy. So when boat owners decide to spend time on the water with their children and [...]