JENAL Lounge/Saloon Interior - Details of what went inside

Decor Specifications
Walls (lower):	Biedermeier inspired fitted cupboards
Walls (upper):	Painted Camomile
Ceiling:	Painted white
Floor:	European Oak floor boards
Window coverings:	Sage fabric curtains
Window frames:	Opening Aluminium
3 Piece suite:	Ivory/gold
Carpet:	Persian rug

JENAL Interior ~ Lounge/Saloon

Details of the interior design, decor & equipment used.


		The main source of heating for the lounge area is the Webasto central air conditioning system but you can't beat a warm glow from a real fire... and... this isn't a real fire! But it is close, it's an ESSE. These fires are made of cast iron and were fired by wood & coal. They were originally found in boats & train station waiting-rooms. Now they are 're-engineered' with 1 & 2 Kw electrical convection elements in them. This electrical one suits our JENAL needs because it is clean to run and adds some spot heat if we need it plus it looks the attractive part.

Similar to the kitchen, the lounge furniture is made from Biedermeier inspired designs with a contemporary design nod by way of the door & draw fittings. Solid wood construction could be a potential long-term hazard due to JENAL's environmental conditions of full air conditioning coupled with hot & cold climates and the added possibility of damp... hopefully, the latter will not be a problem!

Alan made contact with a British cabinet maker Andrew Varah via Alan's City of London Livery Company, the Worshipful Company of Marketors (Andrew is a member of the Worshipful Company of Cabinet Makers) and discussed with him if he would like to apply his expertise to building JENAL's interior cabinetry. He agreed and has produced some truly stunning designs using marine MDF as a basis for his veneering expertise. The example on the right is a design exercise for the Lounge (Saloon) area of JENAL using Avodire for the doors and draw faces, Sapele for the plinth and Pommele Burr Sapele for the tops and cabinet fascias to the black Sapele columns. The Avodire hints of reflected sunlight off a rippling water surface and couldn't exude more, the calming influence barging has as one glides along a lazy waterway.

European Oak flooring runs throughout the lounge area with 250mm wide planks matching the remainder of the ship. This is mounted on the marine ply flooring and has a rubber membrane between the two to further insulate from, of all things, noise. Wooden floors with space beneath them, especially on barges have a tendency to act as sound boxes, emphasising foot steps as you walk. Hopefully, our extra thoughts here will reduce both noise and heat loss.

Whilst the lounge area will be of a contemporary design and share little in the way of traditional boat interiors, Alan wanted to place, as he calls it, a full-stop boat inspirational object there and he chose to make this unusual reading standard lamp. Constructed using a period style hard-wood tripod with brass fittings of the type normally holding a large telescope. He added to it a 9" 1930's period Francis searchlight. These searchlights were originally used on fire engines to illuminate the night-time blaze but later found their way onto the front of boats to assist in dark navigation through tunnels or winter evenings.

JENAL has one on her bow and a this second one converted to a 230v low energy bulbed reading light. Originally chrome plated over brass, this one has been stripped back to its original brass base and looks the period part, it was rescued for a not inconsiderable sum from a boat jumble. Its portability and history will offer equal measures of pride and pleasure.


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