A toast to award-winning designers who flaunt their interior/decor prowess on luxury yachts. We look at how furniture plays an important role in the interiors of superyachts today. Many yachting brands appoint renowned designers to create a soothing ambience on the decks or in the cabins to mimic a real home. Here’s a pick of the crop.
Patricia Urquiola
This Spaniard needs no introduction when it comes to the world of furniture design. Her creations have won awards for the brands she has worked with. These include B&B Italia, Kettal, Cassina, to name a few.
Sanlorenzo SD96 interior by Patricia Urquiola. Image: Alberto Strada.
So when it came to designing a customised project for Salorenzo SD96 superyacht, she was given carte blanche. She included brands such as Janus et Cie, Viccarbe and Cassina into the mix. The interior design covers a luxury yacht offering five bedrooms with five-and-a-half-baths which literally floats on the water. She wanted to highlight the concept of indoor-outdoor living, she designed the rounded-edge herringbone flooring rendered in oak inside, which then continued in teak on the outdoor decks.
Sanlorenzo SD96, furniture appointed by Patricia Urquiola. Beam sofa for Cassina is paired with the atelier’s Table à Plateau originally designed by Charlotte Perriand in 1937. Image: Alberto Strada.
Furniture was arranged such that it offered sight lines out the expansive sea views ahead so one can appreciate the crystal-clear views of the oceans. She ensured that the rooms remained free-flowing where essential amenities were tucked away. She took it upon herself to create the same level of detail when designing a house. Urquiola also included artful installation to embellish the master cabin and a central staircase in bronzed steel and oak enclosed in travertine shell to add a nod to the maritime aesthetic. The main deck offered a medley of furniture brands such as Back-Wing armchair and Beam sofa from Cassina, Burin table for Viccarbe and even time-honoured pieces such as Cassina’s Table à Plateau Interchangeable, originally created by Charlotte Perriand in 1937. This collaboration with the yacht brand snagged her the Best Layout trophy at 2019’s Cannes Yachting Festival.
www.sanlorenzoyacht.com
Piero Lissoni
The Sanlorenzo SX76 offers a scale smaller than the SX88. The SX76 is bent on being a “social” yacht where open spaces promote mingling and a convivial mood.
Sanlorenzo SX76 is furnished by Piero Lissoni. Image: Federico Cedrone.
From stern to bow, the living space is maximised with an open kitchen, adjacent to the dining room, next to the living area, with free movement between the interior and exterior, achieved purposefully via large windows overlooking the sea. The decoration of the yacht’s interior is minimal, elegant and clean.
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- Sanlorenzo SX76 – Sculptural staircase. Image: Federico Cedrone
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- Sanlorenzo SX76 – Clean, minimalist furniture in natural tones. Image: Federico Cedrone
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- Sanlorenzo SX76 – Views of the sea on both sides frame this chic living space. Image: Federico Cedrone
Lissoni opted for neutrals and soft colour so natural light from each side of the space streams in to create a cosy, warm feel. Maximum visual impact is expressed through the furniture pieces Lissoni chose – from iconic pieces from master designers to object trouvé (i.e. found objects), the curated space comes alive. The showstopper is the picturesque staircase designed specifically by Lissoni for the SX76. This sinuous sculpture is a continuous line flowing into the lower deck, or if you please, ascend back up to the flying bridge, across the main deck without any impediments.
www.sanlorenzoyacht.com
Philippe Starck
A man of many talents but we all know Philippe Starck is famous for product design. However, Starck has had a hand in designing yachts and these include the 24-metre Virtuelle, not forgetting the 65-metre superyacht Feadship called “Wedge Too”.
Motor Yacht A designed by Philippe Starck. Image: Christoffer Rudquist.
In truth, Starck always had a fascination with boats. Since his early teens, he raced boats on the Seine and even taught sea survival skills, off the town of Marlaix in Britanny. But the showstopping 119-metre Motor Yacht A is his proudest boat design for today. Russian entrepreneur and industrialist Andrey Melnichenko own it.
Motor Yacht A’s main cabin features a mix of cool furniture in white. Image: Christoffer Rudquist
His focus was on the front of the boat which he felt no one paid attention to the design. Most of the crafts we witness today have activities at the rear of the superstructure. Starck feels part of the excitement in owning a watercraft is experiencing the waves and wind of the sea. Inside the yacht, he keeps the ambience like a cathedral – a soothing palette of white furniture and decor items.
Motor Yacht A’s tender garage provides a living area where chic furniture is displayed. Image: Christoffer Rudquist
The opulent main cabin is the epitome of cool and calmness. The Tender Garage on Motor Yacht A also purposefully curated with a mix of modern pieces and Baroque-style furniture. The Motor Yacht A’s exterior was designed not to make a statement, but rather, to blend with the sea and be in harmony with the elements.
www.blohmvoss.com
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