Meticulously crafting the inside of a home is challenging enough as-is. Add a hefty dose of the elements as well as engine vibration, small and awkward spaces, and maritime codes, and you are met with the many hurdles of yacht interior design.
Unlike in a home environment, where you have a seemingly infinite number of possibilities for creation, every inch of space on a yacht matters and chances are you will be met with constraints and significantly reduced flexibility.
Our head designer, Angie Wetzel explores trends and challenges of yacht interior design and walks us through her work on a ground-breaking Sanlorenzo SL88 Yacht.
Key Considerations When Designing in the Waves
When you have a brand-new beautiful boat and are ready to make it uniquely yours, you will absolutely want to hire a professional yacht interior designer if you desire a sense of durability, functionality, and tranquility. After all, yachts and homes are not the same.
On the Great Ocean Blue
A boat, small or large, rocks back and forth, subtly vibrates because of the motor, is exposed to corrosive salt air and high humidity, and must meet specific regulations from the U.S. Coast Guard and maritime codes. You can’t simply visit your local showroom and pick any random pieces of furniture that you think would look nice.
And, of course, you can’t start knocking down walls or installing new features without understanding potential risks or consequences.
Keep Things Serene
Many boat owners get excited about personalizing their space with initials and monograms everywhere, and it makes sense that they want it to be unique to them. However, it’s important to strike a balance. Overdoing anything, especially in yacht interior design can take away from why you’re on a boat in the first place – the ocean!
Keep novelties, décor, and even furniture to a minimum. The environment should feel clean and calm to highlight the sea as the main event.
Embrace Bespoke
Since yachts often have very specific dimensions that may be challenging to maneuver around, investing in high-quality custom furniture can keep things from appearing unintentional, crowded, or awkward. It may be possible to incorporate pre-manufactured items, but this will significantly diminish your design options.
A bespoke approach to yacht interior design dramatically expands the limitations of what is possible.
The Sanlorenzo SL88
InterLux Interiors had the privilege of designing a Sanlorenzo SL88, drawing inspiration from the surrounding environment to elevate the gorgeous gift of the sea rather than distract from it.
Designer’s highlights:
SL88 is an ultimate custom yacht and the definition of luxury. Our luxury designer was involved in every aspect of material selection. From space planning, new configuration, marble, premium ebony ultra-high gloss wood veneer materials, lighting system design, high-end Italian-made furniture through accessories (thoughtfully curated from NYC and Paris), arts, and custom Italian bedding.
This luxurious yacht features a never seen before see through the glass bathroom wall structure. Unchartered waters equaled elevated design.
Into the Hatch
Walking through the hatch and into the cabin, the SL88 greets you with an expansive living area with a warm honeycomb onyx and golden hour accents. You immediately are encapsulated with bright sunlight and a perfectly sized sofa that starkly contrasts with dark oak floors and custom built-ins.
The sofa’s width was precisely crafted to allow just enough space for a comfortable walkway, creating the illusion that you are walking into a separate room while maintaining a sense of openness. Innovative glass installations seem to raise the ceiling toward the clouds. These juxtapositions and spacial illusions create an atmosphere that is cozy but calm and far from congested.
Cooking in the Galley
When you step into the galley, or the kitchen as we land-dwellers know it, there is a sense of simplicity without unnecessary flashiness. It is practical, easy to clean, and spacious with plenty of counter room. Space constraints make kitchens on boats particularly difficult, especially considering appliances must be specially made.
Even if it fits, you can’t bring your refrigerator from home. Power is often fed to appliances at lower voltages, using a mixture of AC and DC power instead of simply AC power as we have in our homes. Appliances can additionally be quite heavy, which can set the boat off-balance, especially if the galley is not in the middle of the boat. Everything from countertops to your coffee machine can present a challenge. None that we weren’t up for!
A Starry Night
One of the most impressive feats of this project was the innovative use of glass throughout the entire space. This becomes especially apparent when you step into the main bedroom and look up at the spectacular array of stars created with inventive LEDs.
A massive portion of the room is coated in glass and mirrors, creating a ‘watery’ texture that resembles the ocean. These reflective surfaces create endless depth and height so the space feels much larger than it is. Incorporating glass onto the boat at this scale required rigorous attention to detail and analysis – an obstacle that InterLux Interiors was excited to find solutions for.
Extra storage space is strategically built into the walls, incorporating LEDs that imitate sunrays shining through a window. LEDs are used in novel ways within every room, from illuminating stairs to revealing the detail of breathtaking slabs of honeycomb onyx.
A Trip to the Head
In a nautical environment where there is already an imbalance of water compared to the other elements, it is essential to create balance within the bathroom for optimal flow, or Feng Shui. The master bathroom has an incredibly grounded, earthy energy with stone countertops and an impressive cut of a honeycomb onyx as the shower wall.
These finishes and features energetically ground the boat, creating a connection between the sea and the land. Once again, reflective surfaces create an impact of openness and airiness.
Large cuts of natural stone materials draw the land out to sea, creating a sense of elemental balance in a water-heavy environment.
Throughout the rest of the space, the same philosophies and illusions are applied so rooms seamlessly transition into one another.
More to Explore > Trends in Yacht Interior Design
Behind the Design
Our head designer traveled the globe for this luxury yacht project. Here's a look at what went into creating this spectacular design for the high seas:
Sail With Sophistication & Style
To Angie Wetzel, the founder of InterLux Interiors, every project is a blank canvas. Yacht interiors are particularly exciting because there are so many challenges that require creative solutions.
If you have decided to invest in your own yacht, congratulations. You are at the start of a life-changing voyage! Design your yacht with InterLux Interiors to create a space that works with your space, meets your vision, and will last for years to come.