Maria Silvia Orlandini and Francesca Muzio, co-founders of Italian interior design firm FM Architettura d'Interni, on why practicality is key for superyachts and why their designs are always aim to create a client's dream yacht interior.
Owners like to dream big but, in reality, yacht interior design is about practicality. Superyachts are like small hotels – if someone orders a drink it has to reach them quickly.
For all our projects our motto is “I am my home” and we always think of people, with families, cultures and traditions, rather than projects. Style is not something that can be bought, you either have it or you don’t. Our job is to help both yacht and home owners find their innate style.
Yachts move and can be used in many ways so designing them is far more dynamic than designing residential projects. Yacht clients are now more interested in the feel of a room than its style because the function of spaces at sea has changed far more than those on land. Owners are swapping offices for multifunctional saloons so we try to create versatile spaces that feel comfortable rather than sticking to a strict style.
We find the use of glass on _Coral Ocea_n and Enigma inspiring – it was so ahead of its time. When they were built, superyachts were like floating villas but today everyone wants as much natural light as possible. We’d never dream of putting a chandelier on a yacht now.
Pictures: Jeff Brown/Breed Media; Stuart Pearce; Alberto Cocchi