Inside track: The yacht interior design brands to know this season

A degree in architecture and a passion for fine art were the foundations of Chicago-based Suzanne Lovell Inc, which comprises a 20-strong team, and has been listed in Architectural Digest’s top-100 interior designers and architects. For more than 30 years, the company has built up an impressive portfolio of luxury residential projects, from superyachts to sprawling penthouses, Manhattan pied-à-terres and whimsical California beach houses.

Using a client’s personal taste as a launch pad, each project is undertaken via what Lovell calls the “Three-Dimensional Experience” — an all-round approach encompassing architecture, interior design and fine art, with an understanding that this trio are integral to the process. It’s an approach that echoes the practices of Ferrari and his contemporaries Charles and Ray Eames, Alvar Aalto and Giò Ponti. These giants of design were creative polymaths, often experimenting with art, furniture design, textiles, ceramics and glassware.

Craft is undeniably at the heart of Lovell’s hugely successful business. By collaborating with an array of niche design talent from her extensive network she ensures each finished project is a unique masterpiece. Art also takes a central role, with antiques and auction-sourcing an integral part of the process. “Sir John Soane inspired the creation of what he referred to as the ‘poetry of architecture’, where art can happen,” Lovell explains of her inspiration. “His words are telling: ‘Think and feel as a poet, combine and embellish as a painter and execute as a sculptor’. I believe this is what we do every day at Suzanne Lovell Inc.”

Visit suzannelovellinc.com

Many brands claim to provide comfort and functionality, but few strike the balance with such finesse as Loro Piana. Its clothing and accessories are made from the world’s finest raw materials and enhanced by innovative in-house engineering — its revolutionary Storm System treatment, for example, will make even the most lavish of fabrics, such as vicuña wool, 100% waterproof.

It’s no surprise, then, that the company is well established in the yachting industry. Loro Piana Yacht Interiors has cleverly adapted to the unpredictable conditions of life at sea without losing an ounce of quality. More than 600 varieties of customisable materials and special blends, including tussah silk woven with wool and horsehair, and fine merino wool blended with linen or silk, are employed in its stylish yet durable wall coverings, cushions, upholstery and light-blocking curtains.

Visit loropiana.com

Italian style is no stranger to flamboyance so Bottega Veneta’s subtle and discreet Home Collection is perfect for the superyacht owner who prefers a more muted colour palette. Founded in Vicenza in 1966, Bottega Veneta began producing luxury leather goods in the master craftsman tradition. That approach, rather than trend-driven fashion, has remained the cornerstone of the brand.

In 2006, the year it opened a school dedicated to training the next generation of leather artisans, the company launched its Home Collection. Creative director Tomas Maier started it all in 2001, when he began commissioning bespoke furnishings for select retail stores. The pieces soon attracted the attention of discerning clients but, rather than selling them (as was often requested), Maier promised to make the customers their own versions instead.

Ten years later the Home Collection is now an integral part of Bottega Veneta. It favours modern, functional pieces that bear the trademark intrecciato leather braiding motif. Each item is elegant enough to work as a standalone accessory or as part of a set, and the look suits an onboard setting just as well as one on dry land.

Visit bottegaveneta.com

“Offshore is an inhospitable world of wind, waves, rain and ultraviolet light,” designer Guillaume Rolland once said, “so the belly of a boat must be a nest — a place where one escapes all that.” Rolland heads the yacht division of the eponymous company founded by fellow Frenchman Christian Liaigre in 1987. He has been working with Liaigre since 2001, initially involved in all projects within the company, which is known for subtly luxurious furniture and interiors that make an elegant, understated use of natural materials, such as raw linens and woods weathered by the sea.

As the yacht interiors side of the business took off, Rolland, a lifelong sailor who regularly competes in regattas around the world, took charge of the company’s yacht design studio. Projects he has undertaken include Vertigo, a 67 metre sailing yacht that was awarded Sailing Yacht of the Year at the 2012 World Superyacht Awards. With Vertigo, the design studio worked closely with the boat builders from the start, so that the interior was created along with the yacht, rather than just made to fit into it. The design includes glass panels and doors in the cockpit areas that can be made transparent or opaque at the flick of a switch. So escaping the elements — or even your fellow guests — is simple.

Visit christian-liaigre.fr

As one might guess from a furniture company with a name that evokes adventure, Summit’s speciality is extremely high-quality furniture specifically made for the outdoors. Crafted in sustainable, plantation-grown teak, which is water-resistant and strong, its chairs, tables and loungers are as ideal for the deck of a superyacht as for a domestic garden.

The Californian firm collaborates with leading designers like Linley, with which it created a clean-lined, curved collection (lounge chair, above, €5,487), inspired by the interiors of the top classic yachts. It is made to be stacked or stowed — perfect for sailing purposes.

Visit summitfurniture.com

Designer Giorgio Armani will shortly open a four-storey Armani/Casa flagship boutique in Milan — the new home of his interiors collection, which launched in 2000. This season, as previously, he has once more looked to the natural world for inspiration. As well as the 50-piece numbered and signed limited-edition bar cabinet, “Club”, which features on its doors a hand-lacquered ocean motif inspired by Japanese artist Hokusai’s The Great Wave, there is a screen featuring a Japanese-style landscape print. The same image adorns an upholstered chaise longue, and there are blankets decorated with images of lions and leopards, leopard stone marquetry, and a crystal-encrusted flower to elevate a table setting.

“All my designs for the home collection are intended to promote an atmosphere of calm relaxation,” says Armani. “One way to do this is to reference Mother Nature, as the natural world is nurturing and beautiful.” Those who enjoy life at sea will certainly appreciate that sentiment.

Visit armanicasa.com

Stefano Ricci’s Luxury Yacht Division designs bespoke interiors for some of the most sophisticated vessels in the world. Catering to an elite clientele, its projects are characterised by an elegant finish and sumptuous details, and include the likes of glazed cabinets, handwoven textiles and intricate ornaments with calligraphic patterns. Ricci’s furniture is traditional and ornate, and it’s not immediately obvious that it has been developed for a yacht environment. A recent collaboration with Florence-based designer Luca Dini saw the interior of a mammoth 70 metre superyacht refitted to an almost palatial standard. Utilising the best materials, as is the company’s signature, the interior was furnished in Californian briarwood and Tuscan marble.

Its renowned Home line is similarly plush, represents the finest Italian craftsmanship and has a 100 per cent Made in Italy brief. Nowhere is this clearer than in its recently updated porcelain lines, which blur the boundaries between art and utility. The Lapis Lazuli line gives a contemporary twist to porcelain, featuring deep blue hues and playing up the opulence historically associated with blue by coupling it with 24ct gold detailing.

Visit stefanoricci.com

Bohemian crystal has been revered for centuries for its high quality and ground-breaking designs. Founded in 2007 to build on this tradition, Lasvit combines artisanal skill with cutting-edge technology to create modern light-sculptures and art installations.

One of its new bespoke creations, Cassia (above) by Petra Krausová offers a flexible approach to interior design. Intended to resemble flowers gently swaying in the wind, its low-hanging, hand-blown glass pendants can either be suspended as a single entity or dispersed individually around a room, to equally striking effect.

Lasvit’s 2016 line also includes the aptly named Candy Collection — a range of table lamps and chandeliers resplendent in playful rainbow stripes – that were designed in collaboration with brothers Fernando and Humberto Campana.

Visit lasvit.com

Baldi, founded in Florence in 1867, is dedicated to continuing the rich artistic heritage and tradition of craft that has long been integral to the city. The one-of-a-kind creations of its interior-design arm, Casa Baldi, are imbued with classic Italian style and hand-crafted using the very latest techniques. Its first foray into nautical design saw superyacht Alexander Again transformed into a spectacular floating palace.

Visit baldihomejewels.com

Dudgeon creates bespoke sofas for the luxury residential market. Its relationship with the luxury boat industry was forged in 1992, when a yacht interior designer called into the Knightsbridge showroom on the hunt for Chesterfield sofas. Since then, its team of skilled British craftspeople has gone on to make upholstered sofas and chairs for 86 superyachts, including award-winners such as the 63 metre Benetti 11.11.

Visit dudgeonsofas.com