Milanese interior design firm Ciarmoli Queda Studio (CQS) has given us a peek inside a 106m conversion project taking place in Greece. Details of the yard and exterior design are closely guarded, but we can reveal that the Poseidonos project will transform a passenger ferry into a six-deck superyacht and delivery is expected next year.
Design duo Simone Ciarmoli and Miguel Queda, who have designed the interiors of high-end homes and shops for brands such as Jimmy Choo and Montblanc, were engaged for the project after their first superyacht project, a modern interior for 31m, 2010 Numarine Caramel. They are working with the Greek contractor MVS Associates, which is building the interiors.
For the layout and décor of Poseidonos, CQS has risen to the far larger scale, making the focal point a grand central lobby and staircase. ‘From the main deck, as soon as you come in, you have this feeling of scale,’ says Ciarmoli. ‘Then you look up and see all the different decks. It is treated in a very classical way with marble paving, highlighted with laser cut and backlit glass.’
On the fourth deck a 400m2 saloon aft leads on to a reading room, cinema and a bar with a card table and seating for 25 people. Past the lobby are the dining areas: a 100m2 main dining saloon, a smaller one with a teppanyaki grill, and a private dining saloon for eight. The fifth deck aft will have two teak dining tables that together seat 44, plus sofas aft and starboard, while the massive sundeck features a swimming pool.
There are 23 guest cabins on the third deck and 19 crew cabins on the second deck. The fifth deck owner’s suite features a dining saloon, office, 100m2 cabin and adjoining sitting room. ‘If you put together all the spaces – including his bathroom, her bathroom, wardrobe, studio for her – the suite comes to 240m2,’ says Ciarmoli.
To decorate these grand spaces, the owner was initially keen on a classical theme, with dark woods and marble pillars. ‘We had to merge the needs of the client with our aesthetic, which is more contemporary,’ adds Ciarmoli. ‘We started with a selection of wood to achieve the design and chose Tay, a light cappuccino colour. This led to a retro – rather than classical – design, which the client embraced.’
This wood is used throughout the boat’s interior and exterior design, complementing a neutral palette highlighted with aqua and jade tones, as well as red carpazi marble in parquets, veneers by Italian firm Tabu, hand-made carpets by Ferreira de Sa, leathers and stainless steel.