Stairway to heaven: Standout superyacht staircases

The head-spinning wooden staircase on board the 40 metre Conrad flagship features a grand hanging crystal light fixture created by Masiero. It is a partner to three others found on board in the saloon, the dining room and the master bedroom.

A large mirror creates the illusion of a double staircase on the 55 metre Benetti superyacht Ocean Paradise, while her bonsai garden adds an unusual and calming backdrop as one of the world’s few superyacht gardens. Launched in 2013, she features interiors by Adrian Lee and Mauro Izzo.

The main staircase on board the 51.1 metre Heesen is something to behold – curving Macassar with white steps glowing from within, and a sinuously carved handrail, built directly into the wall. “We had made a full mock-up [of the stairwell] to make it work,” says van der Zanden, Heesen’s general manager of design and development. The lacquered white handrail fits the hand perfectly, guiding you down or up the stairs.

Art pieces, chief among them a marquetry backdrop handmade in Wales, complete the ornate staircase and lobby on board the well-travelled 68 metre superyacht Lady Christine. Launched by Feadship in 2010, Lady Christine’s Rodney Black-designed interior can accommodate up to ten guests in five spacious cabins, while her exterior styling comes courtesy of De Voogt Naval Architects.

Two Lalique bas-reliefs decorate the white onyx and silver leaf-clad staircase on the 64.5 metre Benetti superyacht Silver Angel, which is dripping with art deco glamour. Argent Design was responsible for the décor on this 1,400GT yacht, which hit the water for the first time in 2009.