http://www.boatinternational.com | January 2018Every room has to be different – you can’t repeat any finishes and you can’t
repeat colours or fabrics. Everything has to be unique,” says Thomas.
AREA, then, had to create a cohesive theme, the materials and tones of
which would change in every space. How was it done? Partly by eye, and
partly by continuing one neutral element throughout. “We used a white
[dyed Tanganika Frise] wood for all the bases, all the trims, the doors and
all the door frames. That is the only thing that is repeated consistently.”
The resulting décor is, as Thomas accurately describes, like a jewellery
box: lapis lazuli velvet and leather furniture by Holly Hunt and Chai Ming
Studios among others, with silky, mottled blue carpets by Tai Ping in the
television lounge, as well as in the upper saloon, where the palette is spiked
with the pinks, golds, limes and emeralds of the owner’s artworks. It’s a
colour scheme that could be overpowering in smaller spaces, but the scale
of this boat can take it. “The most unusual element in the interior is the
headroom,” says Rover. “The owner is used to New York apartment
buildings with phenomenal headroom. So we’ve got 2.7 metres in all the
spaces, but more than three metres in the owner’s suite. Which is like a
cathedral; it gives a very airy feeling above the bed.”
The owner’s suite, forward on the main deck, is huge and glamorous,
from the monolithic marble bath in the en suite to dressing rooms and a
long grey wood desk. The design also makes the most of the recessed ceiling
over the bed, with a mirror-polished stainless steel chandelier by Studio
Roso that glints in the light. Aft of the suite is a VIP perfectly positioned for
family members, while what is quite correctly labelled on the GA as the
“grand entrance” sits aft of here. Down via a marble staircase, or the lift that
centres it, lie four guest cabins with the same breathtaking height. Crew
accommodation and the galley on the lower deck, as well as the main deck
pantry and upper deck captain’s cabin, benefit from this vertical freedom
too. The engine room and technical spaces, meanwhile, have such spacious
surrounds that some bits of kit look like exhibits in a modern art gallery.
The effect of vertical space on the profile – making it taller – is offset by
the sheer length of the yacht, as well as the tapering of that aft deck, the size
of which reduces the overall volume of superstructure. The plumb bow and
purposeful exterior style also lend themselves well to high ceilings. “We
were looking for almost a friendly version of a navy or a frigate style of boat,
very white, giving the appearance of masculinity and safety,” says Rover.
But this was not the only knock-on effect. The special height of the
owner’s cabin meant “we had to sacrifice the seating arrangement in front
of the wheelhouse”, Rover says. But the pool area has rejigged the way that
one would expect all the exterior decks to be used. “A lot of boats have a
sundeck far up and a beach club far down, almost in a sad place, very dark
and tucked away, perhaps with a lot of technical stuff around it,” says Rover.
“We brought the beach club up one deck and the sundeck down and we
combined these two in this aft deck beach area.”
The sundeck is now a private spot for family breakfasts, sweating it out
in the gym or soaking in the spa pool up front. And while the main deck is
traditional for formal dining, onSeasensethe upper deck is in play: a custom
circular table by AREA straddles the line between the upper saloon and its
aft deck, combining a blue Sodalite stone top and a Blue Eucalyptus Frise
veneer. Curved sliding doors enclose or open up this dining area as desired.
With this owner, it seems likely those doors won’t be closed very often.
And why should they be? It’s a lifestyle at sea that makes perfect sense.B145