The saloon of Perini Navi's Panthalassa

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Boats have always reflected the personalities of the people who commission them, and the fashions of the era. A Greek shipping tycoon once specified a décor of exotic woods and selected the skins of endangered species to cover some of the furniture. During the Edwardian era, yachtsmen wanted a formal dining room, a mahogany-paneled salon and tufted leather seating. Titans of industry at the end of the 20th century often favored marble and onyx decors. Today’s yacht owners are active people with varied interests, and their new vessels reflect their lives. They’ve traded formality and stodginess for flexibility and fun.

“Owners want more of a relaxed atmosphere,” said Diane Byrne, editor of MegaYachtNews.com and a senior contributing editor to this magazine. “In talking with interior designers and builders, I’ve found that the reason is to have more of a casual, even beachy, look and feel — in keeping with the lifestyles led on land.”

Greg Marshall, president of Greg Marshall Design in Vancouver, British Columbia, takes this premise a step further. He says many yachts have qualities that are similar to those of a Range Rover. “You can dress up in a tuxedo and go to a formal party in it or go tromping through the mud,” Marshall said.

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Yachtsmen want their boat to serve many whims, but space is limited — even aboard a superyacht. The first thing to go? That stuffy office. Many boat owners conduct business by staying in touch via notebook computers and smartphones, and they do the same aboard their boats. Luiz de Basto, president of Luiz de Basto Designs in Miami, said that most boats he has designed during the past year or two have not included a dedicated office space, a previously popular option. “Nowadays everybody has a wireless computer,” de Basto said. “They go to the flybridge and look out at the landscape while working.”