Originally published in Watermark Extra, Princess Yachts’ lifestyle magazine for owners.
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“I head up the bespoke interior design team and, although our offices are based in London, we are closely linked with our colleagues in Plymouth. My job is to look after our team of four design consultants working on the interiors of all boats above 75ft. However, some customers with smaller yachts are also asking for the Princess Design Studio touch, and we have seen 50 boats, ranging from 55ft to 115ft, coming through the studio over the past year. At the moment, I am working on a client brief for the newest X95 in build; we had a customer meeting last week discussing concepts for colour schemes, materials, flooring, marbles and any hard surfaces and now it’s a case of making those a reality.
Meeting with the clients is a part of the role that I particularly enjoy. It offers an opportunity to understand different tastes and lifestyles from around the world. This current X95 is the sixth in build for Princess and is destined for a home port in the Mediterranean, to add to boats already in build for Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. Clients have a lot more input when they are ordering the larger boats as there is more scope for loose furniture and bespoke finishes, and our job is to offer them guidance.
We have to understand the markets and individual needs, as well as be intuitive to what clients would like to spend. We ask them how they will use the boat – whether they will be living on it for two months with family, or perhaps using it primarily for entertaining; preferences can vary widely depending on geography.
I have been with the company for four-and-a-half years and have a background in textiles and hospitality interiors. Before joining the team, I worked for a fabric house that supplied materials to Princess. It is imperative to have a good eye and the knowledge to understand what will work and be able to explain why budgets can vary so much depending on the choice of materials.
We endeavour to always keep up to speed with the latest colours and design trends, visiting events like the Salone del Mobile furniture fair in Milan and discussing all the latest collections with our suppliers. Each year we create a “Lookbook” in ten of our favourite palettes from neutrals and pastels to burnt orange and the frequently requested navy-and-white.
The Princess look is fresh, contemporary and relaxed. We love to use linens and beautiful weaves that offer texture as a base, and we bring in colour with scatter cushions and styling. Our timbers include alba (light) oak, walnut and silver oak and our marbles, from Carrara and Verona, include our current favourites Calacatta Oro for elegance, and Bianco Gioia or Mystery White for a clean, modern finish. Our aim is to achieve a space tailored to each client’s taste and way of living aboard, while ensuring this is cohesive to the integral design of the yacht. After all, this is their home on the sea.”
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This content is also featured on our Princess Passport. To return or learn more, visit: The Princess Passport