Design trends

As boats get bigger and better on the outside, their interiors are finally getting the attention they deserve. Jessie Hewitson reports on the latest trends in yacht design

For years, yacht interiors have been a design-free zone, with the emphasis placed on space saving rather than style. But as yachts grow more lavish, so their interiors have improved. One good example of this is Candyscape—a 45 metre Benetti possessing what its owner, Christian Candy, claims to be “one of the most stylish interiors in yachting”

Christian is one half of Candy & Candy, a company he started with his brother, Nick. It specialises in luxury property—and now luxury yachts. When the Candys started seven years ago, there were few properties catering for the needs of the super-rich. Now they have turned their attention to the lack of well designed yacht interiors.

Before Candyscape, says Nick, luxury yachts looked the same. “Most yachting interiors are similar, combining classic cherrywood and a muted colour scheme,” he says. “Our idea was different. We wanted to do something bespoke, to create a feel of ‘Art Deco meets contemporary’ luxury. Quality interiors shouldn’t be limited to your home, but should be there in all aspects of your life.”

International yacht designer Guido De Groot agrees. He has also seen more customers asking for personal touches: “People want to make their yacht feel more like home,” he says. More boats are, he adds, taking on individual character and looking less like the uniform craft of the past. “More owners want a contemporary, modern interior.”

Candyscape, which is moored in Monte Carlo and can be rented for $180,000 a week, features a crocodile-skin floor and an audio-visual system that offers access to 200 DVDs and over 5,000 CDs wherever you are in the boat. There is also a mahogany dining table that flips over to become a roulette wheel, plus a guest cloakroom made entirely from Louis Vuitton trunks. The appeal of yachts is exclusivity, adds Christian. “It is the amount of space and privacy they provide. It’s a form of escapism for the owners. They are secluded. It’s like owning a private island.”